Joel Bergner
Mission: To build creative experiences that elevate social sublimity, instill love into the world and provide an opportunity for community conversation and imaginative exploration.
Eternal Harmony
BY JOEL BERGNER
Joel Bergner’s “Eternal Harmony”, located in Anacostia, Washington, D.C., is a celebration of the intricate connections and interdependence between humanity and the natural world. At the heart of the mural, a commanding figure of a man—Barbushe Maina, an artist and community leader from Nakuru, Kenya—is seamlessly merged with a roaring bear. This fusion symbolizes the duality of peaceful strength and raw power. Barbushe, whom Bergner collaborated with during a mural project in Kenya earlier this year, is honored for his role as a cultural pillar in his community.
On the left, a bird with soulful, human-like eyes reflects the shared essence of life across species, while flourishing plant life weaves its way throughout the mural, representing growth and interconnection. On the right, a tender juxtaposition of a young girl and a baby deer highlights the purity and wonder of the youngest beings in both the human and natural worlds. The girl is a portrait of the artist’s 4-year-old daughter, a personal homage to innocence and beauty.
Abstract expressions and flowing calligraphy-style designs wind through the piece, evoking the unseen forces that bind all living things together. Through its dynamic imagery and symbolic layers, “Eternal Harmony” invites viewers to reflect on the profound unity that exists between humans and the natural world, urging us to honor and protect this fragile balance.
ARTIST INFO
BY JOEL BERGNER
