This piece was a meditation on two concepts from yogic traditions: Nirodha (ceasing) and Svadhyaya(self-study). Patanjali's Yoga Sutras begin with the phrase "yoga chitta vriti nirodha" which translates as "yoga occurs when the vacillations of the mind cease." The end of suffering occurs when we disidentify from the fluctuating stories of the mind and attain stillness.  Svadhyaya translates as self-study. "She is Refuge" depicts a cosmos turning inward into a black hole, looking within to find stillness. 

When building a mandala, you visualize yourself building a model of the whole universe and then offer it back to the universe as a gift. She is Refuge is a microcosm of the cosmos with the constellations of my natal chart. It is at once immeasurable in scale and also personal. 

The form of this piece is based on the round Mandala offering pan, with the stand as the pan and the mosaic elements within the sphere as the jeweled offerings.