The Totem is our standard, our banner, our flag…our amulet of protection. From the totem we receive guidance, inspiration, our culture, traditions...our way of being. All of these customs, these rituals are intertwined, woven into our essence, through Love. Love and all of its affectionate, unselfish, benevolent virtue. From and through Love, the Universe was brought into existence--and with it, we shall bind the whole of everything back together again. Our totem is built upon five paradigms: The Owl, the Octahedron; The Dart Frog, the Icosahedron; The Bison, the Hexahedron; The Hummingbird, the Tetrahedron; and The Wolf, the Dodecahedron. Air. Water. Earth. Fire. Ether. Five of the six building blocks of the Universe.
Al B Art - THE OWL
The Owl, the nocturnal witness. The Owl is wisdom, knowledge, change, transformation and intuitive evolution. The Owl is the hidden tie to the spiritual symbolism of “death”, bringing about new beginnings with a higher understanding and evolved perspective. So too is the photography of Al B Art. Through the lens of photography, Al B Art emphasizes the subtle beauty of things that remain lifeless or hidden from the common viewer. The Owl is connected to the mind, wisdom, spirit, and soul--a direct parallel with Air. From its powerful winds that brought the Universe into creation to the first cry of the newly born child, or the Om, which is the initial breath of life, Air is an invisible catalyst, driving, transforming, repositioning...energizing. Brother Al hopes that he can inspire you to slow down, stop, and witness all of the beauty that surrounds us.
Jessica Yirenkyi (OMANKWA) - THE DART FROG
"And the earth was without form, and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep: and the Spirit of GOD moved upon the face of the waters." The Goddess Omankwa was formed from the primordial waters, a child of nature and all its organic color. Her star date rests under the banner of "The Child of the Word", and yet, she is not subjugated or stagnant in this zodiac, for as the totem of the Poison Dart Frog, she is the water element. She is formless, She is shapeless. She flows and She crashes, shape-shifting through the expressions of drawing, painting, poetry, music, and dance. Jessica's works are the extension of who She is: a healer, creator, and explorer through time and space. Her time travel guides her infinitely, ever-changing, ever-expanding as both the person--and the artist. I give you...the water element - the GODDESS Omankwa.
Shanneil Clarke - THE BISON
The Earth. The great cultivator. The incubator and environment of all living things. The foundational component in which all of nature's sentient organisms grow and exist. Life sprouts from, walks and builds upon its acreage. The earth is the Bison, radiating an indomitable force through bold, powerful energy. The thundering sound of strength resonates from its hooves. Like the teal-blue shores of his native Montego Bay in Jamaica, art has always been the mental escape for Shanneil Clarke. As the earth brings forth life naturally without description or explanation, so does our Brother Shanneil. He creates, without narration, allowing the witness's eye of individual interpretation. An abstract visionary, THIS Bison's brush strokes match the boldness and strength of its mighty steps.
arTestimony - THE HUMMINGBIRD
Take the time to listen...to our Mother. The Earth is an orchestra, forever playing her celestial music. And the Hummingbird is a lead singer. Her song lifts the burden of strife, anxiety, bitterness, and doubt. Rest in the song of the Hummingbird. Rest. Relax. Put your heart and mind at ease. Her song is a healing sedative, a warming oil, and fragrance. Her song is her testimony, or in this case, her arTestimony. arTestimony is the Hummingbird that represents the fire element, the Tetrahedron. Fire heals wounds, it cleanses, it purifies precious metals, and it matures the finest pieces of pottery. Fire burns away the old, cultivating the land for the new growth. "But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings." Let the wings of the Hummingbird flutter into your heart as she connects the past to our present day. Listen to her arTestimony and let her fire heal you: mind, body, and soul.
B/ue Robin - THE WOLF
Can you hear the howl? The cry of the Wolf. The Wolf is the passionate lover--the lifelong, dedicated, and undying commitment of love. With love the Universe was brought into existence. Everything that is everything flows from, to, and back to love. Love permeates all of nature, all of the Universe, all of existence, all of the elements: Fire, Water, Air, Earth. But there is a fifth element. The hidden power that energizes the unseen. For this reason, the Wolf is the aether element. Aether is primordial, the essence of everything, the fundamental building block of the invisible Life Force. Aether exists in outer space, the sky and the heavenly realm. It's in the upper air, the atmospheric region. It is the breath, the breathing--it is...living light. The B/ue Robin is the aether. Though a child of love lost, his works are the exploration of love in its various forms within the male, masculine panorama.
From obscurity, with love the Universe came into existence. It is held together and is rapidly expanding through the fifth element, the aether, the love, the Wolf spirit energy. And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three ... but the greatest of these...is love.
