Umbra Transit Lux Manet AP

About Umbra Transit Lux Manet AP

Inspired by the ancients who used the sun and its shadows to tell time, this exquisitely detailed contemporary sundial was created by Melissa Joakim. The Toronto based artist has CNC cut aluminum into an elegant form that resembles blooming flowers. As the sun moves through the day, the sundial casts shadows in order to tell time. As the sculpture’s ‘blossoms’ grow longer—‘Umbra Transit Lux Manet’ attains it’s meaning in Latin, translating to ‘The Shadow Passes, The Light Remains.’

Traditionally, sundials have mottos inscribed on them. Joakim’s artwork is named for one of them—‘Umbra Transit Lux Manet” which means ‘The Shadow Passes, The Light Remains.”

“I work with light, sound and new media art, and I wanted to make a light-based artwork that functions without electricity and brings you into a connection with the planet.” Melissa Joakim

Joakim holds a BFA Spec. Hons in Theatre Production and Design from York University. As an installation artist, Melissa Joakim has extensive experience in lighting and projection design for live theatre, dance performance and concerts. A Dora Mavor Moore Award recipient for Scenic Design, she is actively touring internationally.

Joakim has designed for stages around the world including the Sydney Festival, The Kennedy Center in Washington DC and at the Arctic Circle Assembly in Iceland among many others. Umbra AP and its counterpart: an interactive light up moon dial were part of Toronto’s popular winter festival-Lumiere: The Art of Light. Joachim was also featured in Design Lines Magazine, BlogTO and interviewed on CityNews.