“The earth was unformed and darkness was upon the depths; the Spirit of G-d Hovered over the face of the waters. And G-d said: 'Let there be light.' And there was light. And G-d saw the light, that it was good; and He divided the light from the darkness.” (Breishit 1:2-4)

Darkness, as mentioned in the first passage, explains the Ramban, is a form of fire, one of the four elements from which all of creation was Created. Only later was Light created and then separated from Darkness.

One commonly might think that darkness is simply a lack of light. However, the Torah teaches us that these are two elements, each with its own reality and essential for existence, yet unable to exist simultaneously solely because G-d divided them.  This division is G-d’s Will. Should He change His Will in order to accommodate His Ultimate Will, for example during the Plague of Darkness, or at the Crossing of the Red Sea, or for Joshua’s battle, then the borders shall be crossed.

Raquel Sanchez examines in her works those existing yet disappearing borders. A sea may be a sky. A cloud may be a splash. A mountain may be a lion or a city. Or maybe not. It is for the viewer to understand. And all understandings are correct.

We live in what once appeared to be an ever-shrinking world. Once distant places became “virtually” close. Borders disappeared. The world became almost one. The individual became a minor part of a greater whole. Yet suddenly, we were alone. Each individual began struggling to understand the evolution of one’s inner self.

It is this struggle, this need to connect to a much higher-than-self power, this search for a deeper connection with Hashem (G-d) that forms the underlying theme of the works presented. “Light from Darkness” is about the ethereal that holds us together, individually and collectively.

There is no lack of light in color, nor a lack of color in darkness. We naively assume that we are capable of interpreting these colors represented through light and darkness. However, in reality,  there exits only the light that appears to be not revealed and that which we perceive as being revealed.  Darkness is a form of light that we perhaps do not comprehend. Where we see darkness there is always light and where we see light there is also a form of darkness. Darkness is the foundation of light.

Absolute light is represented by the Divine Presence. The painting titled Shechina (Divine Presence) depicts the Holiness to which we strive. Similar to the shade that protects us during the heat, so too does the Divine Presence protect us during our daily lives, whether we are aware or not.

This protection, as we internalize its understanding, allows us to reflect light from beyond ourselves and to face challenges. The painting Courage depicts our inner strength that we have successfully developed through the inspiration and protection from “something” beyond.

The Rabbis state that husband and wife, if they merit, the Divine Presence dwells among them. The painting Adam and Eve reflects a couple’s being part and parcel of one another as well as those things in between which enrich understanding of differences. These differences, in turn, enhance our existence. As we actualize our spiritual path, we begin to see revealed signs of future miracles: the lion who will dwell with the lamb and the scapegoat that will purify our sins.

In the beginning of Creation, “…the Spirit of G-d Hovered over the face of the waters.” Water appears in different forms. G-d Separated the waters of heaven and the waters of earth and set borders for the water within the rivers, seas and oceans. At the Splitting of the Sea, G-d showed the world that He has absolute control. The painting The Nature of Water depicts the intricate nature of water in all forms. Water reflects the light of nature as we know it, which in turn holds together our physical world thereby allowing us to thrive.

The flow of water and the flow of lightning changes considerably depending upon how we care for ourselves and for one another. We are servants of the Holy One Blessed Be He and we are One People. The painting Temperature depicts the scale by which one may metaphorically measure one’s connection with this Oneness.

Waters face and relate with the stratosphere. We are alive within that construct. Gratitude illustrates the embracing of Heaven (the ultimate gratitude) as if the waters from above agreed to separate themselves and create room for our existence.  

As the world comes full circle, we anticipate the Redemption. In End of Days, the Fish on its side appears as a feather.  It flies in water with its version of wings and brings continuous life to areas that we know exist yet are beyond our conscious effort. So too, things about ourselves we can immerse ourselves in or perhaps reveal to others. When we demonstrate this aspect of light in our lives we gain strength to better the world and to achieve the ultimate.

The Midrash states “Torah is likened to water. Water covers the entire world, Torah covers the entire world. Water never ceases to exist, Torah will never cease to exist. Water is from Heaven, Torah is from Heaven. Water purifies, Torah purifies…” (Midrash Shir Hashirim Raba 1:19)

All works available as museum qualty reproductions. Please click here for the full selection.