"Upward Expression"

The most important element of this painting is the feminine figure sitting on top of the Earth. She sits in Siddhasana, a traditional yoga pose that draws inner peace and calms the mind. Peace, to me, feels like stillness. Sleep is peace when we are babies. The womb is peace before that. Before that and after life, stillness is peace. Throughout, if we react to suffering, we suffer. If we stay still, if we allow ourselves to exist without immediately responding, there is peace.

The feminine spirit is the most comforting and familiar to us because the one thing all humans have in common is a mother. The feminine figure is not meant to represent motherhood specifically, but humanity itself. We all come from woman, and the womb is a network that connects us all. I use the feminine form as a visual representation of strength and humanity. 

Her position above Earth represents her relationship with her physical experience. She has fully dominated her physical experience. She does not allow her reality to dictate her mind. She exists above the limitations placed on her, not because she is disconnected from the world, but because she understands that her mind and energy belong to her. The sun and moon replace her hands, this symbolism shows balance, and it harmonizes with the stillness of the yoga pose. The sun and moon represent opposing energies, masculine and feminine, but this piece does not place one above the other. There are no hierarchies. The balance held in her hands is a symbol of self-control.

The figure’s head is replaced with a butterfly, representing the freedom of the mind. “Free your mind” is integral to my practice. Butterflies remind us that we are not the same person day to day, and we are not supposed to be. Transformation is not something to fear. It is a necessary part of being alive. We have been gifted with the infinite ability to change, grow, and learn. When you free your mind, you realize that peace is the default. If you control your energy, you control your thoughts. If you control your thoughts, you can control your behavior, which means you can choose to be whatever you want to be.

The cosmic galaxy behind her represents the unknown gifts and opportunities waiting for us and the things that have already been given to us. It exists behind her because we have to trust that it is always there. The unknown does not have to represent fear. Sometimes it represents things that havent reveal themselves.

When I created this piece, I was going through a creative drought. I found that expression, or creation, truly is the opposite of depression; they cannot exist at the same time. Even if sadness returns promptly after creating, it wont become you. Creating gave me a space to return to myself. Upward Expression is the linguistic and visual opposite of downward depression. As someone who struggles with my mental health, this piece reminds me that to elevate, I have to return to myself and look upwards, toward the mind.

Ultimately, Upward Expression is about personal responsibility, balance, and growth. It is a reminder that we are not powerless within our own lives. We have the ability to direct our energy, transform our thoughts, and choose the way we move through the world. This painting calls us to live presently while seeking and basking in immense joy.