Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld
Second Life, virtual worlds and virtual realities
A short note to let readers know I will be taking a hiatus from blogging about Second Life, etc., from October 8th, 2025 in order to address a health issue. During this time I’ll also be absent from Second Life.
I cannot say for sure when I’ll be resuming writing, but I do plan on doing so and getting back in-world as soon as is feasible. Until then, all the best to friends and readers.
IP.
Currently open at Akimitsu, a member of the Akipelago regions held and operated by Akiko Kinoshi (A Kiko), is an exhibition of art by ArtCare gallery curator, DJ and artist Carelyna. Entitled Nefelibata, it comprises a dozen images captured in Second Life and then beautifully post-processed to present scenes with a dream-like quality entirely in keeping with the exhibition’s title, which Carelyna defines thus:
Nefelibata is a Portuguese word that translates to “cloud walker”. It describes a dreamer or someone who lives in their imagination, detached from societal norms, literature, or art conventions. Originating from the Ancient Greek words nephele (cloud) and batha (walker), the term is used to describe an unconventional, imaginative, and dreamy individual who thinks and lives outside the box.
– Carelyna
Among their many character traits, nefelibata embrace solitude and nature. For them, solitude is never lonely; it is a cherished companion. The natural world, meanwhile, is looked upon as a sanctuary offering both peace and contentment in which reflection and, notably, inspiration might be found, the latter thus becoming a muse for creativity and expression.
To the nefelibata, life is art and art is life. The medium – painting, writing, poetry, dance – are not merely endeavours or performances; they are an expression of existence, both revealing and shaping their identity and worldview. With every word or piece of work they create, they reveal what lies within themselves and exposes an ability to see the world not for what it is so much as for what it might be.
In this, nefelibatas might be defined as nonconformists. they reside outside of established rules governing their chosen form of expression; as Carelyna notes, “A nefelibata chooses their own path and lives by their own inner truths rather than societal norms”.
All of this is softly, beautifully captured in the twelve pieces presented by Carelyna. In nine of them, individual figures – male and female – are presented. They are the nefelibatas, the settings in which they are featured presenting clear expressions of the individuality of their dreams, their thoughts, the world as they see it within their imaginations. For all but one of these nine pieces, the faces of the individuals are either unseen or at best partially seen, adding to the idea of them being dreamers; their presence within the pieces as dream-like as the setting itself.
All of them present the world in terms of its natural beauty, each expressing a dream-like quality Taken as a whole, the images marvellously present the theme of the nefelibata and underscore Carelyna’s own position as on of these upward-looking artistic nonconformists.
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 