Dagur shaman with her drum, 1931.
A collection of Shaman sculptures are on display here including some “dreamer dreaming’ pieces from Clayton Thiel, powerful shaman panel figures from Daniel Hawkins and unique shaman doll sculptures from the Russian Popovy sisters. The transformational shaman theme is explored with ancient and contemporary examples. Understanding the rareified realm of the Shaman is not easy to grasp for us mere mortals. Over the ages, from Siberia down to Tasmania and most countries in-between there have been isolated occurrences of practicing Shamans sharing their knowledge. Because the dominant cultural narrative dismisses most forms of “psychic” awareness, their path is rarely recognized or embraced. Some artists feel a connection to this mystical otherworldly phenomena and thankfully explore it through their art. Others traverse it without even knowing and act as conduits for others to have deeper experiences of consciousness through viewing art. The art presented here was sourced fairly easily without requiring much searching, it felt like it was pre-assembled, which was fitting considering the subject matter.
I once met a shaman in a dream. He approached me holding a white dove with a group of his followers. With a flick of his hand it darted towards me like a missile and became this swirling vortex of energy and light which entered me and went down into my chest. It then re-emerged from my heart and sat calmly in my hand. This was acknowledged as some sort of achievement. Apart from the obvious symbolism I understood this dream as a sign of potential and guidance for connecting with animals. I was also interested to see birds being a recurring theme in the images that manifested while I was researching this post along with other animal totems.
‘Snow Spirit’ sculpture – Yuki Onna
Ritual figural vessel from the Zande people of D.R. Congo
Shaman’s Rattle, Northwest Coast, USA
19th Century
Atelier Stella. ‘Chief Square Head Totem’ in Terracotta.
‘Perfect Storm’ – Amanda Shelsher. 2015
Photo Bewley Shaylor
Mochica 4 Period — Shaman with an owl mask The owl was regarded for giving assistance in the afterlife and the Inuit saw the Owl as a source of guidance and help.
AD 400 – 600.
Vessel decoration by Erlenmeyer Painter Greek, Corinthian, 610—600-BC
Becky Gray – ‘Guarded’ female head sculpture
“The dichotomy within man mimics that of nature — full of beauty on one hand and destruction on the other,” notes Gray. “In my work, however, I endeavor to convey the inherent goodness within mankind, whether quietly masked or direct.”
Jan Verhees – ‘Moongoddess’
“I feel my sculpture evokes ancient cultures with vestal virgins and priestesses predicting the future by the flight of birds , or the position of the moon. I think this seer is in trance looking at Selene , the moon goddess showing the characteristics of: slim, elegant, elongated, chaste, introverted” — Jan Verhees
Anne Meyer— ‘Mishima Lady’
“I am an artist who has worked in several mediums and has been focused on art-making since I could talk. Recently I have enjoyed making figurative ceramic sculpture as it combines my training in clay with an older love of drawing. It is intuitive to me to build hollow figures from slabs and coils of clay.”
‘The tree of knowledge’ – Ivan K Ivanov
Clayton Thiel has been sculpting clay and stone for more then 40 years. After gaining his BA in sculpture from Maryville University in 1979, he studied with Peter Voulkos, Manuel Neri and Joan Brown in the the San Francisco Bay area. Like the body of Shaman pieces he has created, he explores sunconscious themes, tapping into dream visages of a surreal quality and also draws inspiration from elemental nature forces and the tranformative.
The dynamic which emerges from juxtapositions between smooth and rough surface textures and light and dark colors has an omnipotent presence in his works along with the mystical symbolism. Thiel states – “These designs are in nature and nature is my inspiration. There is a meditative process that happens when I am building these pieces. Once I have made a big head or a shaman they take a life of their own – demanding I make some choices about the story wanting to be told. I don’t plan these things – rather there is an intuitive decision making process that I have come to surrender to.”
Clayton Thiel’s Shaman series, shown below, also calls upon the dreamer archetype, as a shaman represents one who can hold and move the visions of the world and be a guide through the dream world. Another source of inspiration for many of his pieces comes from his own personal work with the ceremonies and practices of the ancient Inca medicine wheel that has taught him how reclaim the childlike dreamer in his own life, which he likes to depict in his artwork. He also admires the surrealist artists of the 20th century and their abilty to merge improbable combinations of dreams, memories and reflections, and make them appear possible.
Clayton Thiel – ‘Dreamer Dreaming in Eight Parts’
Clayton Thiel – ‘Truth Sayer’ ceramic sculpture
Standing spiral figure sculpture – Clayton Thiel
Clayton Thiel – ‘Hummingbird’
‘Spirit Tree’ – Clayton Thiel
Clayton Thiel Shamanic Figures ‘Raven Magic’
Ovoid spiral vase – Clayton Thiel
Clayton Thiel – ‘Quetzalcoatl’
Clayton Thiel – ‘Memory’
Big Heads series –
Clayton Thiel – ‘My Familiar’
‘Raven House’ – Clayton Thiel
Shamanic Figures series
Clayton Thiel – ‘Eagle’
Clayton Thiel – ‘Visitation’
Clayton Thiel – ‘Moonrise Sunset’
‘King Head’ – Clayton Thiel
‘Tree House I Never Got to Build’ – Clayton Thiel
Fox Warrior ceramic bottle, c. 4th – 6th century C.E., Moche, Peru
MET
‘Shaman Gold Mask’ – Daniel Hawkins
‘Shaman’ – Daniel Hawkins
USA
‘The Shaman’ – Popovy Sisters, Russia
Popovy Sisters
Lena and Katya Popovy – ‘Afrodita’
Katya and Lena Popov
Pende Giwoyo Mask, from the DR Congo, with a comically solemn expression
Art Nouveau revival vase with spider motif – Calmwater Designs –Stephanie Young
‘Reaching’ – Carol Holtzman Fregoso
Peter Hayes raku sculpture
‘Fire Spirit’ – Jenny Orchard
Finial embracing couple on Choco shaman staff, Africa
Tom Coleman
Stephen Parry – atmospheric glazed ceramic vessel
Ceramic Colima seated shaman
200BC—200AD
Ceramic animal totems – Crystal Morey
‘Forest Woman & Fox, Nature Is Kin’, Driftwood Sculpture by Debra Bernier
Etsy
‘Crystal Shaman’ by Katherine Mathison
Etienne bronze sculpture – ‘Esperance’
‘Flight into Egypt’ —Elya Valonetski
Kemileva Esen
‘Starting a New Journey’ — Blue Fire Studio
…. hand built from clay, coil built, terra sigillata, fired ceramic under glazes and ceramic glaze pencils, stains.
“This is a self portrait. I am holding open the door to the mystery. This is where the energy comes from for the creation of my life and my art works. I do this by journeying into my energy, my power animal the horse accompanies me. The new moon represents the beginning of a new journey. I feel the stirring of a new direction in my life. I am a teacher. On the back is the representation of my assimilation point in motion creating new vistas, new life”. – artist Blue Fire
Pre-Columbian Inca Black Glazed Jar
Eric Stearns Raku vessel
Greek amphora showing the goddess Athena with birds
National Archaeological Museum of Athens
Irina Zaytceva porcelain art vase
Jamacoaque ceramic Shaman Vessel
Ecuador 300BC – 400AD
Kewa (Santo Domingo) Pottery Olla, Bird to Man Transformation Design circa 1890
Black with gold Kintsugi vessel by Lakeside Pottery
Les Manning, “Touch the Sky,” stoneware clay, porcelain, celadon glaze.
An abstract, sculptural form evoking Alberta landscapes
Marika Baumler
Lorraine Guddemi
Melanie Ferguson–ceramic Urchin Vessel
@Cavin Morris gallery NYC.
Mocha vessel — shaman healing prayer
Monumental Standing Gold Figure, Possibly a Shaman. Quimbaya, Urabá Area
Colombia. A.D. 500—1000.
Kim Myung Jin -‘ Cloud Jar’
2009
Ancient gold Hittite sun goddess, more commonly referred to simply as the sun goddess of Arinna.
Olmec Shaman Jaguar Transformation sculpture figure~ The Olmec (ca.1200 BCE-ca.400 BCE) were the first major civilization in Mexico following a progressive development in Soconusco. They lived in the tropical lowlands of south-central Mexico, in the present day states of Veracruz and Tabasco ~ considered the forerunner of all subsequent Mesoamerican cultures such as the Maya and Aztecs.
Botella Feline Head vessel — Perú, Tembladera
Olmec Shaman’s animal spirit companion
Mambila peoples ceramic ritual vessel,~-Nigeria, Cameroon
Michiel Linders
Amazon. The Shaman and the Thought of the Forest
Museum of Ethnography of Geneva
Sculpture from the workshop of a Yoruba sculpture master, Olowe von Ise, Nigeria
Jennifer Falter sgraffito Owl Vase
Olumeye Bird Altar Bowl, Olowe of Ise, Nigeria, C. 1925
Susan Seddon Boulet
Terracotta bird motif jug Cypro Archaic — Date 750–600 B.C
Yoruba Opon Igede Ifa (Divination Bowl), Nigeria
W.P. Hartgring crane motif vase for Rozenburg, Den Haag
1899
Nigerian ritual terracotta vessel
‘Shamanic Dream Stone’ sculpture – Mamzelle Rivalekja ( ‘With my Germanic and Scandinavian pagan heritage going as far back as the 8th and 9th century, ; I’m a spiritual practitioner of the Pagan Arts’)
Dream stones are dynamic, potent and effective allies for gazing, meditation and journeying. They are a portal; they support and enhance connecting to inner worlds.
Shaman Effigy Vessel; Guanacaste-Nicoya, earthenware, white slip overall, slip paint,
circa AD 1000-1350 – The Walters Art Museum
Georges Saulterre
‘Shaman’s Talisman’ (Bear Tooth with Red-tailed Hawk design). Blown and Sand carved glass, by Joe David.
‘Peacock feather’ vase – Moorcroft
Baluster Porcelain Temple Jar with iron brown Long Life crane emblem
Vaso tartaruga bianco (White Turtle Vase) — Presenza sciamana — (Shaman Presence) — Jean Christoph Clair
Rometti 2017
–
