IVE SUNVEHDON
I n t u i t i v e A r t i s t
R ê v e r i e
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About the Painting & the Process
The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. He to whom the emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand wrapped in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.
Albert Einstein
The vision of this painting was not an ordinary vision but a vision which could be felt and in a way heard, evoking an emotion of profound mystery and desire to explore it. It was partly covered by mist, incredibly futuristic yet containing some ancient message of sacred knowledge. I could see it is multilayered, shiny reflecting all kind of lights almost like some kind of spacecraft. It contained an ancient blueprint which I could clearly feel in my heart and mind. An ancient world of such purity and beauty where the arts were a way of life. I was reflecting about technical steps on how I could accomplish such artwork, then all was revealed to me in a perfect clear step by step process.
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I N S P I R A T I O N
Capture of giant pyramid spaceship from the movie Blade Runner 1982 by Ridley Scott
You know those moments when your mind is very clear and focused upon a task all starts synchronizing in a perfect way and order, and so it was with this movie (Blade Runner) presenting itself in a perfect timing. When I saw this giant pyramid spaceship floating in space I thought to my self, "That's It", this is how the patterns would be shaped on the painting. I felt the patterns should be revealing something sacred and ancient, silently communicating to a viewer long lost knowledge of a mighty greatness, power and Light.
"And so.. the story comes to life.. "Once upon a time, many thousands of years ago there was a kingdom in the northwestern part of Tibet among the snowy Himalayan peaks and secluded valleys, it was called Zhang Zhung. It was a place of untouched paradise, a kingdom where peace and universal laws of nature were the basic principles to live by. There is a rumor circulating that these universal principles of life where brought by a very advanced human being who came from hidden land filled with precious minerals and stones to which passage is revealed only to those of pure heart."
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When I was working on the logo painting for Gyalshen Institute there were given to me these ancient letters from Zhang Zhung Kingdom. When I was reflecting about the steps of the process, in my heart and mind I immediately knew these are the sacred letters to be made into patters to be used for this painting.
Zhang Zhung lettres with Tibetan letters underneath
If I could bring something into our today's world it would be the way of life from some long lost ancient civilizations. There was a deeper understanding of beauty and how it is interconnected with the spiritual evolution of man. Honoring the body by decoration and well care was not considered an expression of ego rather it was acknowledging of the Divine dwelling within the human body. The ancients knew the healing power of make-up and jewelry they used it to express themselves, influence the elementals or communicate with Gods. They knew body is a priceless gift from the Cosmos and that it is its replica - a tool to understand the Cosmic Mind through experiencing illusory individual self with body and mind which is physically separated from the whole.
Stone mural at the temple complex of Angkor Wat, Cambodia build in 12th century
The femininity of those times was graceful with its sensuality which was undistorted, pristine and pure. I love how jewelry was used on the body and how sometime it was sewed into the clothes as well as there were many types of it for the head and hair decoration. Our ancients worshiped the sacred feminine, they knew it is inseparable aspect of the self associated with creation, intuition, nurturing and rebirth regardless of one's gender. They understood sacred feminine as concept that recognizes the God neither anthropomorphically male or female but a divine essence beyond form and duality, an essence that is in balance and unification of masculine and feminine principles, a dynamic interdependent immanence that pervades all life.
Apsaras, detail of a lower part of pediment. Cambodia, Bayon temple - Angkor Thom, late 12th - early 13th century, sandstone
I really would like to bring back that sacredness, beauty and purity of feminine into our times. This is what I deeply feel in my heart as a part of my mission in this lifetime. No wonder I had to go first through all kind of delusions and attachments of this world, being in the fashion industry from an early age and then experiencing the dissolution of my own created world only so I could emerge afterwards with a new purified view, heart and mind.
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If we are really able to see a bigger picture of our lives we come to realize how all is so impeccably orchestrated by the Divine like the most beautiful symphony. Or like a beautiful celestial mosaic where even the smallest or the darkest part play an important role and without it the mosaic can't be complete. So it is with human life, even if sometime we go through many challenges, delusions and ignorance it is inseparable part of our growth and expansion, without it we can't become what we are meant to become.
