Prakāśa Vrksha — The Tree of Light
A celebration of life’s inner radiance — where joy rises like light through every living thing
Size: 30 x 21 inches
Medium: Hand cut marble, shimmer glass, translucent glass, smalti, millefiori. Made on an acrylic substrate.
iNSPIRATION
The Prakasa Vrksha or The Tree of Light has emerged from a contemplation of life’s inherent luminosity — the joy of being — that radiance which pulses through all creation and gives it meaning.
The inspiration to make The Tree of Light came when I found myself drawn to moments of brightness — in nature, in people, in my own quiet reflections. I created The Tree of Light to honour that discovery: that joy is not something we seek, but something that continuously rises within us – unsolicited. It is the quiet, overflowing happiness that life offers simply through its presence.
In The Tree of Light, I sought to express the energy that flows through its grounded trunk through its spiralling branches as a continuum of light — the entire tree being a vessel of inner brilliance. The tree rises as a symbol of vitality, its golden pathways and vibrant spirals suggesting that life unfolds joyously .
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eXPRESSION
Every element in The Tree of Light carries meaning — materials and textures, colours, the cut and the placement of tesserae to show life’s flow. These become symbols of life’s journey between earth and light.
I chose marble for its quiet endurance, the still foundation from which life arises. Glass, in its shimmer, and varying texture, is the element of life’s breath and spirit. In its translucence, I find the movement of light through matter, the visible trace of renewal. Smalti, with its dense body and inner luminosity, holds light rather than releasing it — a quiet strength that mirrors the endurance of life itself. Millefiori, with its intricate floral cores and radiant colour bursts, becomes a symbol of joy and renewal — small universes of beauty captured within each fragment.
The colour palette — ambers, greens and golds — echo the rhythm of nature. While ambers and golds are the illumination and divine energy, greens speak of growth and continuity. These hues are not painted but reflected — each one altered by the angle of falling light, making the mosaic itself a living presence that changes with time of day.
The cut and placement of tesserae follow an organic rhythm rather than a geometric grid — a deliberate gesture to let the tree breathe like a living form. Curved lines replace symmetry; uneven fragments mirror the pulse of natural growth. Light finds its path through life’s imperfections. In this placement, I see the quiet celebration of life’s infinite diversity — a reminder that creation blossoms not in grand gestures, but in countless luminous details.
Every pulse of light emanating from The Tree of Light is a reminder that life’s purpose is to be joyful.