zylaco

[zylaco]

Soul and Ego 30 x 24 x 1.5 inches Acrylic/Canvas July 2023 Artist: Zylaco

I paint in a style shown to me during an NDE (near-death experience).

This painting aims to show the contrast between soul and ego. When I speak of the soul, I refer to the essence of self, unencumbered by ego, that I encounter when I meditate (no religious connotations intended). I view ego as the identified self to which we attach our chosen labels.

The figure on the right represents the identified self or ego. Its presence is more concrete than the figure on the left (soul), which blends with its surroundings, expressing interconnectedness.

[zylaco]

The Fishbowl Effect

30 x 30 x 1.5 inches Acrylic/Canvas June 2023 Artist: Zylaco

I paint in a style shown to me during an NDE (near-death experience).

The Fishbowl Effect is a painting about the vulnerability of unmasking and becoming one's authentic self for the first time. It's about the awkward nakedness I experienced when I decided it was okay to be me and take up space.

[zylaco]

Garden of Love 24 x 24 x 1.5 inches Acrylic/Canvas September 2023

I paint in a style shown to me during an NDE (near-death experience).

This painting is about feeling divinely held and loved, even as I live a perfectly imperfect, flawed human life.

The figure seems unaware of the divine forces at work all around them. Flowers, as always, represent growth and healing. Checkerboard geometric areas are about putting things in order. Hearts, of course, symbolize love, and circles represent potentiality.

[zylaco]

Black Tear 24 x 24 x 1.5 inches Acrylic/Canvas September 2023

I paint in a style shown to me during an NDE (near-death experience).

Sometimes, bits and pieces of grief or other stuck emotions naturally surface if I'm quiet enough.

The figure on the left shows sadness even as their eyes sparkle with divinity. A solid blue line partially divides the left and right sides of the canvas, representing the momentary separation the figure feels from its natural surroundings as emotion arises. The right side shows spirit, nature elements, and circles representing potentiality. There is an overall cohesiveness in the interplay of energy and connectedness between the two sides of the painting.

[zylaco]

Masks 30 x 24 x 1.5 inches Acrylic/Canvas July 2023 Artist: Zylaco

I paint in a style shown to me during an NDE (near-death experience).

This painting examines the journey of discarding inauthentic expressions of self on the path to unearthing authenticity. Becoming one's true self is a spiritual effort to me. Spiritual symbolism in the painting reflects the spiritual aspects of my journey:

Circles within circles are portals of infinite possibilities of spiritual transformation.

The spiral on the mid-right represents the dynamics of metamorphosis. Spirals radiate outward expansively and draw inward simultaneously, reflecting spiritual expansion from inner inquiry.

Feather-like shapes in the lower right symbolize hope and courage to me.

 The bare tree in the upper left symbolizes the cycle of life, renewal, and rebirth.

Flowers represent growth and healing.

The circle area above the left-most eye shows motion, signifying movement, change, and flux.

[zylaco]

Inner Critic

24 x 20 x 2 inches Acrylic/Canvas May 2023 Artist: Zylaco

I paint in a style shown to me during an NDE (near-death experience).

This painting is about my inner critic, the voice that critically assesses everything I do and my efforts to heal it. The figure on the left shows a weary expression, while the eye on the right represents the inner critic. Flowers around the eye symbolize growth and healing.

[zylaco]

Let the Mystery Be 36 x 36 x 1.5 inches Acrylic/Canvas August 2023 Artist: Zylaco

I paint in a style shown to me during an NDE (near-death experience).

Titled after a favorite song by Iris Dement, this painting examines my struggle with the constructs of "belief" and "faith" and the result of that wrestling match. The "question marks" are where I arrive. Because of its inherent rigidity, I have mostly set the mental construct of belief aside. Faith, to me, is more experiential and open. It's about dwelling in the mystery of the divine.

Other symbolism in this painting also tracks my journey of healing and awakening that started before my NDE (near-death experience): 

The two faces represent my outer and inner selves. 

The snake represents personal power, authenticity, and self-love.

The Butterfly is about spiritual transformation.

The flowers are about growth and healing.

The circles within circles near the face are a portal that represents my journey.

[zylaco]

Insight/Outsight 30 x 30 x 1.5 inches Acrylic/Canvas September 2023

I paint in a style shown to me during an NDE (near-death experience).

Some things are hard to explain even to one's self. I came away from my NDE (near-death experience) feeling wholly different and knowing things I couldn't express. This painting is about the struggle to integrate what I went through and return to ordinary life.

In the aftermath of my NDE, I felt like I didn't belong here, hence the "otherworldliness" of the figure in this painting. The figure's right eye shines inner-knowing, while the right eye looks outward, showing confusion and struggle to pick up with everyday life. A long, slender stem and bulb extends from the bottom of the canvas to just under the left eye. The figure is unaware of its impending blossoming.

The abstract shapes in the background show movement and expansion. Flowers symbolize growth. Thin lines in the circular floral area on the lower left emit energy and signify unseen forces at play.

In the lower center of the canvas is an area of magenta with thick, interwoven, flowing pink lines that symbolize a rebalancing process happening, returning things to peaceful flow.

[zylaco]

Bandits 36 x 36 x 1.5 inches Acrylic/Canvas May 2023

I paint in a style shown to me during an NDE (near-death experience).

Bandits reflects how my mind (which is naturally busy) gets wrapped up in overthinking and sometimes self-sabotage, robbing me of precious energy and peace. It’s also about tiresome people that do the same.

The bulk of the painting (save the bandits) shows indecipherable complexity. A smiley face dangles in from the universe in the upper right-hand corner, offering an alternative view, a reminder not to take things so seriously. We’re on a short and wild ride. It’s unlikely that any of us will figure much of this out. So, don’t let the bastards grind you down and don’t let the bandits steal your joy!

[zylaco]

Embodied 24 x 18 x 1.5 inches Acrylic/Canvas May 2023 Artist: Zylaco

I paint in a style shown to me during an NDE (near-death experience).

Embodied is a portrait of a trans woman. It is about fully inhabiting and feeling at home in one's body. I created this piece in response to all the transphobia, hate, and many anti-trans bills passed in 2023 to boldly declare that trans is beautiful. It is.

[zylaco]

Disembodied

24 x 20 x 2 inches Acrylic/Canvas April 2023 Artist: Zylaco

I paint in a style shown to me during an NDE (near-death experience).

Disembodied is about feeling disconnected from one’s body. The painting shows mostly indecipherable abstract shapes, but if you look closely, there is a figure on the right with a disembodied eye floating near the center of the canvas.

[zylaco]

Diedre from Tech Support 40 x 32 x 2 inches Acrylic/Canvas January 2023

Just before my NDE (near-death experience), I suffered from work-related burnout. I freelanced as a web designer and SEO (search engine optimization) researcher. When I created this painting, I felt a little more dead inside with each customer support call I received. I made plans to quit. I wanted to explore creating Cyberpunk art because I felt pretty anti-tech then.

In a typical Cyberpunk fashion, the painting shows no separation between tech and the human form. Diedre has become technology, and she's not exactly happy about it. Her hair is awash with electronic components and flowers. I imagine she placed them there to hide the mechanical ugliness.

Deidre's body is robotic, and her skin is green to denote the sickness of her situation. In retrospect, the green may have been a mistake (it's a little too Hulk-ish). But, I have come to appreciate that Diedre is on the precipice of "going Hulk" and taking her power back. Go Diedre!