A special connection between humans and trees has been evident throughout human history. In addition to providing needs such as food, shelter, healing, and protection, trees have also played an essential part in the spirituality of various religions. The tree of life is a fundamental widespread mytheme or archetype in many of the world's mythologies, religious and philosophical traditions. This includes the Tree of Knowledge and Tree of Life in the Bible, the Tree of Immortality in the Quran, the Assyrian Tree of Life in Ancient Mesopotamia, and the Bo or Bodhi Tree in Buddhism.
Torleif Lie is an award winning fine art photographer based in Stavanger, Norway. His work captures not only the beauty of the natural world, but also the essence of a particular place. On the surface of his images the viewer can perhaps see an environmental message, or a celebration of the beauty of the natural world, but in the depth of his photographs one can sense a homage to the cultures that have inhabited these extraordinary locations for millenniums, the true essence of what is in front of us with its ancient resilience and beauty.
