FULL CIRCLE

 During the beginning of the pandemic, with travel off the table, Mazal lacked the benefit of his customary creative source. Recognizing he needed to adjust his approach, he traveled inward for inspiration. Tapping into his early years as a graphic designer, Mazal generated hundreds of abstract arrangements, exploring color, shape and perspective. 

He began to play with linear elements, bending and twisting them, as if they were floating and turning in space. When he randomly struck a form that embodied the same sense of movement and energy captured in his earlier prayer flag paintings, Mazal felt quietly excited. He realized this extraordinary time with no distractions and nowhere to go was providing him with a rare opportunity–a chance to journey through all his earlier series and explore essential elements he’d previously moved on from because they were so closely associated with a particular body of work.

These diamond shape was inspired by the diamond paintings of Piet Mondrian. Mazal cites the renowned Dutch artist, known for his innovative forms of expression and restricted palette, as a strong influence early in his career. In contrast to Mondrian's characteristic style, where he strictly confines his compositions to the horizontal and vertical planes, Mazal's abstract arrangements play off the angles of the canvas, echoing their form.