The Elephant (in the dark)

The Elephant (in the Dark)
2019
Unglazed porcelain
22” x 10” x 14”

Edition of 6

The Elephant (in the Dark) (2019) draws from Rumi’s parable, in which a group of blind men encounters an elephant, each touching only a single part—a trunk, an ear, a leg—each convinced that his isolated experience defines the whole. One describes the elephant as a snake, another as a fan, a third as a tree, a fourth as a wall. Their conflicting perceptions, shaped by limited access to the full picture, prevent them from grasping the elephant’s true form.

This sculpture materializes the parable’s lesson, combining elements of a snake, fan, tree and wall into a single fragmented form—a disjointed assemblage that never resolves into a singular, coherent image. In doing so, the work examines the epistemological limits of perception in an era where truth is increasingly mediated, splintered and contested.

By emphasizing the ways in which individual understanding is shaped by selective exposure, bias and external control, The Elephant (in the Dark) (2019) highlights the precarious nature of truth in contemporary discourse. In a time dominated by ideological influence and curated narratives, the work urges viewers to consider: what shapes our perception of reality and what remains obscured in the darkness?