The mind boasts an infuriating propensity to race in every direction, leading towards nowhere with breakneck speed. In a cruel twist of fate, the only relief from this incessant, anxious push forward is “nothing”. Mindfulness, the practice of quieting thoughts to fully immerse oneself in solely the moment at hand, might be our only hope to maintain sanity in a society our brains were not equipped to live in. With his new mural “Poem for Nobody” Russian artist Rustam Qbic seems to capture this concept visually, through the quiet absence of all but a single person and the independent, natural world around them.
“Poem for Nobody” appears to show a school-aged boy from behind, carrying a backpack and open book. The beautiful natural elements that spring up all around these symbols of studious vitality overcome their vigor, especially represented by this figure in a very active stage of life. A deep expanse of forest looms in front of the child, with a supernatural pink sky beyond. Rather than focusing on the book in front of him, the boy looks ahead, taken with the surrounding scene. As flowers cover his bag, book, and hair, a pervasive sense of calm gently dominates any semblance of action. The contemplative moment shares the sublime with viewers, who may also find themselves led from a hectic swarm of tedious concerns to an open place of relaxation.
Like mindfulness, the true power of “Poem for Nobody” lies in its purposeful absence. Rather than filling the available facade with statements or movement, Qbic simply depicts a lovely scene, well-suited to his soft, but defined outlines and radiating colors. It embodies an ode to the beauty of the present, nothing more or less. In doing so, it continues to put forth the “universal messages of love, knowledge and spirituality,” the artist claims as inspirations in his biography.
Qbic completed “Poem for Nobody” for the IPAF Festival in Acapulco, Mexico. Alla Goldshteyn and Cristina Navarette curated the edition of Qbic’s work. The festival upholds a humanitarian mission, and their website asserts that “the importance of the community and the environment are our main motivation to carry a positive and [conscientious] message for all nations.” The organization explains that they achieve this by “promoting culture, environmental care and preservation of public spaces through urban art festivals.”
Rustam Qbic proves a natural addition to this edition of IPAF. His body of work continually utilizes the artist’s “illustrative elements, surrealist imagery and distinctive color palette” to create dreamy scenes focused on the ethereal elements of reality’s nature. Contrary to popular notions, mindfulness is more than a tool meant to make us more productive or tolerant of daily life’s endless travails. It is an incredibly natural process that reminds us of our true purpose: to simply savor being alive.
Images by Rustam Qbic and Alexandra De la Rosa
Rustam QBic: web | facebook | instagram
IPAF Festival: website | facebook | instagram
