Moonflower - Solitude and Isolation
Silence, Stillness, Solitude… In the world of chaos, where incontrolable forces rule and dictate life, we seek to exert control over them as a means of avoiding inconvenience and uncertainty. Through ‘Moonflower’ David reflects on his personal journey through navigating loneliness, solitude and desolation. Inspired by the poems of the Hōjō-Ki (1212) by the legendary Kamo No Chomei, a Japanese Buddhist Monk, whom in isolation sought the wisdom and companionship of nature and the world around him to bring solace during his elected isolation as he journeys through the three stages of his life; Suffering, Detachment and Transcendence.
David, through ‘Moonflower’ sought to deepen his communication with the world that surrounded him. Which led him to converse with multiple Shinto Priests and Buddhist Monks across Kyoto, (Chomei’s hometown) to distill a simple question, Why as living creature must we face loneliness? Belonging to society becomes meaningless when we face existence as an act of belonging. As Chomei suggests "Why not make friends with music and nature instead: The moon; the flowers? By becoming a friend to the silenced, the shadows and the unseen, we find solace, comfort and the answer to our solitude and loneliness.