Raw

It may seem odd that one might find transcendence kneeling in the dirt, your hands covered in soil, but I did. In that moment of communion, patiently tilling the ground in search of the gold in these pieces, time seemed to slow down and everything else fell away. I was overwhelmed by a sense of reverence for the care involved in procuring such a gift from the earth and how that care can yield something so exceptionally beautiful. Unearthing even the smallest fragment of raw gold, holding it in my hand, Ifelt enveloped by something larger—as if nature’s creative energy and my own had merged.

I’ve always been fascinated by gold. Fascinated by its simplicity, the way it reflects the light and illuminates the skin. Fascinated by how it feels to the touch, soquickly absorbing the warmth of our bodies. The gold here, close to its raw glory and natural texture, reflects the texture of the earth that brought it into being. I hope that connection will inspire the same sense of oneness that so profoundly struck me


Ana Khouri