‘In my artwork it’s sunset because the moon has risen. I’ve got little footprints on the moon and all the places that I’ve been to. The tree is the one that I slept under when I was homeless, down by the river, and I’m in the water there. There are shadow people that live in the bush. When you go out at night, you can really feel the presence of spirits there. I wanted to add them in because they’re important on my journey too…
– Shona
- Title: Kundalini Rising
- Artist: Shona
- Year: 2024
- Medium: Acrylic on canvas
I’m a Capricorn, so there’s Saturn, my ruling planet, down at the bottom. I think I had a lot of influences from Saturn when I was homeless. The eyeball in the middle is my Dad. My Dad died but he’s watching me from afar, just watching everything I do, really just checking on me. The skull at the bottom signifies death and transformation. Also, I had a dream when I was homeless that I’d gotten my wings back and I was flying over the rooftops. So, I’ve shown that I hadn’t got my wings yet, but as I journeyed on I ended up getting my wings. The rainbow road leads up to the long journey that I had to make while I was homeless, up to the snake. The snake is my Kundalini snake; that’s the serpent that coils at the base of your spine and it’s a very feminine energy.
It was like the dark night of the soul for me when I was homeless, and then Kundalini unleashed itself during that time, and I was spiritually enlightened afterwards. So, I called my artwork, Kundalini Rising.
And the dots down the bottom symbolise a gathering place, like a cathedral, or a church, or somewhere people can gather and join together. I also used the dotting to add some more texture and vibrancy to the painting. The colour makes it very alive. I made all the colours myself from primary colours.
The blue colour in the snake is related to the throat chakra, and I was very vocal about things when I was homeless. I was a bit of a prophet for Dean Street for a while. I was very vocal and very angry about a lot of things. I had the attention of the police a fair bit, but I made myself known in town, and now I’ve been accepted as a local.
I’m in the right place now, I’m where I need to be.’
– Shona