David Hewson

David Hewson  "Water Spirits"  2008

The double serpent has been a powerful image for me lately, and I've been exploring it and researching it for some personal projects (for those interested in this symbol as well, The Cosmic Serpent by Jeremy Narby is a great place to start).  Coming across this sublime painting by David Hewson felt like firecrackers going off in my brain.  It feels so richly pan-cultural, making me think of nāgás from Hinduism, the Greek caduceus, Michelangelo's depiction of the snake in Eden, and on and on.  I also love how the Amazonian/ayahuasca pattern is done in gold-leafing, making me think, of course, of alchemy and the oroborus.

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