On Mecca and the Moon
I am an artist. I am a mother. These two worlds inevitably intertwine. Being an artist is not just about creating art. It is a way of thinking, seeing and being. This makes it an integral part of the experience of one human being nourishing and guiding a new human into this world. A lot of the paintings that I make come from my observations and participation in the development of my daughter’s consciousness. They come from books I have read to Mecca and books that I have read to help her heal.
When Mecca was 5 months old, she started having seizures. When you are a parent who sees your child suffer through a seizure, you would do whatever you can to try to ease that suffering. First, my husband, Edber and I turned to science. We saw (and still continue to see) a whole team of doctors to seek their guidance about Mecca’s condition. But then, we also see that science has gone far in recognizing physical disease and even in the development of medical treatment, but it is still very limited when it comes to healing. As parents concerned only with our daughter’s well-being, we are more open, more free to look at other ways Mecca could heal.
Because the only proof we need that a treatment works is if it makes Mecca better, our journey to healing has led us to paths outside the very left-brain, proof-hungry world of science. We knew that the excess brain fluid was causing Mecca’s seizures but all the doctors we consulted were stumped as to what actually triggered the seizures. Except for one brilliant doctor. Dr. Divina Gonzales was able to correlate the seizures with the phases of the moon. Matching the dates I’ve logged when Mecca had seizures, we saw that these happened around the time of the full moon and the new moon. It made perfect sense to me. If the moon could affect the tides, then surely it affected all the bodies of water on earth. And since we are also bodies of water, then the moon must have its effects on us.
This made me look up in wonder at this orb in the sky that affected my daughter’s brain. This made me look around in wonder at the seasons and the sun’s effect on all the life on earth. Ah how blind we are to all the forces that affect us. Forces that give us life and air and time and consciousness. So, with Mecca as my white rabbit, this is how I have been led to my Wonderland and it is right here where I am. As Mother to Mecca, I have been learning about these forces for a long time and finally, these cosmic wonders have found their way into my work as an artist.
My seven paintings for Celestial Data for Daydreaming are my way of understanding and honouring these forces. My exhibit, CELESTIAL DATA FOR DAYDREAMING opens this Saturday, July 31st at Silverlens Galleries in Manila. I hope you get to see the show. I hope that it brings you a spark of wonder.
xoxo
Chati