"All through eternity
Beauty unveils His exquisite form
in the solitude of nothingness;
He holds a mirror to His Face
and beholds His own beauty.
He is the knower and the known,
the seer and the seen;
No eye but His own
has ever looked upon this Universe."
Mewlana Jalaluddin Rumi
I was very touched when a friend told me this vision from a dream: an elder man standing in a vast desert, the air is cold and everything seems hopeless. Yet as he opens his dark heavy jacket, he is witness to a light streaming out of his heart! Drops of this light fall like seeds onto the earth and new life grows from the fresh springs of joy in his heart.
I painted this while visiting Melbourne for the first time. It was winter and I met an elder man who seemed quite depressed. I was reminded of this beautiful dream and painted it as a vision of hope for all those wishing to arise from depression into a more natural state of joy, lightness, love and inner fulfillment. It is my greatest wish for any being to turn towards the source within and find lasting freedom and true happiness.
Original: Oil and egg tempera on canvas
40 x 50 cm
2015
