The series 'feel me heal me' starts from the connection between body and mind. The link between time and space through our body, through ourselves and the connection with our environment. From a personal search for peace and harmony and the need for introspection, this series is composed of images in which a certain primal force is hidden.
In kundalini yoga, waking up a sleeping snake is a symbol of summoning our inner energy. It lies curled up at the base of the spine. Various physical and meditative techniques have been developed to awaken the snake to release energy in the body.
The goal is to awaken your true self ("Sat Nam").
Nowadays being in touch with ourselves often seems far away. We live fast, we want a lot, and the pressure is high. We are often disconnected from our inner voice. Truly feeling and listening to what is happening within ourselves requires the need to connect more deeply to grow to a deeper inner awareness.
Each of us lives in a unique body, a biological heaven, a haven, where we can come home.
The exchange between the physical body and the intangible sphere of the spirit, the feeling, the soul, is an ancient idea anchored in many cultures. Our mental capacity on our body is enormous, but also the other way around, the body can have a lot of influence on our mental state. It is a whole universe that opens up when you assume that the mental and the physical can be employed in channeling in function of the self.
The power, control and beauty of overcoming the fear of falling can be achieved by finding physical and mental balance. Learning to ground yourself in the here and now, is a gift to yourself. It means allowing yourself to be vulnerable, letting go of thoughts, fears and patterns that no longer help you. It makes you stronger and more confident, especially in directing your own life. Being in touch with yourself is a way of self-love. It is a quest to be happy and find your true self. To live in harmony.
There is a flow of energy through the body that transcends knowledge and reveals the area of feelings. By entering the area of feelings, we leave the area of knowledge. We are at the mercy of the wisdom of our nature.
Immanuel Kant used the term "transcendent" in his theory of knowledge. He called his epistemological research a "transcendental analysis." His philosophy is therefore known as transcendental idealism, where "transcendental" refers to that which indicates the limits of knowledge. The term "transcendental" was used by Kant in the sense of "extrasensory," or that which is not accessible to experience.
Even though the images are grounded in a physical nature, they explore a metaphysical sphere. There is a lot of feeling and tactility in the analogue prints. The making of the series became as much a physical experience in the printing of the pictures as the shooting and the physical practice itself. Again, it's about letting go and letting things happen, while working in the darkroom. Something magical emerges in there. By playing with exposures and coincidences, the physical work acquires something metaphysical. I hereby choose to let go of my knowledge and tap into pure energy instead. You can feel its presence, but you can’t identify. The energy shows itself in a way that radiates strength in simplicity and resonates in deep peace and trust.
At the heart of this series lies trust in the power of the human individual. Each human as a unique and beautiful being. This is also my own personal story. Daily practice is my way of life. I would like to describe both the physical and mental experience of this practice, but instead I process it in images. Although it is not my intention to preach the gospel of the kundalini spirit, I can't help but use my creativity in a personal way. I depict what (my heart is overflowing with or what) concerns me. That's what I do. Making art is my escape into the unknown, … to the higher self.