INSPIRATION JURIED EXHIBITION

JOHANNE LAMARCHE

JOHANNE LAMARCHE

(Berwyn, PA)

Noor

cold wax, oil, copper wire, copper leaf, metal form, vintage earring, copper penny on panel, 19.5 x 22.5 x 1 inches

Price: $824

includes tax + shipping fee

ARTIST STATEMENT

Noor was created in a moment when inspiration felt both fragile and fiercely alive. A dear friend had just been diagnosed with aggressive cancer, and the shock of it, her courage, her will to fight, the sheer force of her spirit became the spark that ignited this piece. In Persian, Noor means light: vitality, healing, divine presence, renewal. I built the work around that idea of light as something we carry, protect, and return to when the world tilts.

The painting began with raw words written into the first layers:  Lifeforce. Fierce. Warrior. Fight. Win. They helped me channel the tangle of pain, rage, and stubborn hope that rises when someone you love is facing the unthinkable. Copper threads through the piece for its warmth and its long‑held associations with healing. Seven copper wires cross the surface like pathways or conduits. A lucky penny is tucked beneath the wire form. Even as a medical professional, I believe in small talismans. Medicine needs luck too. Life does.

At the center sits a metal form:  spiky, rough, organic, representing the pulse of Lifeforce itself. The circle around it evokes the cycle of life, its fragility and its return. A vintage earring adds a whisper of nostalgia and quiet beauty, reminding me that inspiration often comes from the softest places.

Noor is dedicated to everyone who has faced a health challenge, and to the loved ones who walk beside them. It is a testament to the ways we draw strength from one another, how light passes from hand to hand, and how inspiration, sometimes fierce, sometimes tender, keeps us moving toward hope.

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