This painting reimagines the “Tree of Life” as a symbol of cultural exchange and community belonging in today’s interconnected world. With the rise of migration, diaspora, and the internet, cultures are meeting in shared spaces where traditions, practices, and knowledge are continually exchanged and reinterpreted.
The roots of the tree represent diverse cultural traditions that ground and sustain humanity. The leaves, formed from human hands both big and small, symbolize the collective contributions of people working together across generations. The flowers and fruits, created from faces of people of varied cultural backgrounds, honor individuality while celebrating the beauty of shared diversity.
Hovering bees represent the transference of ideas—rituals, stories, creative practices, and spiritual values—across cultures, reflecting how traditions evolve when carried from one place to another. The border of joined hands reinforces unity, showing how communities create new cultural expressions by embracing the strengths of one another. The upside-down faces highlight unique perspectives and innovations that arise from individuals within each culture, reminding us of the power of lived experiences.
“Tree of Life” pays tribute to cultural diversity as both tradition and transformation, acknowledging migration, displacement, and the blending of practices as central to how culture is lived, shared, and passed on today.