Shahree Vyaas's Blog, page 16

Salvador Mundi

Dalí’s unique artistic style and innovative approach continue to have a profound impact on the art world, influencing countless artists across various movements such as surrealism and pop art. His exploration of dreams and the subconscious has paved the way for future artists to delve into the depths of their own minds, challenging traditional perspectives and creating thought-provoking artwork. Dalí drew inspiration from Leonardo Da Vinci, who lived 500 years before him. Recognizing Da Vinci’s genius, artistic qualities and scientific knowledge, Dalí believed that every artist should have a broad education and be well-versed in the sciences to achieve completeness in their artistry. In this particular painting, Dalí is portrayed as a messiah, drawing upon Da Vinci’s famous Salvator Mundi as a source of inspiration. This convergence of artistic giants highlights the enduring influence and significance of Dalí’s work in the art world.

The Big Migration. Acrylic on canvas 76.2 x 76.2 cm by Shaharee Vyaas (2023)

I have been thinking carefully about this work for the past two years, and the vision that it contains came to fruition while intermittently working on it over the past year.

The Big Migration is a surrealist painting depicting a fantastical migration of humanity through the solar system, but it also carries a deeper message about environmental damage and overpopulation. The painting shows a mass exodus of humans and animals from an earth that had become uninhabitable due to these issues. The creatures in the painting are fleeing their dying world and seeking a new home. However, every new planet they settle on also faces the same fate as Earth. The surrealism in the painting represents the absurdity of the situation, where humans are blindly repeating their mistakes instead of finding sustainable solutions. The surreal imagery emphasizes the gravity of the situation, and it serves as a warning against the continued neglect of our planet. The Big Migration urges viewers to consider the consequences of their actions and to take steps to protect the environment for future generations.

Kundalini. Acrylic on canvas 76.2 x 76.2 cm by Shaharee Vyaas (2023)

DNA and genetics allow us to explore the universe within ourselves. With modern science, we have discovered that the cosmos and our bodies are interconnected. Understanding the vital role DNA plays in our existence and the world around us can help shed light on the mysteries of the universe. By unlocking the secrets of our genetic code, we can come to understand our connection to the world and everything in it. Indian metaphysics explores the concept of kundalini, a serpent-like energy coiled at the base of the spine. Through spiritual practices, this energy can be awakened and rise up through the seven chakras, leading to expanded consciousness and enlightenment. This concept is often linked to the structure of DNA, which also resembles a coiled serpent, connecting the physical and spiritual realms. The awakening of kundalini is capable to bring about profound transformations and can be a transformative journey for those who embark upon it.
Together, these concepts help us better understand the intricate web of life in our world and the nature of the universe as a whole.

Azrael. Acrylic on a black canvas 52 x 78 cm by Shaharee Vyaas.

Azrael is the fifth installation of a series of five #paintings I’ve made around a time that coincides with the yearly festival of #Halloween 2023. The frames contain some earlier reflections I had about the aftermath of the recent #pandemic. The stylistic concept deviates substantially from most of my other works, although parallels can be drawn with the works that feature in my series Art in the Dark.

Azrael, Arabic ʿIzrāʾīl or ʿAzrāʾīl, in Islam, the angel of #death who separates souls from their bodies; he is one of the four #archangels (with Jibrīl, Mīkāl, and Isrāfīl) and the Islamic counterpart of the Judeo-Christian angel of death, who is sometimes called Azrael.

An estimated 2.9% of U.S. adults (7.5 million) became new gun owners from 1 January 2019 to 26 April 2021. Most (5.4 million) had lived in homes without guns, collectively exposing, in addition to themselves, over 11 million persons to household #firearms, including more than 5 million children. Approximately half of all new gun owners were female (50% in 2019 and 47% in 2020 to 2021), 20% were Black (21% in 2019 and in 2020-2021), and 20% were Hispanic (20% in 2019 and 19% in 2020-2021). By contrast, other recent purchasers who were not new gun owners were predominantly male (70%) and White (74%), as were gun owners overall (63% male, 73% White).

Death anxiety, also known as thanatophobia, is #anxiety produced by thoughts of one’s own death (fear of death). Its negative impacts have been shown in various areas of people’s lives such as pessimism, despair, poor understanding of social support, and insufficient life perception. It may lead to behavior that ignites a secondary death wave: mass shootings, eating disorders, suicides, substance abuse … they are all on the rise since the covid-19 pandemic.

Azrael. Mixed techniques on a black canvas 52 x 78 cm by Shaharee Vyaas.

Azrael is the fifth installation of a series of five #paintings I’ve made around a time that coincides with the yearly festival of #Halloween 2023. The frames contain some earlier reflections I had about the aftermath of the recent #pandemic. The stylistic concept deviates substantially from most of my other works, although parallels can be drawn with the works that feature in my series Art in the Dark.

Azrael, Arabic ʿIzrāʾīl or ʿAzrāʾīl, in Islam, the angel of #death who separates souls from their bodies; he is one of the four #archangels (with Jibrīl, Mīkāl, and Isrāfīl) and the Islamic counterpart of the Judeo-Christian angel of death, who is sometimes called Azrael.

An estimated 2.9% of U.S. adults (7.5 million) became new gun owners from 1 January 2019 to 26 April 2021. Most (5.4 million) had lived in homes without guns, collectively exposing, in addition to themselves, over 11 million persons to household #firearms, including more than 5 million children. Approximately half of all new gun owners were female (50% in 2019 and 47% in 2020 to 2021), 20% were Black (21% in 2019 and in 2020-2021), and 20% were Hispanic (20% in 2019 and 19% in 2020-2021). By contrast, other recent purchasers who were not new gun owners were predominantly male (70%) and White (74%), as were gun owners overall (63% male, 73% White).

Death anxiety, also known as thanatophobia, is #anxiety produced by thoughts of one’s own death (fear of death). Its negative impacts have been shown in various areas of people’s lives such as pessimism, despair, poor understanding of social support, and insufficient life perception. It may lead to behavior that ignites a secondary death wave: mass shootings, eating disorders, suicides, substance abuse … they are all on the rise since the covid-19 pandemic.

Fear. Acrylic on a black canvas 80 x 60 cm by Shaharee Vyaas (2023)

Fear is the fourth installation of a series of five #paintings I’ve made around a time that coincides with the yearly festival of #Halloween 2023. The frames contain some earlier reflections I had about the aftermath of the recent #pandemic. The stylistic concept deviates substantially from most of my other works, although parallels can be drawn with the works that feature in my series Art in the Dark.

The #COVID-19 pandemic is an important factor affecting the health of people worldwide, as well as a source of fear, stress, and anxiety. This painting explores the paths through which Covid-19 can impair health in two ways: through psychological distress, which is an automatic reaction to fear, and through a more conscious and deliberative rumination process.

During disease outbreaks, news of the first #deaths, increases in the number of new cases, and media misinformation can increase people’s fears, frustration, despair, and anxiety. In addition, uninfected individuals reported that they were afraid to be in contact with people infected with COVID-19. Fear of catching the COVID-19 virus can cause #irrational and ambiguous thoughts in individuals and adversely affect their quality of life. Witnessing family members or friends becoming infected can intensify the negative impact of that fear. Anxiety raised the risk of long COVID by 42%, depression by 32%, worry about COVID by 37%, perceived stress, 46%, and loneliness, 32%.

Fear. Mixed techniques on a black canvas 80 x 60 cm by Shaharee Vyaas (2023)

Fear is the fourth installation of a series of five #paintings I’ve made around a time that coincides with the yearly festival of #Halloween 2023. The frames contain some earlier reflections I had about the aftermath of the recent #pandemic. The stylistic concept deviates substantially from most of my other works, although parallels can be drawn with the works that feature in my series Art in the Dark.

The #COVID-19 pandemic is an important factor affecting the health of people worldwide, as well as a source of fear, stress, and anxiety. This painting explores the paths through which Covid-19 can impair health in two ways: through psychological distress, which is an automatic reaction to fear, and through a more conscious and deliberative rumination process.

During disease outbreaks, news of the first #deaths, increases in the number of new cases, and media misinformation can increase people’s fears, frustration, despair, and anxiety. In addition, uninfected individuals reported that they were afraid to be in contact with people infected with COVID-19. Fear of catching the COVID-19 virus can cause #irrational and ambiguous thoughts in individuals and adversely affect their quality of life. Witnessing family members or friends becoming infected can intensify the negative impact of that fear. Anxiety raised the risk of long COVID by 42%, depression by 32%, worry about COVID by 37%, perceived stress, 46%, and loneliness, 32%.

The Clan. Acrylic on a black canvas 80 x 60 cm by Shaharee Vyaas (2023).

The Clan is the third installation of a series of five #paintings I’ve made around a time that coincides with the yearly festival of #Halloween 2023. The frames contain some earlier reflections I had about the aftermath of the recent #pandemic. The stylistic concept deviates substantially from most of my other works, although parallels can be drawn with the works that feature in my series Art in the Dark.

Long before the #pandemic arrived on American shores, there were debates over the politics of #mask wearing. More than a dozen states have laws barring people from covering their faces in public, most of them ordinances passed to deter the #Ku-Klux-Klan hate group. Those laws were suspended, revoked or not enforced as mask wearing in many states became a public health exigency. But as the pandemic recedes in the United States and emergency orders related to the pandemic expire, the question of what to do with the old mask laws is resurfacing.

Rob Kahn, a law professor at St. Thomas University in Minneapolis and an expert on #anti-mask laws, believes many of the laws are obsolete. But repealing them might have been easier before the pandemic, he said, before masks became such a political lightning rod.

Mr. Kahn said he did not know of any cases of #coronavirus anti-maskers advocating to keep the old anti-mask laws. But he hypothesized that maintaining them might be popular with the sizable number of voters who now think of masks as symbols of government overreach.

Covid-19 fueled also racism worldwide. Several political parties and groups, including in the United States, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Greece, France, and Germany have also latched onto the Covid-19 crisis to advance anti-immigrant, white #supremacist, #ultra-nationalist, #anti-Semitic, and xenophobic conspiracy theories that demonize #refugees, #foreigners, prominent individuals, and political leaders.

The Clan. Mixed techniques on a black canvas 80 x 60 cm by Shaharee Vyaas (2023).

The Clan is the third installation of a series of five #paintings I’ve made around a time that coincides with the yearly festival of #Halloween 2023. The frames contain some earlier reflections I had about the aftermath of the recent #pandemic. The stylistic style deviates substantially from most of my other works, although parallels can be drawn with the works that feature in my series Art in the Dark.

Long before the #pandemic arrived on American shores, there were debates over the politics of #mask wearing. More than a dozen states have laws barring people from covering their faces in public, most of them ordinances passed to deter the #Ku-Klux-Klan hate group. Those laws were suspended, revoked or not enforced as mask wearing in many states became a public health exigency. But as the pandemic recedes in the United States and emergency orders related to the pandemic expire, the question of what to do with the old mask laws is resurfacing.

Rob Kahn, a law professor at St. Thomas University in Minneapolis and an expert on #anti-mask laws, believes many of the laws are obsolete. But repealing them might have been easier before the pandemic, he said, before masks became such a political lightning rod.

Mr. Kahn said he did not know of any cases of #coronavirus anti-maskers advocating to keep the old anti-mask laws. But he hypothesized that maintaining them might be popular with the sizable number of voters who now think of masks as symbols of government overreach.

Covid-19 fueled also racism worldwide. Several political parties and groups, including in the United States, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Greece, France, and Germany have also latched onto the Covid-19 crisis to advance anti-immigrant, white #supremacist, #ultra-nationalist, #anti-Semitic, and xenophobic conspiracy theories that demonize #refugees, #foreigners, prominent individuals, and political leaders.

The Conclave. Acrylic on a black canvas 78 x 52 cm by Shaharee Vyaas (2023)

The Conclave is the second installation of a series of five #paintings I’ve made around a time that coincides with the yearly festival of #Halloween 2023. The frames contain some earlier reflections I had about the aftermath of the recent #pandemic. The stylistic concept deviates substantially from most of my other works, although parallels can be drawn with the works that feature in my series Art in the Dark.

According to anecdotal reports, the pandemic may have negatively impacted #behavior by contributing to a rise in incivility and #rudeness, which may well have occurred due to chronic #exposure to stress and an #anxiety-inducing news cycle.

Healthcare professionals have also reported experiencing #incivility. According to one analysis using data retrieved from an online survey, 45.7% of nurses polled reported witnessing more rudeness than before the pandemic.

Reduced time spent around others may have also contributed to this state of affairs. The study suggested that “though #small-talk opportunities decreased due to #COVID-19, the need for concise and clear communication increased”.

Perhaps we will now place higher priority on in-person interactions and our relationships with others, being outdoors for sports and activities, and feeling relieved of constant worry. Acknowledging what we went through and growing and learning from that experience would be the best outcome.