Christian Cravo
Artist statement
Water as a sacred element.
In today’s world, the scientific concept of the
evolution of life on Earth provides a limited
appreciation of the role of water in our lives.
This view needs to be revisited in order to
broaden the reality of the facts: seeing water as
a source of life, instead of just an infrastructural
resource required for the well-being of all
societies. Since the very earliest times, when
the four elements – water, earth, fire and air –
were identified as vehicles for communication
with the sacred, the sacramental use of water
in baptismal ceremonies (religious initiations)
and purification rites has given it a special
place in the human imagination and the religious
unconscious. In some cultures, water is used as
a kind of link between humankind and the divine.
The aim of this project is to draw a visual
parallel between religious expressions and
the element of water in specific parts of the
planet, such as West Africa, the Middle East,
the Amazon and Southeast Asia – regions where
water is essential to the religious, ethnic and
cultural survival of their peoples. The Waters
of Hope, Rivers of Tears project aims to use
powerful images to portray the delicate
‘balance’ that still exists between humankind
and nature, challenging “contemporary”
people to see water as not just monetary
merchandise or a political tool but the
result of divine inspiration.
