Pastel Roots

In this large-scale pastel series, I depict the passage through the roots of Metamelei.

These works are not landscapes, but inner terrains.

The viewer moves between thick, organic forms that twist and close in — sometimes protecting, sometimes threatening. The roots feel alive. They grow, constrict, guide and resist.

Working with soft pastel at this scale forces me into a physical dialogue with the surface. The material is fragile and intense at the same time. Layer upon layer builds depth, yet every touch remains visible. There is no full correction — only continuation.

The world inside these drawings is dark, harsh and uncertain.

Light appears sparingly, often as a distant opening or a subtle reflection on the surface of a form. The journey through the roots is risky. There is no clear path. Only movement.

Metamelei is a place where nature reclaims structure.

Where growth is not decorative, but necessary.

Where beauty exists inside tension.

These works mark a period in which I consciously chose to immerse the viewer completely — no empty space, no visual escape. The image surrounds you, just as the roots surround the traveler within them.

Soft pastel drawing on paper and panels from 42 cm – 150 cm