Cuzco

A woman whose heart has dried like a faded rose arrives in Cusco, the gateway to Machu Picchu. In the story, she is circled by Palo Santo smoke during a ceremony, hears words about how to live, and slowly finds her way back to self-love, like a rose coming back to life.

The composition brings the scene together through dried flowers, smoke and dense wood. Dried Rose is not a dewy petal but a rose with the water gone and a shadow in its colour. Palo Santo winds a softly sweet wood smoke around it, lending the dry flower a little warmth. Oud sits underneath, heavy and dark, so the light smoke and the dense wood form distinct layers.

Dried flowers, smoke and dense wood give the story of finding one’s way forward a quiet, shaded setting.