Samaya Zakay with Shipibo artisans
Zakay Glass Creations Gallery, Byron Bay, from tomorrow
Inspired by the beauty and sometimes hidden meaning behind geometrical artwork, Samaya Zakay has for the past seven months been travelling around Peru learning more about the geometry that features so prominently in many of their artworks and designs and exchanging ideas and inspirations from the sacred geometry inspired work created by Zakay Glass Creations. At the end of November she returned home and is delighted to be staging an exhibition to showcase some of the most beautiful works that she has found.
One particular group of artists captured Samaya’s imagination and heart: the Shipibo women from the upper Amazon in Peru who have a unique and complex form of visionary art whereby intricate geometric patterns convey an all-pervading ‘magic’ reality. The art forms and practice is passed down through the generations from grandmother to mother to daughter through sacred initiations. The patterns the women create represent an ongoing dialogue or communion with the spiritual world, the powers of the rainforest and with mother nature.
As with the sacred geometry that Samaya was familiar with from her work here in Australia, she found that the Shipibo artwork used symbols that had specific meanings. One in particular struck a chord. The cross symbol used in Shipibo designs signifies the Southern Cross common to both the Peruvian and Australian night skies. To the Shipibo the ‘Cosmic Cross’ represents, in part, the union of the masculine and feminine principles as does the Merkaba or Star Tetrahedron that was the starting point for all of Zakay Glass Creations’ work.
The Shipibo art form is also a conduit for a multi-sensory vibrational fusion of form, light and sound. For the women can listen to a song or chant by looking at the designs – and conversely paint a pattern by listening to a song or music. With such a strong connection to music , Zakay welcomes Darpan – singer, gifted musician, inspirational speaker and neo-shaman – who has himself spent much time in Peru and who will very kindly open the exhibition and offer a performance of some of his songs and music.
Proceeds from the exhibition will go directly to the Shipibo Community from Pucallpa Peru, where Samaya spent much of her time.
Shipibo Geometric – Sacred Designs form Peru, 7 December 2012 to 7 January 2013, Zakay Glass Creations Gallery, 6/102 Centennial Circuit, Byron Bay
Opens 6pm Friday 7 December
