The Planters, by Hari Mitrushi

Planting seed is an act of faith in the future. The sower struggles with poor soil, meager rainfall, choking weeds, and predatory birds—with no guarantee of a plentiful harvest. These stark realities are on view in this mixed media painting by Hari Mitrushi, in which hovering crows, ominous clouds, and run-off rainwater threaten the tiny parcels of promise scattered by threadbare but determined planters. Mitrushi knows what it means to step out in faith. He was born in Albania, the son of evangelical Christians who were branded as enemies of the people and denied basic human rights by the country’s communist authorities. When the regime fell in the last weeks of 1990, he immigrated with his family to Greece and began a new life as an art teacher. Says Mitrushi: “Painting is my way of thanking the Lord for being with us, when we passed through the Valley of the Shadow of Death.” Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy.