Water Surrounds Us is a response to the ever-changing world that we find ourselves in. Prompted by natural disaster, it acknowledges the unease that we move through. During a time when instability and uncertainty seemed to be the new normal, Leyla was trying to find an anchor within the movement. The ocean served as a perpetual presence, providing a sense of freedom and belonging. This body of work explores the paradoxical nature of water and reflects that as a broader theme in human existence. Within this interplay, we navigate all of life, moving through moments of disaster and divinity along the way. Water Surrounds Us is a reminder that beauty and catastrophe always coincide.

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