Welcome to Seeking Kali. We often think about artists in their myth-making role in culture. We are mirrors of our societies and cultures and often we make a culture what it becomes known for.
The first artist call by the Artist Collective Seeking Kali was initiated in 2010 and based on the Hindu goddess Kali. It began as an exploration of the Kali archetype by artists William Evertson (USA), Susan Shulman (Canada) and Ria Vanden Eynde (Belgium) and they soon opened this exploration to artists around the world.
While travel and the Internet has brought the world closer, in many cases Kali became a mere broker in the West of commodities and services. At times she has been a New Age movie distortion or a symbol of feminist rage. Many times this cross cultural borrowing seems far removed from the mystery and paradox present in an archetype that is mother and goddess, yet also a symbol of destruction.
This successful call resulted in over 80 international artists contributing art in all media, sharing concepts and creative approaches to archetypes. A compilation of the contributions were assembled into a DVD which has been shown in galleries worldwide.
The Seeking Kali blog has become a forum for artists world wide and features work with archetype and myth based on their personal and cultural narratives.
Our latest call is for works in all media that deal with the Medusa archetype.
Submission guidelines can be found in the Medusa Artist Call.
Our only requirement is high caliber work and cultural sensitivity.
Some thoughts from one of our contributors on Kali:
The following is from our friend, Imma Sicurzza, a contributor to the Seeking Kali artist call. Imma's work is #84. Imma paraphrases some important considerations from the Italian blog AMOYOGA.IT.
"Kali is the Supreme Force of Time; an enigma who simultaneous helps the aspiring sincerely devoted to transcend time.
Time has a statute that allows the three created beings to have the relevant experience of Time as past, present and future. The experience is relevant because the past is what once was present, this is what was the future, the future is what will become present and, over time, past.
There is thus a perpetual motion, an indefinite time, with a continuum of sequential parts, apparently distinct. These parts, distinct boundaries in the course of the next event, are characteristic of the Time. For these parts, men gave the name of Death.
Death is necessary to change forever the only form of immortality which is available over the living substance. Change is the only immortality forever accessible to anyone who can implement the limited consciousness contained in the body. This is therefore the need and justification of Death, not as a negation of life, but as a necessary process of continuity of life.
Existence being devoured by Time and Death is the end point of life.
The attachment to the material forms (especially the physical body) generates the fear of death. Invoking Kali with fervor, the spiritual forces latent in us, takes away the fear of death. To those who are selfish, ignorant, wicked and perverse, strongly attached to the physical body and are dominated by these and their lives constantly in this state of insecurity and fear, Kali is fierce and terrible. However, to those aspiring and absorbed by a genuine and strong spiritual impulse, she is full of grace. She is a good Bhadra Kali, who destroys specifically to create a new state that is looming, more spiritual.
Kali's four arms represent the four directions of space identified simultaneously with the complete cycle of time. The sword signifies the power of destruction.
Kali is represented with a necklace of skulls on her chest. These heads remain, that we can always remember, that we were at some point IN THE PAST, thousands of lives. Abandoned or dead, now they are the very image of death. Kali is the supreme bliss that is beyond life and death, which sustains the living and the dead.
Kali is always naked because she is dressed only in infinite space. She, the Great Cosmic Power of Time is unlimited and can not be contained by anything. She wraps around and there is nothing that will remain unshrouded.
Kali has three eyes. The third eye, located in the middle of the forehead is the one eye of the Divine Wisdom. The eye sees and knows everything: past, present and future.
Although in most representations of Kali, the predominant attributes appear terrible, we must never draw the wrong conclusion that she (Kali) represents only the destructive aspect of the power of God. Choosing Kali is a wonderful experience. She herself is bliss and is always with you, the donor of this bliss. Through all that has been or is happiness, wholeness, beauty, pleasure, joy, through the control of the time, with the help of Kali, many live continuously through her permanent donation to happiness' total.
It may be felt inwardly through direct experience that you can never be defined very clearly, because defining the limit would be based on a finite face and the familiarity of the limited personality.
Kali is infinite while being present in all moments in time and in all places."
Seeking Kali thanks Imma for this contribution.
