Mona Chiang

"October, 2019. I was immersed in a geothermal pool in Mývatn, Iceland. The mineral-rich water was hot, and the setting sun had turned the milky blue liquid into a color that reminded me of a melted orange creamsicle. The air was cold, but thick with steam. And the surrounding fields, as well as the hills beyond were covered in snow and ice. As stunning as it all looked, I was more struck by the idea that if I could draw some arrows up the air and then down, I would wind up with a classic water-cycle diagram. It was a mind-blowing realization: I was sitting in the middle of the process that transforms water from solid into liquid into gas. Sure, we’ve all learned this rudimentary lesson in school. But somehow, being where I was, with all the parts of the puzzle so present and visible, I experienced one of those weird a- ha moments. I felt as if every cell in me was in sync with the universe, engaging in the continuous dance of things coming together and falling apart.

About five months after that day, the world fell into chaos. Numerous countries went into lockdown due to COVID-19. Geopolitical, socioeconomic, and environmental issues also became more and more pronounced. And long-held views and systems seemed to have been jolted by giant seismic shifts. With the world in flux, I kept picturing that moment in the pool in Iceland—Things come together. Things fall apart.

I felt motivated to create a picture of an evolving world, and the water cycle felt like a fitting foundation for the narrative. To depict transformation, I used inverted colors in much of the painting, and have them shift into the colors that we see in our perceived reality. (Run a photo of the painting in a negative filter and you’ll find an icy world.) Although we’re now experiencing very strange and difficult times, I am hopeful that the next phase that humans move into will be better. kinder, and more sustainable than what it used to be." - Mona Chiang