Nicholas Pedersen SUMERU

MFA Thesis Exhibition / Book Release

“Sumeru” is a body of work that metaphorically illustrates the mental journey that is undertaken in Zen Buddhist training and practice. In Zen literature, the word ‘land’ is commonly used as a symbol for the ‘mind’, and through a series of photographic montage images I have envisioned an exploration into the depths of this metaphorical ‘mind-world’. The narrative follows a spiritual quest as the storyline symbolically wanders through various states of consciousness and perceptions. My conceptual inspiration for this project is in the existential drama of searching for personal truth, and the main themes I am portraying are awakening and rebirth.