Abstract art

The Liminal Space

October 03, 2025 in Art, Contemporary art, Art curator

For artist Yuko Adachi, art transcends the reality in which we live. She creates from the depths of her spiritual understanding and translates those messages into her artwork. Creativity is unique for every artist, and that is what makes each process a fascinating void in understanding how art is created, as well as how it is interpreted and received by the viewer. For Adachi, the process of art creation comes from beyond what the eye can see. It comes from beyond simply getting inspiration from a tree or a landscape; it digs deeper and also connects to the unseen realms or liminal spaces that we, as humans, all have access to if we want to explore that metaphysical reality.

Process

“Universe knows and forgives” by Yuko Adachi.

Adachi’s process stems from her understanding of the balance between taking the time to complete a piece and the technical elements that contribute to this process. However, there’s also a significant component that occurs through Adachi’s spirituality.

While some artists draw inspiration from their surroundings or travels, Adachi’s creations stem from the messages and visions she receives through meditation, channeling them into her mind and then onto paper or canvas.

Adachi explains how she started her path as an artist:

“High school was a pivotal time—those were the years I truly began tapping into my gifts. Looking back, I now realize that I was already channeling higher realms while creating abstract art, although I didn’t yet have the words for it. I would lose myself in the process, locking myself away for hours, completely immersed, asking my family not to disturb me. When I finished a piece, I remember feeling something sacred had taken place… something beyond me. I would look at my own work in awe, sometimes even moved to tears, unable to fully comprehend that I was the one who had created it. I felt so proud, mesmerized, and humbled at the same time. The energy of the art I created filled me with so much light. Now, I understand that what I was experiencing was Lightcode activation. I was serving as a vessel/channel for something far beyond my personal self.”

The process of “channeling” occurs when you are in a heightened spiritual state, allowing you to see visions and hear messages of what is appearing to you, including ideas, colors, shapes, and textures. It's like a dream, but you’re not necessarily dreaming. When channeling, you remember what is being seen and heard, and then share this information with the world in your own way, allowing people to receive the information they are meant to obtain.

One of the beauties of Adachi’s work is how intentional her pieces are. The themes can range from energetic protection to amplifying your own gifts to even our connection with the natural world. The artwork fosters a more profound sense of awareness of the seen and unseen as a human, and how these aspects assist us to become the best versions of ourselves and our fellow people on this planet.

Divine Connection

“infinite possibilities” by Yuko Adachi.

You will find that Adachi’s artwork connects to spiritual aspects that are part of the unseen world. Yet these aspects are meant to speak to the viewer about why they matter and the connection between what we see and what we do not. If there are aspects we do not yet see, then we should consider opening our minds to why these things matter.

She is an artist who sees what is within us and what is outside of us, particularly in terms of energy. It can be something as small as feeling inadequate to something bigger, like wanting to know your purpose in life, as both of these ideas are related to your own energetic power and relationship with a bigger force and calling. It is through her work that we can tap into those parts of ourselves that perhaps we hadn’t considered before, and how those parts interact with the universe through our own actions and the energy we carry within our bodies and auras, also known as energy fields. There is much fluidity to her painting technique, where even the smallest detail or texture has an intentional purpose behind it. There is a dance between the objects in her artwork, among themselves, through symbolic colors, and through symbols that are also hoping to stir something within you.

Adachi explains the connection to spirituality through her work:

“I love this question because, to me, art is spirituality. It is a divine tool. It is a visual medicine gifted by the Universe to help humanity express and communicate with the Divine. Art and spirituality are inseparable, just like the sky and the stars—one holds space, the other shines. As a Lightcode channel, I am fully aware of my ability and the cosmic responsibility that comes with it. In art school, we were asked to write an artist statement, and to this day, my core message remains the same—only my vocabulary has evolved to express it more clearly. “

Each piece has a strong sentiment behind it, prompting the viewer to consider how the artwork relates to its title. In “The Universe Knows and Forgives,” you see rich colors, as well as feathers, which can symbolize birds and angels; both beings are seen as messengers. But there’s also a watching eye overseeing the whole scene, and that can be seen as the all-knowing eye, or the eye of God, or the eye of the universe, which knows it all and sees it all. Yet the eye looks gentle and loving, as we imagine God to be, as a being who forgives our mistakes.

Symmetry

The concept of “sacred geometry” is something that you encounter throughout Adachi’s work. It stems from a spiritual perspective that suggests God or a divine source creates through symmetry and geometrical shapes that are proportional and, of course, symmetrical. It allows things and energy to grow and expand in this way, as they are symbols of different energetic powers throughout the universe. For instance, the drawings known as “mandala,” which are prevalent in Hinduism and Buddhism, are geometrically derived with the purpose of showing focus on one point and then expanding outward from there.

Studies suggest that sacred geometry is a crucial component in the creation of our universe, particularly through the interplay of lines and space. There is an underlying focus on geometry within each of these sacred geometry pieces in Adachi’s work, where the way lines are connected and the types of shapes hold a specific spiritual meaning and message.

She says:

“I have always been a deeply spiritual artist, but a major turning point came in 2021, when I received a clear divine message: 'Bring Lightcode activation art to protect the homes of people on Earth.’ This was the first time I received a specific divinely assigned mission. In mid-2023, I completed Home Protection, a transmission encoded within sacred geometry to serve as an energetic activation and shield for those who welcome it into their life and their space. You can read more details about its cosmic transmission on my website—it’s a deeply powerful piece, not just for me but for those who feel called to receive its activation.”

Concluding Musings

Adachi’s pieces are so much more than meets the aesthetic eye. They speak to us at a soul level with a higher power that we cannot see, but we do feel, even in unexpected moments throughout our lives, through sadness or small miraculous moments. We can believe that there are greater forces at play, and that is what Adachi’s artwork is here to reveal to us.

She speaks about the purpose of her artistic journey:

“Coming from an artistic background with a focus on healing and elevation, I find it deeply nourishing to balance my roles as both an artist and a shaman. Serving souls through energy healing and my deep connection to crystals is both fulfilling and joyful, while creating art is pure bliss—nourishing and healing for my own soul. I need both worlds to stay aligned and balanced and to fully honor my energetic calling. For visionary and clairvoyant artists who channel higher realms in service of the light, I feel that shamanic work is a natural extension of their gift. When you’re working with energy, stepping into sacred space, and channeling Lightcodes from cosmic consciousness, you are already”

There are layers to us and this world we live in. If we choose to delve deeper into our understanding of humanity and our personal journeys, we can uncover a wealth of knowledge and truth about the energy we hold at each moment. This is an important truth that helps shape our journey, but we can also gain a deeper understanding by connecting to this energy and making the most of it, becoming better humans each day. Our outer world will always be a reflection of our inner work and the forces we work with, and that is where Adachi’s work comes in as a reminder of these aspects and how we can learn to honor them and work with them.

For more on Yuko Adachi’s artwork, please visit her website.

Today’s poems reflect a need to feel centered, which comes from what we see in Yuko’s work:

A Center

By Ha Jin

You must hold your quiet center,

where you do what only you can do.

If others call you a maniac or a fool,

just let them wag their tongues.

If some praise your perseverance,

don't feel too happy about it—

only solitude is a lasting friend.

You must hold your distant center.

Don't move even if earth and heaven quake.

If others think you are insignificant,

that's because you haven't held on long enough.

As long as you stay put year after year,

eventually you will find a world

beginning to revolve around you.

Of Collective Consciousness

February 28, 2023 in Contemporary art, Latin American art

When we think about humanity, we are bound to encounter a sense of polarity. On one end, there is isolation and a sense of belonging on the other. Colombian artist Mario Arroyave is the observer of these vast stream-of-consciousness thoughts, and his artwork tells you why it all matters. From how we dissect our conscious thoughts, to how we choose to live our daily lives, these aspects add to the human collective we see in Arroyave’s work and around us.

Style

Arroyave’s pieces have an ongoing range. They are constantly evolving with every project he works on. He can show you so many humans or no humans at all. It matters how they are being shown to you, and this is where perspective comes into play. Where he wants you to see them from, through perspectives and angles, whether it’s people or abstractions. If they are elevated, or you see them head-on, or if you don’t see anything at all just ethereal colors, those perspectives say something important about how we view people, time, and space.

It is all about that interaction with perspective, where your attention goes, and what you decide it’s saying to you. If it’s far, it shows a collective sentiment where your understanding needs to be broad, and if it’s closer it’s a more intimate, focused approach to the subject matter.

Arroyave explains his thought process:

My creative process is closely linked to the person I am at the moment of creating…My first projects were characterized by the absence of humans in the spaces I portrayed, at that time it was very difficult for me to interact with others and this was reflected in my work.

People appeared as part of a personal process of being more social and this was mixed with some physics books that I was reading at that time where I was beginning to understand that linear time is human fiction and that in the end there are only interactions, so I decided to work on that approach and create timeless spaces where all events occur in the same singularity, and thus I began to weave the timeline series.

Deeper Meaning

There is an individual outlook on Arroyave’s approach that allows him to morph into his environment and what he wants to portray at any given moment. Even though his individualistic view is represented in the piece by showing, say, a tunnel-like vision in Dissections of the infinite, he also portrays collective consciousness, where he shows how everything can affect everything else through connection like in Timeline – Stand Paddle. These pieces fill the space and they have an element of a continuum. Life goes on, waves in the ocean keep moving, and people move on and go on, as well as time, regardless.

He explains:

As beings we are in continuous mutation, personally, I like to think of myself as a snake that sheds its skin from time to time and this has allowed me to live multiple lives in this life, so art appears as a manifestation of each one of them, which in its uniqueness understand a different language.

Concluding Musings

Arroyave leads us into a world that exists as a particle in the grand universe. One that is constantly changing its reality in order to evolve and survive. Humans need connection with humans and other living beings, and many times that gets lost in modern times. But humans also need a connection to themselves as beings within the grand scheme of life and universal power. That’s a strong message that allows us to have a broader perspective and understanding of what it is to be part of collective existence while still holding on to our individuality.

He states:

The human is an organism, we are all human. Unfortunately, not all of us understand ourselves as such, everyone gravitates to their ego, answering for themselves, for their family, their friends, and their homeland…. but all within a relatively small ring. We do not perceive ourselves as the collective entity that we really are, there are a number of fictions that separate us from each other, preventing us from flowing like human tissue. As controversial as the very concept of family sounds, it is one of the pillars of this dissociation, from there the first barrier that divides us as a society is gestated. At some point I read in Plato's Timaeus a vision of society in Atlantis and how they articulated it in a system where the family nucleus as we know it did not exist, the children did not generate a bond with their parents, in fact, they did not even know them and so everyone they were a big family. This vision of society as a unit still exists in some indigenous tribes around the planet.

But if the recent years have something to show, it is that the need for collective connection is an emotion we all crave to an extent. Arroyave shows us what happens when we do certain things and how that affects us now and later. When we choose to isolate, connect, or ignore. The results are reflections of human needs at the time, and it shows us that reality is always changing and we are the ones who are making it happen whether we realize it or not.

For more about this artist, please visit his website. The interview was translated from Spanish.

Today’s poem reflects Mario’s understanding of time and space:

Black Space

BY ISHION HUTCHINSON

For Erna Brodber

Be ye my fictions; But her story.
— Richard Crashaw

I can bring a halo

into the night cave, quiet

with music (do not ask the music),

to her shaded there

in the moon; her fine spectacles

steam their pond rings;

her animal eyes fix

on the lintel of the door

as the wax owl glances back at me. I am her little cotton

tree the breeze combs

white into a final note,

her diminuendo poco a poco ...

Moon-afro, myself

outpaces me

in wonder of her.

She goes off and I seep

under the black sprout

of her house, to rise

a salmon bell on the hill

dissolving mild cloud fractals,

without grief or malice.

In Chroma, I Live

July 08, 2021 in Latin American art, Contemporary art

Jaime Domínguez is highly in tune with design, color, and shape. The Mexican-born artist has a talent for playing with the visual field to draw you in and stir that innate human curiosity. In his own words, “the elements present in my work are the geometry through which I support the composition of all my designs, I could also say that architecture [is another element] but it is a very broad aspect, so I consider that geometry reduces the spectrum, mainly if we talk about the modernism, functionalism, deconstructivism, etc., within which geometry plays a central role.”

Aesthetic

One can describe Domínguez’s work as having both Minimalist and Abstract Expressionist elements. But much like those movements, there is more to discover about the worldview from which he creates. The aesthetic is much like a dance of polarities on the canvas, where light and dark meet, and strong and subtle collide. The artist’s Prisma and Kaleidoscope series also serves as reference of these layered complexities. If you’re familiar with the Mexican culture’s vibrant color themes and geometric shapes, through ancient culture, food, textiles, and handcrafted goods, you can see some of its influence on Domínguez’s artwork as well.

He explains:

Another fundamental element [important to me] is the aesthetics of Mexican popular art and specifically indigenous art, which in general is composed of simple and pure geometry in addition to its vast color palette, which is essential to execute my work... Finally, my essence as a Mexican and how I see the world from that place is what makes my work unique.

These characteristics seem simple, but it takes skill to manipulate color for balanced, effect-like purposes. You see bold colors, but you also see layers that complement those stronger hues as if they fade with grace. Or, they may emphasize the already existing color, depending on how you’re observing the work. Much like in most of his work, here viewing angle matters.

There are the geometrical shapes in which colors are engulfed, that serve as an added punch of detail to the works themselves. According to the shape, the motion is put to action and the colors and direction are dispersed in a fluid, synchronized effect.

Deeper Knowing

To fully appreciate abstract art, sometimes it’s easiest to take a step back when analyzing a work. With Domínguez’s art it is hard to do that, because the works have an attractive quality, flowing from the shapes and colors present, that keep you in the moment. What we see is a combination of something we can relate to within us that yields the “bigger picture” in an abstract sense. We all have these latent layers to ourselves, much like Domínguez’s paintings.

Some layers are expressed as bold colors, and some are soft like hidden qualities we expose from time to time. Whatever they are, they all encompass parts of ourselves that are very much alive and very much authentic to who we are, just like each of Jaime Domínguez’s works. They represent intricacies that are unique and beautiful, and that all reside within one place.

He shares his process:

In terms of shape, I am inspired by modern architecture, simple and defined forms. However, from time to time I break with this rule and include more organic or deconstructed forms, which I reinterpret from the sophisticated designs (interior and exterior) of cars or boats with sophisticated design. The color palette definitely comes from indigenous art. Even in most cases, I make my natural pigments with the same techniques that indigenous people use, and in other cases I acquire the pigments directly from the indigenous communities from which I inspire my work. I make my own blends with diversity of polymers so that they have longevity and a contemporary look. As for my influences in academic terms, they are more linked to architecture and many of its exponents of modernism, functionalism, deconstructivism, britalismo and some furniture designers of the early and mid-twentieth century.

Concluding Thoughts

Domínguez’s interests and techniques provide him range. They allow us to see the full spectrum of his art, where polarities attract and live within one artwork. His works have a 2-D quality to them because of his awareness with space, geometrical motion, and execution, and that is what makes them mesmerizing in their own way.

He touches on current projects:

I am currently working on the execution of my series "Pais Maravilla," which is a compilation of personal experiences with my Mexicanity, of how I see myself being Mexican in the face of global reality and at the same time what my culture has contributed to the global context. Basically, I take elements of the most relevant tangible and intangible cultural heritage in my life and put them into shape. It is a very personal reinterpretation of the transcendence of the clash of cultures (conquest) and I try to put it on a pro-positive plane in aesthetic terms. This series encompasses painting, sculpture, object, installation and is the most ambitious work I have done so far.

We look forward to seeing it! For more on the artist’s work, please visit his website.