Suman Vaze

Artist and Mathematics Teacher
King George V School
Hong Kong

Mathematical amusements inspire the color and form in my paintings, and I try to strike a balance between the simplicity of the concepts and their depiction in art. The logic and balance of the discipline is beautiful, and I like art that both stills and stimulates the mind – these are the qualities I strive to capture in my work.

 Dragon Curve in Red
Dragon Curve in Red
30 inches x 26 inches
Acrylic on canvas
2013

This work is inspired by the Dragon Curve discovered by NASA physicist John E.Heighway. In this work, some dragons are moving beneath the surface while one has emerged to the surface. It is a curve that I got by folding a sheet of paper five times. The code in binary on the left defines the curve and the five dots along the curve mark the successive folds and so the curve will fold on itself if folded at any or all of those points. I have taken the liberty to coax the dragon’s sharp edges into rounded corners leaving the distinctive character of the Dragon Curve clear to see. In Hong Kong, where I live and work, the Dragon is considered a good and powerful creature and that is what I have tried to paint.