Atlas in Her Hands

Conscious Body  Series

Atlas in Her Hands captures the fragile yet powerful tension between burden and harmony. In this painting, a female figure holds a sculptural glass form—seemingly weightless, yet symbolically immense. The title evokes the myth of Atlas, the Titan condemned to bear the weight of the celestial sphere, yet here, that cosmic responsibility is transformed into a moment of quiet grace.

The figure does not struggle under the pressure—she cradles it. This shift reimagines the act of holding not as punishment or duty, but as presence, as care. Through her gesture, the ancient myth is inverted: the world is not on her shoulders; it rests in her palms, balanced with intention, not strain.

The glass form she holds resembles a floating planet, a transparent biome, or perhaps a thought made material. This ambiguity is essential—like meditative process, it invites the viewer to dissolve certainty and enter a space of quiet reflection. The object in her hands is not fully defined, but it is fully present—an echo of how clarity can emerge from silence, not force.

The body's posture conveys more than anatomy—it is a map of internal stillness. Each line and contour is guided by intuition, rather than representation. The connection between skin and glass reflects the dialogue between inner and outer, self and environment. In this way, the painting becomes a metaphor for your entire practice: how we carry the world we wish to live in.

Paintings of animate human forms in motion, expressing the living dialogue
between body and object through instinctive gesture.

The interaction between the body and the objects was captured emotionally through paintings created by ERLANDS. This creative process was guided purely by instinct. The paintings emerged from meditative movement with the glass peaces, and expressing the essence of the interaction without fear or expectation.

These paintings were kept hidden throughout the creation of the EB WeightLight sculptural art peaces, never influencing the design process. However, when they were exhibited alongside the objects at the 8 days of lightness exhibition. The harmony between them was clear. It was as if the shapes and forms had materialized organically, without conscious reflection, purely through trust and intuition.

Presented:

'Lightness' – Lake Como Design Festival
'8 Days of Lightness' – Solo exhibition by ERLANDS & BAI BAI Como, Italy, 2024

‘Extinction Salvation’ – Venice Design Biennial
'Revival in Stillness’ – Solo exhibition by ERLANDS & BAI BAI Venice, Italy, 2025

Atlas in Her Hands
Conscious Body Series
By ERLANDS

from
Performance Scene 3
10 DAYS OUT OF _

Author’s technique
Paper
63 x 80 cm

2024