Sashawhyy

I developed a series of 6 abstract paintings trying to visually depict a balance between chaos and order.

My process began with a set of control mechanisms: I curated custom color palettes, pre-planned my physical movements, and created specific tools to manipulate the medium. However, I then introduced a painting method known for its chaotic and unpredictable nature using fluid acrylics.

I brought these opposing forces together through centrifugal motion, using physical rotation to move the paint and the canvas in ways that I could guide, yet remained visually spontaneous. I created a machine to spin the canvases and boxes that held paint and swung on a single axis of motion. The rotation created unique effects in and controllable ways.

As an artist I often root the topics I work with in my own personal growth. This idea for this came to me in the final stages of the pandemic. As the world began to reopen, we lived in a state of constant flux. We saw a “new normal” where the threat of lockdown lingered. We had to learn to navigate the unknown. I realised that my own need for control was perhaps limiting the evolution of my work. By adopting this fluid acrylic technique, I forced myself to reckon with unpredictability.

Working with “Chaos and Order” allowed me to immerse myself in this tension over a sustained period of about 6 months. While I planned each piece meticulously, the moment the paint met the surface, I had to accept that the outcome would deviate from my original plan. As a creator, I am constantly seeking to steer the result, but through this process, I have learned to embrace chaos more willingly. I no longer view it as an obstacle, but as essential in the final outcome. My hope was to capture a moment where entropy and structure can coexist.

Entropy 02

Entropy 04

Entropy 05

Entropy 07

Celebration 01