Initiated in 2019, “Tema Celeste” is an ongoing photographic project exploring the profound symbolism and quiet strength of the lotus plant. Through a meditative visual language, the series captures various stages of the lotus’s life cycle—from bud to bloom to decay—mirroring the human experience of transformation, resilience, and renewal.

The lotus has long held sacred significance across cultures and religions. Originating in Asia, it thrives in murky waters, pushing through mud to blossom in pristine beauty above the surface. In Hinduism and Buddhism, the lotus is a central spiritual symbol, representing purity, enlightenment, and the soul’s journey through suffering toward awakening. In ancient Egyptian mythology, it symbolized rebirth and the sun, emerging daily from the watery chaos of creation.

Photographically, the lotus becomes more than a subject—it serves as a metaphor. Each image in this project reflects the dualities of existence: struggle and serenity, obscurity and clarity, darkness and light. By framing the lotus in different environmental and temporal contexts, this work invites viewers to consider their own cycles of growth, the unseen roots of their identity, and the beauty that can emerge from adversity.

This body of work is not only a tribute to a remarkable plant but a meditation on the universal process of becoming. Through the lens, the lotus offers a quiet, persistent message: even from the deepest mud, something beautiful can rise.