Though “mandala” translates directly to “circle,” it means a lot more than that in Sanskrit. In Hindu and Buddhist traditions, the mandala represents man’s relationship with the cosmos, often a symbol of balance between entities. Sao Paulo-based designer José Lima brings the concept of a mandala out from the heavens and down to ground level, incorporating natural and historic imagery from various cultures to create a series simply titled Mandalas.
Lima used pictures of buildings, shoes, wild animals, ancient deities, natural elements, and even kitchen utensils to create his curious collages. Through these digitally assembled images, Lima attempts to raise questions about the way people consume and incorporate images unconsciously. “We’re under fire, surrounded by thousands of images at the same time, multiplied by the number of unconscious eyes, all the time, in different media, and the target is always the same: our oblivious minds,” he explains.
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The project has a Facebook page, where the artist shares his pieces and occasionally talks about them.
