When I lived in India I would see women artistically drawing patterns on the pavement outside their homes. These mandala-esk patterns were made of powdered rice and were immensely detailed and ephemeral in nature as they never lasted a full day due to foot traffic, bugs and the general wear of the day. When I finally learned what these designs were someone described them as a “visual prayer” - it was an expression of all embracing unity. I’ve always returned to this idea of a visual prayer, what does it mean to pray in image, to represent the expression of all embracing unity. One. The first number. Oneness. Unity. Beyond all things, one thing remains. Beyond Spirit and Matter. Psychologically, the experience of oneness is a natural state before a child becomes aware they are an individual. This experience of oneness is lost through our formation of ego and awareness. To pay homage to our oneness, to return to ways of being and understanding the connectedness of all things is of significant importance to this series of paintings. To allow the primordial idea of oneness to permeate the works through subconscious streams of poetic forms, colours and materials. To steep in the wisdom of age old talismans: the lotus, the spirit of the earth, the rivers, tides, moons and the galactic constellations of our skies and ancestors. To allow space for those infantile experiences of the oneness to return, to feel that deep remembering of connection. To be both spirit and matter, where the I and the Thou are One. Beyond Spirit and Matter Raw Pigment, Ochre, Oil, Charcoal and Pencil on Linen 130x150cm 2022 @the.dot.project