Where there is decay, there is growth. From the wreckage, new life emerges. “No mud, no lotus,” a phrase coined by the Vietnamese Zen Buddhist spiritual leader, Thich Nhat Hanh, is both fact and metaphor. The lotus flower puts down roots in mud, and only out of the muck does the exquisite lotus bloom. This is an allegory of our emotional lives, for without suffering, there can be no joy. 

Providence-based artists Amy Wynne, Johnathan Derry, and Michele L’Heureux explore these themes in their materials, processes, and content. From discarded and altered materials, new creations are made that tell new stories.  The negative spaces created by removing material reveal positive forms. The sculptures, paintings, and drawings in this exhibition reveal how through destruction, there is resurrection and redemption. 

(Image: L-R   Amy Wynne, Johnathan Derry, Michele L’Heureux)