Balance

Created by East River Academy high school students incarcerated on Rikers Island, Balance explores how the Feng Shui ideal of balance might be realized in the students everyday lives. Professional artists Chris Soria and Misha Tyutyunik introduced the students to the origin, tradition, philosophy, and applications of Feng Shui. In response to the discussion of balance, the students suggested that the game of chess has many similarities to life and the ideal of balance that practicing Feng Shui aims to achieve. The central image in the mural is a chess piece in which a man holds the world on his shoulders. The yin yang and the mans eight arms represent the eight elements of Feng Shui. The development of the mural involved youth from diverse backgrounds in a collaborative and inclusive process.