The Girl from Praga

Themes and symbology RECURRING in the work

There are several themes in the artwork which tell a parallel story, combining sensuality and passion with spirituality. On the surface level, it represents the depth of the relationship between the woman and her beloved, and on a spiritual level, the Divine principle is being manifested as being present in all things around us, as opposed to some distant deity in heaven sitting on a throne.

The nakedness of the woman, when present in the artwork, is an idealisation and reclamation of self. It is a direct protest in response to the abuse and objectification she faced as a child, and a statement of victory over the transgressions committed against her. It represents the beauty of the female form, as being sacred, and not merely as an object of sexual desire. Her naked body, which is no longer shamefully hidden in some dark corner of the room, is to be worshiped as part of the divine.

A mirror image of her masculine counterpart; she reflects his light. She is an offering to her beloved; he, in turn, fills her cup and holds her in his watery embrace. Her beloved is at times represented in human or mythical form, and at other times takes the form of the natural world around her. The water, which signifies purity and cleansing of past regrets and sorrows, though traditionally seen as a feminine principle, is instead presented here as the manifestation of the masculine. The warrior, the man, so strong against the world, makes himself vulnerable in secret, and away from the prying eyes of the world, choosing to manifest as water in front of her. The embrace of a waterfall; the quiet depths of a lake or an ocean; the gentle caress of a moonbeam upon her cheek. She is safe in his embrace.