Mixed media by Julia Datchenko

The paper cutout “Encounter” is a prayer for love, understanding, and spiritual unity. It depicts the moment when a person encounters not only another soul, but also themselves—their true, deep, silent “I.” This work is about the sacredness of an encounter in which trust is born. It is an image of inner peace and tranquility that arise when the heart opens to another. The two women embody love, support, compassion, and spiritual kinship. In Ukrainian tradition, women are the guardians of the home and life, so the two women leaning toward each other symbolize the union of two sources of love and wisdom. The touch of women and hands is a gesture of deep acceptance, healing, and trust. It is not only a meeting of two people, but also an inner dialogue with one's own soul, an act of self-knowledge. The exquisite headdresses symbolize the thoughts, prayers, experiences, and memories of generations. The rhombuses signify fertility and vitality. The triangles signify faith, spiritual elevation, and the unity of the three principles (body, soul, spirit). Together, they create a “pattern of wisdom.” This paper cutout is not just a scene that can be associated with the meeting of Saint Elizabeth and Saint Mary, but a symbol of spiritual unity, female wisdom, love, and acceptance, in which the earthly and the heavenly touch each other.