The forbidding totem shows us a secret “fetishe” inspired by the vodun practices in African and african diaspora. This bizarre talisman (in our western vision) is commonly composed of dried human or animal or vegetal parts and is usually inhabited by spirits who can carry healing and spiritual cures or curses.
The overall design emanates an energy of death and mortality, emphasizing the ancestral worship of the spirits of the dead who live with us all, hidden from our perception.
The skull follows the ancient tribal custom of saving a human head as a headhunting trophy. Headhunting has been practiced around the world, may go back to Paleolithic times and may have different meanings. Its primary function was, of course, ceremonial.
“themes that arise in anthropological writings about headhunting include mortification of the rival, ritual violence, cosmological balance, the display of manhood, cannibalism, prestige, and as a means of securing the services of the victim as a slave in the afterlife.” – tribalartasia.com
The crossed bones hold the dark skull as a pedestal, specially related to its ritualistic properties. The bones in the shape of an “X” also suggest its unknown nature and somehow a sign that prevents our nearing. It clearly wants us to step back.
The composition below was partially inspired by the “Blair Witch” ominous stick figures, to transmit a sense of familiarity and eeriness at the same time.
Our “Forbidding Totem” is made almost entirely by human bones and along with the mystic and supernatural decoration irradiates an intense spiritual blow that pushes us back.
It happens to me many times, to approach a sacred object or piece of art that repels me with great energy, making me feel nauseous and with terrible headaches. I had this first conscious experience in the presence of an egyptian sarcophagus, then with small ritualistic objects in the same room and same day.
After that I’m still continuously attracted by weird stuff filled with unnatural energy that slaps my face over and over again. It happened last time I entered an old church in Germany. I confronted that heavy dark energy and kept walking towards the altar but I was just too strong and I gave up and left that place.
There are tons of psychological theories to explain that, particularly related to our memory and unconscious reactions that affirms that I’m kind of superstitious and I like that. The rational explanations for everything are just too boring for our artistic mind, so I prefer to accept that our senses and perception are just too limited to understand all the stimuli from our surroundings. The unknown and the unexplained are the best food for our imagination, it compels us to create shapes for the shapeless to give meanings to the meaningless.
No products in the cart. 