(48” x 48”) Oil on canvas 2024-2025
This painting was made to demonstrate the concept of the masculine yang principle. My intention was based on the abstract concept of yang energy expressed through physical form rather than specifically on the physical aspect of masculinity itself. It was created as the masculine counterpart to an earlier feminine piece I made. I wanted each piece to be featured as a twin set of yin and yang.
The main golden sun deity is of my own depiction. He was created in honor of the ancient horned gods, but encapsulates primarily the element of fire with touches of air expressed through lightning and blue clouds in the background. Red is supposed to be the primary color throughout the painting and symbolizes fire and action. Red is also connected to the upward triangle, as depicted on the the deity's forehead. It is the other half of the interlocked six-pointed star, also known as the alchemical Seal of Solomon.
However, blue accents are also included to demonstrate how even within a dominant element, there should be aspects of its opposite in order for a person to become balanced, but the individual can primarily operate from the dominant element if they so choose.
For instance, the blue serpent coiled around the deity’s neck implies his initiation into the sacred mysteries. In esotericism, the serpent is more of a dark feminine symbol and is emblematic of healing, transformation, wisdom, and the integration of one's shadow. The deity exemplifies mastery over a roaring lion. This symbolizes control of one’s primal instincts through awareness rather than repression. He then familiarizies himself with the ancient mysteries, attaining the wisdom of the serpent. Thus, he becomes a higher man, the philosophical man.
The fiery dragons were added because they represent the yang element of power, courage, and authority. On the other hand, the scarabs were included because the ancient Egyptians believed them all to be male gendered and self-generating without female intervention, which influenced Roman soldiers to adopt them as totems for virility and strength. The dragons and scarab beetles both are rising upward toward the winged sun disk bearing the Eye of Ra, which is an emblem of solar power and masculine consciousness. They move in a linear, structured way, which form a square-like shape that contrast with the circular flow shown in the painting's feminine counterpart.
Other elements embellished on the deity include war paint, a barbed wire choker with the masculine symbol as a pendant, and tattoos of the sun and crossed swords, which reinforce themes of masculinity. Additionally, the squares in the background were included to signify characteristics such as straight lines, angles, and linear thinking.
Overall, this piece venerates the yang principle through warmth, movement, and strength. My general intention was to provide an impression on the forces of fire and air and how they live within us all, in addition to how conscious action is guided by wisdom.
