MFA Thesis Exhibition
Divine Flags, Divine Names

Click here to see the Thesis Statement

Unbound Prayers

Media - (Book): Acrylic, Rice Paper, Silk, Ink
(Altar): Acrylic on Ceramic Tile
Dimensions - (Book):55 Leaf Pages @ 7.5" x 8"
(Altar): 24"h x 20"w x 4"d An illuminated script,
mounted on a ceramic tile alter.
Click here to see the Thesis Statement

This prayer book is dedicated to all seekers of inner peace in the outer world. Unbound Prayers is inspired by the 100 verses of the chapter entitled, "Peace", in the ancient Vedic scripture, Astavakra Samhita, and 108 Sufi prayers. The abstract forms, which appear in Unbound Prayers, are painted in wet-on-wet technique on rice paper. The liquidity of the paint medium is important, serving as a metaphor for inner freedom--relinquished control. The chosen colors are those of human body fluids. Many of the printed flags, which are revealed as the viewer lifts the small paintings, are perhaps unfamiliar to most viewers.

 

This is a good vehicle towards meditation since one is less able to project judgments of racial, political, or economic status onto them.

Unbound Prayers is a scriptural marriage between Sufi prayers and Vedic text. The one hundred verses were originally written in Sanskrit, a language older than Hebrew and Latin. The very first sacred books of Hinduism are the Vedas. Vedas means Knowledge. There are four Vedas, claiming to teach humans the highest aspects of truths which lead us to God.

192 Divine Flags

Acrylic on Canvas (192 individual panels)
Installation as Shown, 12' h x 19'w
Click here to see the Thesis Statement

Studying the spiritually-charged color field paintings of Mark Rothko, I was able to envision the pure geometrical shapes of color within each flag form as… transcendent. My intention is to transform the idea of flags as political symbols of group ego into a personal vocabulary of meditation symbols to aid the mind in transcending ego. Where these flags were originally used to motivate soldiers in war, I see them as banners of a spiritual war to relinquish the ego and align with God.

Thirty of the flags are composed of an algae-mandala form superimposed as a brutal contrast above a basic design of the flag. These marks serve the idea of natural decay, nature’s power over human construction—physical or mental (i.e. national borderlines.)

192 Divine Flags also serves as a visible display of an inner quandary: "How is the geophysical, political domain connected with the spiritual, egoless Kingdom?" The outer realms are reflections and/or projections from the inner self. As long as there is inner conflict there will be war, disease, pestilence... Inner conflict produces social conflict, and each moment of peace that a person experiences contributes to world peace. This installation advocates inner peace as the key to world peace. Outer and inner are complementary opposites, and thus necessarily connected. Through meditation one can affect social and political change.

25 Beautiful Names

 Acrylic on canvas
 Each Panel approx. 7"h x 5"w
 Installation as Shown:
 40"h x 30"w
(Sold)
Click here to see the Thesis Statement

25 Divine Names of God:
 "The Manifest; The Hidden; The Governor; The Supremely Exalted; The Righteous;
 The Acceptor of Repentence; The Avenger; The Pardoner;
 The Kind; The King of Supreme Dominion; The Lord of Majesty, Glory, and Honor;
 The Just;The Gatherer; The Rich; The Enricher; The Preventer; The Distresser;
 The Benefiter; The Light; The Guide;
 The Incomparable; The Enduring; The Inheritor; The Unerring;
 The Most Patient"