Xhiri Visual Arts (ZHEE-ree)

Written by orphidor

The Xhiri are exceptionally in-touch with their Emotional Facets, which results in them being a widely artistic people. Their jewelry items are praised and highly sought after, but their unorthodox way of expressing themselves through their other forms of art often leaves other races feeling mystified.

History

The Xhiri have been attempting to capture their emotions in physical form and enhance the beauty of their bodies ever since they gained awareness at the beginning of the Age of Balance. Over the years since the Realms aligned, they've grown increasingly more confident in the abilities they've practiced and discovered new techniques to better portray their chosen subjects.

Execution

For the Xhiri, engaging in the creation of works of visual art involves two distinct phases, which alternate until the artist decides their piece is finished. The first is the withdrawal into the self, characterized by intense thought and examination of one's own emotions. The other is a period of fraternization and social interaction, during which an artist shares their progress with their closest peers and collaborates with them in order to achieve new insights. Either phase may kickstart the creative process. The length of each phase may vary. Signatures are an important part of the creative process for the Xhiri. Without a signature, a piece is not considered complete. Signatures on Xhiri-created paintings are usually flamboyant and prominently-placed so the artist can be identified at a glance. Signatures on jewelry items are less obvious, but still definitely present.

Components and tools

Though in theory, any media may be used, for their non-jewelry pieces, the Xhiri favor painting and drawing for their perceived spontaneity. Whereas other art forms such as the carving of marble require plans to be set in stone at the beginning of the creative process, painting and drawing are generally considered less constraining because they allow the artist to explore their ideas as they work and make drastic changes without major consequence. When painting on a small scale, the Xhiri gravitate toward the use of egg tempera and watercolors because they dry much faster than oil paints. These types of works are usually created using wooden boards or thick paper as a base on which to paint. Charcoal worked with the bare fingers and ink applied with a brush are also commonly used among this race, especially if the artist is not particularly wealthy. Works made using charcoal and ink are typically completed atop parchment or paper. Another extremely common form of art present among the Xhiri is the creation of body adornments like jewelry or hair decor. Materials used in Xhiri-created jewelry can range from clay and twine to gold and gemstones.

Participants

The artist is, of course, the primary participant, but other members of their community will more often than not also play a part in the creation of a piece of art. Not only will they provide encouragement to invigorate the artist, they will usually serve as a listening ear and a source for feedback during the externally-focused phase of the creation process. Anyone the Xhiri artist feels an emotional connection to may fulfill this role. When it comes to the creation of jewelry, many Xhiri work with certain body shapes or colorations in mind. In some cases, they have the ability to create bespoke pieces for a specific client, a process which they thoroughly enjoy because it allows them to enhance the individual's natural shapes and eye/hair colors perfectly. This client will often be included in the creation process along with other individuals whose opinions the artist trusts.

Observance

The Xhiri may portray relatable feelings such as joy, anxiety, or frustration through their painted or sketched works, but the commonality of their shared experiences is often lost on members of the other intelligent races. This is because the Xhiri usually tend to take a less-than-literal approach to their art. As an example, rather than depicting a weeping person to demonstrate grief, a Xhiri artist might paint a bizarre array of dizzying patterns in a seemingly-random color palette instead. Nothing about what they've done might make sense to an outside observer, but the artist isn't being pretentious or intentionally confusing. If asked to explain their work, they always have extremely precise reasons behind each and every choice they've made (even though those decisions might not register to anyone but themselves.)