In Zen painting, the Enso is a circle drawn with sumi ink and brush on rice paper. It represents perfection amidst incompleteness.
This is an Enso of fire, air, earth, and water. A circle is made of branches, lit on fire and extin-guished with water. The circle of fire is transformed into a circle of water/steam and air/smoke. Black charred wood and ashes remain.
The charcoal and blackened earth conjure up ideas of life, death, and rebirth, as well as the burning away of illusions and desires — a reference to the fierce deities of Tibetan Buddhism. They are also a reminder of war, destruction of the earth, and corruption within ourselves. Enso reveals the close relationship between purification and destruction.
Forest Hills Park, Boston, MA with the Treveni Dance Troupe Wood, Fire, Water, Flowers. 20′ circle. 2004.
