Onnellisuus is a sculpture consisting of six wood cubes that form an abstract installation. The word ‘Onnellisuus’ is Finnish for ‘happiness’.
I believe we build our own happiness based on what we consider important in life and what we give priority, for example health, family, friends, love, beauty or wealth. We all define happiness differently depending on our priorities, values, aspirations etc. I believe happiness is a choice, a personal choice that needs to be constructed every day.
The six wood cubes that make Onnellisuus, and that can be piled or placed in different ways is an allegory of happiness and a call to choose and construct your happiness every day.
The wood the sculpture is made of, was taken from nature in a respectful manner. It comes from trees that fell down when the Amacuzac River flooded in September 2013. The Amacuzac River flows through the state of Morelos, Mexico. This is where I grew limes until the river flooded and took the orchard with it. Loosing the orchard was painful. Nothing remained of years of work. But the flood also brought big pieces of drift wood and tree trunks. I then decided to use the drift wood in my art work, to turn the pain and loss of the orchard into something new, to construct happiness on what the river had left us.
Data:
Davit Nava, Onnellisuus, 2016, acrylic on post-natural-disaster wood, 9.0 x 10.6 x 48.0 in / 23 x 27 x 122 cm
Davit Nava 