Temples Series I

Ectomorphized erotic nudes cloak esoteric symbolism in my first series, an exploration of my feminine side. Otherworldly humanoids resemble the Moai faces of Easter Island. The story reflects a combination of ancient lore and life experience.

The story began with a ceremonial invocation in honor of Gnosticism’s concept of Wisdom (Sophia) — me seeking an end to my own insufferable ignorance. Suddenly she appeared before my eyes. Over time, I would come to see Sophia‘s character as an amalgamation of various Greek and Roman personalities including but not limited to: Athena, Prometheus, Juno, and the bearer of light, Lucifer. As in the myth of Juno and Vulcan, Sophia abandons her child, leaving him to his own devices. The series revolves around Sophia’s creation of the demiurge and her transformation into the light bringer, a metaphor for the manifestation of energy as matter (which also sums up my art style in a nutshell).

Ultimately, years of self-reflection went into this series. Images burnt into my memory inspired more pictures as the story seemed to write itself. Painting the characters in this series was like raising a legion to go to war with my nemesis. Experiencing the harshness of Wisdom, one cannot continue to look up to her forever. She is, in the end, the least of the great virtues. As told in the Gnostic myth of the creation of Ialdabaoth, Wisdom’s downfall is Pride.