The image of the Mandorla, which means 'Almond' in Italian, represents union. Thought to be one of the most ancient symbols of sacred geometry, its use is wide and varied; through different religions, or as a tool in art and architecture, ancient to modern, to a symbol for fertility and the merging of opposites; a space of balance and reconciliation.
The shape of the Mandorla is created when two circles of equal radius overlap, and the centre of each disk lies on the perimeter of the other - known as the Vesica Piscis. I decided to use this one simple composition with the Mandorla at its centre as a groundwork for building form, which soon turned into its own thread of process. It's been a new exploration to use this one shape that is made from two, through constructions of simplicity or intricacy, with patterns of rhythm or with uniformity, and in colours both bold and subtle.
Matthew Chambers, October 2021
