Human Eclipse
Mixed media (oil and acrylics) on canvas
51 x 51 x 3 cm

Spring 2020. 
A pandemic devastates the world. 
An apocalyptic scenario unfolds that only sci-fi had prepared us for.
Human existence is eclipsed while nature is reborn.
Spring never seemed so vibrant, as isolation took over.
From the deepest silence emerged new art.
Images imbued with solitude and despair.
Like seeds of hope to grow a better future
Where man and nature 
Walk hand in hand.
Intimations of a wise new world, 
The potential to embrace all of life,
Rather than eclipse parts of it.
This painting reveals light from within.
Like a radiant moon in the dark sky
It illuminates itself, 
Like a being that sustains its own life.
It seems most alive at night,
In the darkest of times. 


Human Eclipse

Digital Icon 
with painted sides
Mixed media (Acrylic and oil paint)
60.3 x 60.3 x 3 cm

Having explored iconography in its many expressions around the world, it seemed that iconography of a new kind was needed. I felt inspired to create my own visionary iconography, the 'Iconography of the Future'. Whilst religious icons guided people's beliefs in Medieval Europe through the scarce production of icons with massive social impact and spiritual content, the secular world generates vast amounts of imagery in a free, organic and ever-changing manner in the digital era. No longer is there a single, standardized spiritual type of imagery guiding all people. This is was an important change in the history of imagery, which left people free to find the imagery that best suits their spiritual needs on an individual basis.

This painting reflects my visionary exploration of what a futuristic icon may look like if medieval tradition had continued to evolve; abstract enough to symbolize mankind as we collectively navigate our way into new ways to live, yet devised for each individual to recognize themselves within it. It encompasses the sacred Eastern mandala of meditation, a spiritual tool that centres the mind and helps us navigate through the different dimensions and aspects of human existence (physical, mental, and spiritual). Dynamic yet still, this Future Icon symbolizes today's man and woman's dynamic process of adapting to new ways to think and experience spirituality now and into the future.



Digital Icon

Future Icon
Mixed media oils and acrylics
with painted sides
Includes metallic paint
H152.3 x W75.6 xD 3.7cm

Part of my series entitled Digital Iconography,
alongside Digital Icon and Timeless Icon


Future Icon

Acrylic on canvas - framed 
50.6 x 60.7 cm

This painting was inspired by the humanistic idea of human development.
Man/Woman stand in the cosmos, growing upwards psychologically and spiritually.
Human form is represented as a robotic template, a blueprint. 
Matter merges with light. Inner light emanates from the self, 
interacting and transforming through contact with external information.
A being in a multi-dimensional universe, it is represented in a seemingly flat surface, 
yet depth reveals itself upon closer inspection. 


Enlightenment

Acrylic on canvas 
61.5x61.5cm

A geometric conceptualisation of the Earth in relation to the circumventing planets, its sunsets and horizons, depicted through challenging angles and perspectives. The intensity and complexity of our world is portrayed in dramatic shading and contrasts. A reference to time and its subjective perception appears in the shape of a sand timer. Reflections of light on black water, the purple haze of space and a turquoise atmosphere. A geometric portrait of Earth.


Horizons

Acrylic on canvas with painted sides
W91.3 x H60.79x D3.5 cm 

This painting is inspired from neuro-theological research and the finding of
areas in the brain that activate during prayer, meditation and spiritual
experiences. The scientific search for God within the brain has yielded
some fruitful results: the finding of areas  (using neuro-imaging
technology -fMRI scans) that activate during spiritual experiences, prayer,
and meditation. However, the interpretation of these findings is proving to be
amore challenging: For some, these spiritual 'hotspots' in the brain generate
these experiences; for others, the pinpointing of these specific areas only
shows that God speaks to humans through localized areas in
the brain. Scientific attempts to prove or disprove the existence of God
continue on...


God Within

Oil On Canvas
with painted sides
76.5 x 86.5 x 4 cm

The Rise of Consciousness

Acrylic on Canvas with painted sides
W 86.5 x H101.5 x D3.7

Technology and biology collide in this painting. A robotic conceptualisation of mankind, at the intersection between life and technology, this painting reconciles two worlds. At a time of climate emergency, it is a tribute to mysterious world of plants. Silent, vivid manifestations of life, they are embodiments of creativity, symbols of love. Deceptively fragile in appearance, the rarest orchids can only be found at high altitude, in the most remote, inaccessible islands. Could they be hiding from the hand of man?

This painting is an image of dignified beauty; a symbol of the atonement of human life towards the natural world. It holds the potential to portray a man-made tunnel leading to oblivion, as much as a way towards a more harmonious way of life. Sliding plates give a sense of perspective and rapid motion, as if traveling at high speed through time. 

As the speed of life accelerates, new efforts are required to protect these delicate creatures. Amongst concrete and metal, rare flowers and wild orchids cling on to life.

The Future of Life

Acrylic on canvas with painted sides
50.8 x 87 x 3.8 cm

Chromatic compass, a recent painting that encapsulates my passion for colour and geometry. Futuristic angles and vivid colours (including silver metallic paint) both collide into a striking composition. At first glance, this paintings seems static. Yet a dynamic sense of movement emerges from this work. Amidst a chaotic world, inner vision can guide the way into stillness. Like a lens leading us into to clarity.

I aimed to achieve a sense of psychological completeness, or Gestalt, in this creation, for silence to be the lasting impression. This final effect reflects my creative practice. There is a meditative, therapeutic element to my painting practice that I hope transpires from my art practice to the painting. The viewer is welcome into a world where paradoxes are resolved, reaping the benefits of a transcendental experience that leads to mindfulness.

Chromatic Compass

The final sunset

The end of civilization. The human experiment failed. Greed and power wan. Like a new Atlantis, the last city on earth is engulfed by the sea. 

Is it too late? What would the final sunset looks like? Does human life have to become extinct for other species to survive? Will the advanced human mind find the solutions to coexist?Are these the final days of our beautiful planet?

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Sonia Ben Achoura

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