Auriela Aguila
Palms of Ichor
My name is Aurelia Maria Aguila, a conceptual artist (and aspiring writer) exploring the interconnections between science and spirituality. A sophomore in NFA nursing at Florida State University and a former student of Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, my work has been exhibited in various DA galleries, Extravaganza (including the program cover), Scholastic, and Duval County competitions. I specialize in 2D media: painting, drawing, and collages. However, I also experiment with digital photography and printmaking. Specifically, I rely on the physicality of paint and drawing media to enhance my creative process and ideas. For instance, I emphasize the themes of my most recent work, which explores human anatomy and its symbolism, through heavy use of impasto (texture) and balancing opacity with transparency. My creative process begins with researching and taking notes on a scientific or mathematical idea or a religious theme. I then investigate how to transform the idea in the opposite direction (from spiritual to scientific or vice versa). By juxtaposing ideas through meaningful symbolic and academic imagery, I materialize transformed concepts into visual narratives.
The work on display is titled "Palms of Ichor," an acrylic painting depicting the essence of life. It is part of a series of works that transfigure the physical, academic, and scientific into spiritual and religious narratives - "ALCHEMA." The common theme and "grounding" imagery are the human body, or hands in this case; here, they form the Trimurti Mudra (symbolic Hindu and Buddhist hand gesturing). This yoga Mudra represents creation. In the center is a ribosome, a cellular organelle responsible for translating messenger RNA (mRNA) into proteins in gene expression. This scientific process fuels all biological machinations, which I inlaid as a new symbol for life within the Mudra and the Illuminati (the circular ribosome within the triangle formed by the index and thumb fingers). The second inlay of the Illuminati represents the omnipotency of life's essence rather than that of God, or any god. Emerging from the red ribosome is an unraveled DNA helix made to look like threads, symbolizing the interconnectedness of people. The background is a recreation of a detailed animal/human cell diagram, one of my reference photos, and inspiration for the color palette. By combining and reinventing symbols, anyone regardless of faith or identity can find something symbolic that resonates with them. I encourage you to have your own interpretation.