About this Artwork

Natural and mystical processes inspire Ostovany. Informed by a variety of different cultures, Ostovany feels a connection to multiple separate and yet complementary mystical traditions.

He looks toward elements of Western and Eastern art, literature, spirituality, poetry and music to create an environment and a mindset conducive to his process, which is connected to Abstract Expressionism and Color Field painting.

This work is part of a series. Chellehneshin is a compound word in Persian consisting of the words Chelleh; which describes a period of forty days; and Neshin, which literally means sitting.

It refers to a seeker going into solitude for a period of forty days and forty nights to pray and meditate. In several mystical traditions, The cycle of Forty is a common duration needed for spiritual metamorphosis and transitions to another, transcendent dimension.