The Elephant (in the dark)
2019
Porcelain
22” x 10” x 14”
Edition 1/6
Inspired by Rumi’s The Elephant in the Dark, this work examines the epistemological limits of perception in the context of contemporary media and fragmented truth. Rumi’s parable, where each blind man’s isolated experience of the elephant yields only partial understanding, is materialized here as a sculpture that combines elements of a snake, fan, tree, and wall—embodying the dissonance between fractured perspectives and an elusive unified truth.
The sculpture invites viewers to critically examine how understanding is shaped by personal biases and external forces that fragment and distort. By highlighting the limitations of individual perception amid curated information, The Elephant (in the Dark) underscores the vulnerability of truth in an era dominated by selective representation and ideological influence, urging viewers to question the sources and structures that mediate and often control their understanding of the world.