Description: Around the time of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) inauguration I was exploring panther and thunderbird imagery. In creating “Panther Jaguar Eagle Rising”, I learned how important the Panther (Jaguar) and the Thunderbird (Condor) are as cultural icons. They are widely shared across Native American nations, spanning from South to North America. The panther (jaguar) = the connection to the ancestors residing in the spirit world (underworld). The Thunderbird (condor) represents the concept of re-birth and resurrection and the original creation (birth) of the universe through electricity (thunder and lightening). Similar symbols of the Panther (Jaguar) and Thunderbird (Condor) are found in depictions of Egyptian gods and goddesses, who are usually depicted wearing masks in the shape of birds and cats or lions. I realized that these representations were and are metaphors for creation, destruction and rebirth as our consciousness moves from one reality to another, symbolizing the ascension of the soul and the evolution of human consciousness.
Medium: mixed media composite using photos, pen, colored pencil, imprinted clay & digital editing.