Gulwan — Spirit of the Night Sky

Gulwan — Spirit of the Night Sky

“My father taught us about astral travel and it is through discussions about other dimensions and planes that he finds the words to describe the Dreaming and the stream of knowledge and conscientiousness that connects us to our Ancestors.” — Shannon Foster, The Sovereignty and Science of the Skies, University of Sydney

This collection traces a journey across two ancient lands. Between 2013 and 2015, Lore Solaris lived and painted across the Brazilian Cerrado, the Bahian coast, and the Upper Amazon alongside the Yawanawá people, before returning to Rio de Janeiro to complete this body of work.

The paintings weave together the star ancestors and songlines of the Australian desert with the plant spirits and forest guardians of the Amazon — a visual meeting point between the Rainbow Serpent of Aboriginal tradition and the Jiboia of Amazonian cosmology. Music runs through the work as well: chants, frequencies, and rhythm rendered as colour and geometry, sound made visible.

The collection takes its name from Gulwan, a name received in a vision during Lore’s time in the Australian bush. The Dreaming of the southern night sky, Gulwan bridges the two continents at the heart of this work.

Gulwan — Spirit of the Night Sky premiered as an exhibition at Casa Alegre in Santa Teresa, Rio de Janeiro, on 19 June 2015, bringing together artists, musicians, and seekers for an evening of art, storytelling, and music.

“Through music and art we have a two-way communication with Spirit. We are able to reflect spiritual realities through art and ancient and enduring cultural practices, and yet communicate intention through artful prayer into manifest reality.”

Lore Solaris

Way of the Hummingbird