The fire she wears is not destruction. It is the evidence of her ascension.
Artist: Zona Greig (Charlotte, NC)
Completed: June 2026
Dimensions: 44″ × 44″
Medium: Mixed Media Pyrography on Poplar
Materials: Pyrography, gilding, gemstones, India ink, mica powder
Creation Time: 300+ Hours
Exhibition: Guilding the Mint: Transformation
Location: Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC
Exhibited: June 17 – August 23, 2026
Artist Statement
Ascension is about the necessity of transformation.
Life inevitably presents us with challenges that change us. We experience loss, hardship, rejection, marginalization, failure, grief, and moments that leave us feeling broken. We are forced to confront parts of ourselves we would rather avoid and circumstances we never would have chosen.
Yet transformation is often born from these moments.
There are times when we must allow old versions of ourselves to fall away. We must rebuild, reinvent, and redefine who we are in response to what life places before us. The process is rarely easy, and it is rarely comfortable. Growth demands sacrifice. It demands resilience. It demands the willingness to continue forward even when the path is uncertain.
The work reflects the belief that strength is not found in avoiding adversity but in moving through it. The experiences that challenge us become part of us. The scars remain, but they need not weaken us. Instead, they become evidence of survival, reminders of what we have endured, and foundations upon which we continue to build.
Transformation is not a singular event. It is a lifelong cycle of breaking, rebuilding, learning, and rising again. Each time we emerge carrying the lessons of what came before, shaped by the fire but not defined by it.
Created in Charlotte, North Carolina, Ascension is my reflection on that journey and on the resilience required to continue moving forward when life asks us to begin again.
Symbolism
The symbols within Ascension each tell part of the same story.
The Phoenix
The phoenix speaks to the moments when we are forced to start over. Throughout my life there have been seasons where old plans, old expectations, and even old versions of myself had to be left behind. The phoenix reminds me that destruction is not always an ending. Sometimes it is the beginning of something stronger. Every time we rise, we carry forward the lessons of what came before.
The Lotus
The lotus represents a different kind of transformation. It begins its life rooted in mud, stagnant water, and decay before rising to the surface and blooming. There is nothing inherently beautiful about where it comes from, yet it is impossible to separate the flower from those origins. Without the mud, there is no lotus.
The Luna Moth
The luna moth tells a quieter story. Before it ever takes flight, it undergoes a complete transformation hidden from view. Much of life’s growth occurs in the same way. We often do our hardest work internally, long before anyone else can see the results.
I was drawn to the luna moth not only because of its transformation, but because of its connection to the darkness. There is something almost otherworldly about it. While darkness is often portrayed as something to be feared, I have always found comfort there. It is where reflection happens. It is where healing happens. It is where many of our most significant transformations begin. The luna moth reminds me that growth does not always happen in the spotlight. Sometimes it happens quietly, unseen, until one day we emerge as something entirely new.
The Woman
At the center of the piece is a woman moving forward clad in flame. The fire does not consume her—it has become part of her. She wears it as armor.
She carries the experiences, hardships, and scars that have shaped her, not as burdens, but as part of her identity. The flames are a reflection of everything she has endured and everything she has become because of it.
She represents the reality that transformation leaves its mark. We are not meant to emerge unchanged. The challenges we survive become part of us, shaping our perspective, our resilience, and our strength. Rather than being diminished by those experiences, she moves forward empowered by them.
The fire she wears is not destruction. It is the evidence of her ascension.
The Celtic Knot
Binding these elements together is the Quaternary Celtic Knot. Formed from a single unbroken line, it has no beginning and no end. It reflects the cyclical nature of life and the understanding that transformation never truly ends. We rise. We fall. We learn. We rebuild. We rise again.
Together these symbols tell a story that I believe is universal. We all face moments that challenge us, reshape us, and force us to grow. Transformation is not always welcome, but it is necessary. It is through those experiences that we become who we are meant to be.
Process
Ascension was created on a single 44″ × 44″ panel of poplar wood and required more than 300 hours to complete.
The piece combines pyrography, gilding, gemstones, India ink, and mica powder. The majority of the work was completed using a Razertip wood-burning system.
To achieve the level of detail required for this piece, custom wire-tip nibs were designed and fabricated specifically for the project. These custom tools were used alongside traditional pyrography techniques to create the feather work, textures, and fine line details throughout the composition.
Following the burning process, layers of gilding, pigments, gemstones, and surface treatments were added to build depth, contrast, and visual interest.
Created in Charlotte, North Carolina, Ascension is the largest and most technically ambitious piece I have completed to date.