In the old tradition, icon paintings were not just a piece of art, to worship a holy person. Painted with great devotion they pointed at a hidden reality; the reality of The Transcendent. Or in other words, God embodied in human form. 

When The Transcendent or the foundation of Life itself, has awoken in us, we have the eyes to see that God does not only look into the world through the eyes of Saints but also through our very own eyes … and the eyes of every animal. It is the seeing that our deepest being is the same being in a cow or a sheep. Their joy is our joy. Their pain is our pain. This art-project ‘Saintient Beings’ is to bring attention to the ways in which we treat the Self as our fellow-beings whose destiny is the meat and dairy industry.

The idea to paint these animals as icons, came to me as an answer to my question, how to make clear that their being is just as sacred as our own being and that of everyone we consider holy and/or a Saint?

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​No longer being religious myself but coming from a culture based on Christianity, I am a fan of the Jesus and Mary story. To me they represent the archetypical masculine and feminine energies of God, lived in form. That is why I love painting the animals as these icons. By doing so I hope to inspire people to take a moment to open their hearts and consciously connect with these animals. Since we are all connected as The One Consciousness. We all share the same being experiencing love and fear. Animals are just another live form through which It experiences this. With other abilities but with the same natural basic needs as wellbeing, love, freedom and peace. 

An open and connected heart experiences this deep connection and cannot be indifferent to others. Whether the other is human or non-human does not matter. Our hearts have a natural ability to express wisdom - from being clear about the truth of life- and compassion - from feeling and understanding someone else’s difficulties and suffering- to bring change for the greater good. Very much needed in a world where we either ignore or deny the social and sentient lives of animals.

 

about the paintings and technique

Traditional icon paintings are painted with egg tempera, a blend of egg yolk, water, and dry color pigment. Instead, I choose to use oil paint. Through time I left the traditional technique all together and found a style that is closer to my heart. The traditional icon paintings still being a source of inspiration.

The red and purple cloaks of the animals are a call for transformation from suffering and blood spill to protection of these gentle souls. Of course, the golden halo emphasizes that God also experiences their life.

 

holy mother and child

The lives and circumstances of mother and child within the industry, is painful and heart breaking. This bond is naturally based on pure unconditional love; the deepest quality of Life Itself. It is therefore a connection that is indescribable and moving very deep in the lives of mammals. Humans and animals.

The first series therefor is “Holy Mother and Child”. Based on the archetypical relationship between mother and child, symbolised by the icon painting of Mother Mary and her child Jesus.

The idea is to paint the masculine animals in a series as a follow up, to also honour the fathers in this industry.