ARCHITECTURAL MANDALAS
‘Architectural Mandalas’ is a series inspired by the traditional mandalas’ geometric configurations. The images have - as a staring point - an architectural detail from commissioned projects which are then deconstructed and manipulated to reach mesmerising geometric abstractions.
In spiritual traditions, mandalas have been used as a guiding tool for focusing attention to aid meditation or for establishing a sacred space in induced trance. In Eastern religions like Hinduism and Buddhism, cosmic symbols and sacred geometry are layered upon each other to represent maps of a spiritual journey and the archetypal relationship between the outer world (macrocosm) and man’s inner world (microcosm). As such they are visualisations of the inner-outer synthesis of human consciousness.
Contemporary architecture broke free from the constrains of Euclidean geometry and disassociated itself from the politically-charged sacred geometry, while at the same time finding inspiration and new interpretations in cosmogenic architecture, biomimicry and biophilia. In my architectural formative years those two strata have co-developed in an irregular tapestry of content creation and consumption rarely finding moments of reconciliation. Working on the creation of this series, gave me the feeling that these two worlds that externally and internally have spend years drifting in opposite directions have found unifying holons to co-exist. Visual manifestations of inner-outer synthesis concurrently personal and transpersonal.
images by © Pygmalion Karatzas
