Soul Ties
“An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but it will never break.” - An ancient Chinese belief
There is a story in Chinese mythology which describes the red thread of fate: an invisible red string tied around the fingers of two people who are destined to be other's "true loves" one day. Inspired by this beautiful concept, our ‘Designed with LOVE’ artist Kayla George sought to express that love – be it romantic, familial, friendly, or even self-oriented. It is all about the connections we build with one another.
Soul Ties depicts the hands of four people whose stories align, and all the red threads connecting them. These threads criss-cross, loop, and tie together to create the network of love and interconnectivity that bonds us all, and will continue to appear and join different people as life goes on.
Kayla seeks to communicate that love visually in her work because, as Eisenhower states, "love is the universal language." Love can be seen in a literal sense in the hands themselves which spell out the letters "L-O-V-E" in sign language; but love is also seen in the imagery of the heart, red and purple colors, and overall light and airiness of watercolor. This imagery is almost universally synonymous with the feeling and, just as the piece shows, can tie in anyone from any culture to the sharing of love and connection.
We love that this is ‘Designed with LOVE’ project incorporates sign language. Sign language is the visual manual that conveys meaning. In a project that relies on visuals to demonstrate meaning, it is a perfect representation of the core philosophy.
Kayla George
Kayla is a recent graduate from Kennesaw State University's Digital Animation program who focuses on Illustration, Motion Graphics, and Environment Design, as well as running her small business. With her art she seeks to connect to the world to explore and explain human emotions and societal issues. Kayla has a strong passion for writing, drawing, painting, and sociology, and often interweaves her passions into her projects. You can find her art and small business @KayGeeCreative and her daily life on Youtube as KayGee.