As the veil lifts, and we become more connected with the astral realm, a new exhibition curated by Art Director and Visual Artists Association Mentor, Karen van Hoey Smith, seeks to raise the collective consciousness and ask some introspective questions with reference to creating from source energy.
What Do We Know is a new virtual exhibition, running from 3-30 June, “exploring spiritual art and its multitude of feelings, experiences, viewpoints and forms of expression.”
Nine artists ask what does “spiritual” really mean, can one word describe a multitude of feelings, experiences, viewpoints and forms of expression, and is “spiritual” the word to describe this movement?
The nine artists are:
Ana Delgado – photographer living and working in Brooklyn, New York
E. Alana James, EdD – digital collage artist living in Ireland
Karen French – author, painter and speaker living in Oxfordshire, UK
Kirsten Todd – painter, medium and Reiki Master/Teacher living in Lancashire, UK
Kristen Palana – American-Portuguese multidisciplinary artist based in Malawi
Ozlem Yikici – British-Turkish painter living and working in London, UK
Sadie Bridger – multimedia artist in New York City
Sarah Brabbin – sculptor living in the UK
Vicky Paul – Scottish artist, intuitive and energy healer based in Bedford, UK
Featuring a variety of styles and meanings, from visual art to photography and sculpture, these artists share the ability to stop or remove themselves from the noise of life, called to make the unseen seen. By placing the variety of styles and meanings together, What Do We Know aims to open up conversation about the inner state that starts creativity and makes that first mark.
Curator, Karen van Hoey Smith, tells us, “Most artists that cite Spiritual or Intuitive as the source of their creative process have been advised to keep that quiet, as if there is some kind of shame or embarrassment associated with sharing the truth around their practise. Eleanor Heartney comments in her 2020 essay in ArtWorld that there is now an acknowledgement that previous art movements were inspired and created from a Spiritual basis, and that other modern artists have their stated points of reference, but “none of this has gelled into a collective movement.”
We learn that What Do We Know is not about creating a collective or a movement. It is the beginning of open-minded humans who wish to explore and converse about the inner state that starts creativity and makes that first mark. Is this purely living in the present and innocence prevails? Or are these artists channelling parts of their brain and psyche that are unknown to them in their daily lives?
Karen van Hoey Smith, adds, “This exhibition is about having the courage to explore what Spiritual is, so that it can be held as an honourable banner and part of these artists’ practise, life and inspiration. It is also an invitation to the public, and the art community, to appreciate the presence of a non-material realm as a genuine source of motivation and inspiration.”
Running online from 3-30 June, you can view and download the exhibition catalogue here: What Do We Know
Below, we have a breakdown in the words of each artist, with reference to their work and creating from source. All works are for sale via the artists’ websites.
Ana Delgado
My photographs are centred around the concept of a conscious life force energy that permeates all things. I am fascinated by the idea that there is an invisible force that connects us all, and that it is this energy that gives us life and vitality. My photographs aim to expose the essence of this energy, to make it visible and tangible, and to celebrate the mystery of our natural world.
E. Alana James, EdD
My work is encapsulated by the meaning of the Sanskrit word Dharma – or the spiritual purpose/ experience we are all meant to have as live embodied beings. I frequently use landscape as a universal symbol of an experience. As an example, a “moment in time” bubble with a scene capturing the moment winter turns to spring captures the essence of when we get a glimpse of our Dharma and move towards it.
Karen French
I enjoy sharing the inherent possibilities of numbers, shapes and colours to effect very personal changes through their use as symbols and tools in spirituality and self-development practices. Archetypal symbolism, especially sacred geometry, is my passion. My intention is to convey the effect of transformative alchemy through art for a personal perceptual experience.
Kirsten Todd
I have always known I was different and didn’t fit in with people and with the conventions and norms of society. I have always known my origins are not of this planet. Creating art is a release, a freedom, entering an altered state, as I become in flow and in tune with the colour, paint and canvas, bringing a connection to the Divine, creating a working meditation. It is in this flow that the piece of work is developed and the creation is born. Being an intuitive medium, I channel energy which is then imbued into the painting as I work, putting that energy into every piece.
Kristen Palana
I draw the world not as it is but how I wish it could be. I use symbols, icons, and patterns with cross-cultural significance combined with colour psychology to help soothe, heal, and reinvigorate weary idealists. Inspired by the lofty mission statements and development goals used by the world’s top organizations, my images are a call to action to visualize better outcomes for our lives, communities, and the planet.
Ozlem Yikici
To me, spirituality is that connection I have with Allah, God, the Universe. It’s that peace which comes from within but comes through from an external Force. Spirituality makes the complex digestible. These works came through a vision. The idea to emulate the four seasons using the same techniques. [Header art]
Sadie Bridger
The importance of something bigger than myself has been a part of my life since the very beginning. As I grew up, I often found myself wondering about the conventions that we as females face. In this selection of photographs, I contemplate the symbol of the veil compared to the religious stories of Mary Magdalene. I emphasize the challenges that women face spiritually and I ask, how does this search resolve itself into a place of union and greater understanding?
Sarah Brabbin
Spirituality to me, is a profound connection to the world around us – a world that we experience through all of our senses – physically, emotionally, spiritually. I’m never more in touch with my spirit than when I’m in nature. A lot of us have become disconnected from nature, yet we remain part of it. Slowing down and creating the space to notice and appreciate reconnects us. We notice the smell after a thunderstorm, the tiniest little bug and how their wings are rainbow coloured like stained glass in the sunlight and our hearts are filled with wonder and gratitude.
Vicky Paul
For me, spirituality is everything from mediation and energy, such as the chakras featured here, to psychic connection and receiving messages from departed loved ones. It is the essence of the creative process. My work conceptualises this unseen world; Universal energy, transformation, psychic experiences, consciousness and chromology, to take the viewer on a journey of profound and positive transformation.