Helena Smeds
The I-Ching series

I-ching, The Book of Change, is an ancient chinese system of divination that was first written down 3000 years ago, from an old spoken tradition. It combines written words with a structure of solid and broken lines representing yin and yang into so called Hexagram, in 64 different expressions.

The three paintings i have created are inspired the same Hexagram: no 51 ”shock”. It is the type of shock that a really violent thunderstorm can lead to, it stirs, rouses and shakes you up, like an earthquake that pulls the rug under your feet.

Sometimes life presents us with such a shock. Everything falls apart and the only thing you can do is to take that next breath……and the next….and the next…..until life starts to transform into something else. Each painting relates to a different phase of that process. Copyright Helena smeds

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