Metallica ||

Haleh Mashian

84 x 168″

Mixed media on canvas

In “Metallica II”, Mashian transforms the natural world into a prismatic dreamscape, reimagining an ordinary forest as a surreal, otherworldly spectacle. The verticality of the trees, reminiscent of birch or aspen, is fractured by a kaleidoscopic spectrum of color, where luminous hues of emerald, amethyst, tangerine, and violet cascade like liquid light. Against a shimmering, silver-dusted background, the composition exudes a celestial radiance, existing in a space between the ethereal and the tangible.

The interplay of color and texture is striking—the metallic undertones lend a reflective, almost iridescent quality, making the landscape feel as if it is illuminated from within. The forest floor, dusted with subtle sparkle, enhances the sense of enchantment, evoking an untouched, almost sacred realm beyond time. The rhythmic repetition of slender trunks draws the eye upward, creating a sensation of endless depth and movement, as if the entire scene is in perpetual transformation.

More than a landscape, “Metallica II” is a meditation on perception, challenging the viewer to see beyond the familiar and into the extraordinary. By electrifying the natural world with an otherworldly palette, the artist invites a reexamination of what is real, what is imagined, and where the two converge. The result is a forest that pulses with energy, mystery, and an undeniable sense of transcendence, inviting the viewer to lose themselves in nature’s infinite vibrancy.