Chloe is a Ma'at Sekhem 'energy healer'- artist-oil painter, currently based in the Republic of Ireland due to family care needs. Prior to this she was living in North London, UK. Her inner spiritual world directly informs the projects she is working on. Her background which has also contributed to her spiritual interests is European and Fiji-Indian, Hindu. Divisions between family members and in wider society led Chloe to read into comparative religion at an early age for she was convinced that none was 'better' than the other but that all religions and all people were fundamentally the same. Early childhood trauma led Chloe to paint her feelings, developing her own symbolism to express that which cannot be put into words. It helped her survive mentally.
Becoming a symbolist
Life is both brutal and beautiful; it can be very dark at times for everyone. Chloe was led down the path of symbolic sight early on, starting with Greek mythology, Christian, Judaic and Hindu religion and then Gnosticism (inner knowledge or knowing). Her interior world became rich as a consequence of some severely dark times; my spiritual side provided me with direct experience of what can be described as ’the Divine’ and this gave me hope during the long decades of despair. Symbolism, the language of imagery, helped me purge some of what is beyond words. I’ve also been drawn to learn about the broad symbolism that ties humanity together and have, like many others, heard the call to paint mandalas and thus learn about another aspect of symbolic art.
Life led Chloe down the path of social care, including dementia and mental health support. Her own health was never very steady due to long term childhood traumas and she had to return to painting in her early 20's after a short gap where she tried to work full time. Between 2002-2007 she undertook therapy in the form of psychodynamic counselling, based upon the work of Carl Jung. His weaving of the symbolic and spiritual helped Chloe continue her early use of symbolism as a tool for communication. Her initial healer training came during her time as a patient at a London-based holistic centre where she was then taken on as a trainee (2007 - 2009). My teacher, had trained with the Snowlion school in France and encouraged what he saw as her innate ability along with the manager who furnished me with the invaluable text book, 'Hands of Light' by Barbara Ann Brennan and enabled me to experience many modalities such as Bowen Technique and Herbalism.
During 2009 Chloe trained in a modality, 'Ma'at Sekhem', 'the Power of the Light of Truth', which incorporates Reiki, Kuan Yin and other energies to help rebalance the receiver, emotionally and mentally, thus providing physical relief also.
Inspiration/technique
Artistic heroes or those who Chloe has learnt from include Leonardo da Vinci, Frida Kahlo, Marc Chagall, Van Gogh, Dali, Tamara de Lempicka, Jackson Pollock, Jenny Saville, Anish Kapoor, Greyson Perry, Banksy, because they have created as they needed to, from within/the heart, not simply to satisfy fashion or outer pressures, and for the particular ways in which they expressed themselves. However her current inspiration comes from her inner spiritual life, mythology/religion and symbolism, it remains a form of self-help during the managing of many responsibilities.
Chloe's most meaningly piece must be 'Inner Experience, Spiritual Evolution' a large (A1) oil painting giving a depiction of the balancing of human masculine and feminine energies with higher energies as well as the World planet in order to reach the unification of the Self, for what may be called 'Enlightment'.
Getting out in the world
Confidence was always a challenge but Chloe has grown by participating in many art shows over the years. Her first exhibition was a solo show at an art's centre in Hertfordshire, UK in 2005. The other side of life took over until 2010 - 2018 when she joined art shows on London's South Bank via Nolia's Gallery and the Southwark Arts Forum, Parallax Art Fair in Kensington and Chelsea, London, and Urban Art Fair in Brixton, South London, UK. Alongside these events Chloe showed her work in local cafes and at fundraisers for Chicken Shed, a theatre group for children, North London. She has also completed many painting and design private commissions in the past.
Artist Statement
Symbols and colour resonate with us at the deeper levels of the subconscious and help bring about positive change and deeper understanding as can music and sound. Chloe's technique involves regular short meditations to assist me to 'see' and 'hear' what I need to do next. I start in pencil with a basic outline of the subject roughly sketched on paper then this is transferred to canvas or board. Symbolic colours and images are then added to express the particular traits and/or message I wish to transmit. Her preferred medium is oil for its colour and richness.
Chloe's very early work was largely about survival, self-therapy and means to express her horror at the state of the world. As she has worked to heal herself so her art has reflected these internal changes and her wish to support others in their healing journey through her artwork and the associated writing. When she sits to meditate on each new image she develops messages or affirmations of love and compassion, the intension being to soothe the viewer/reader and help their mental and emotional health.
The God-Goddess project is intended to become a set of oracle cards in the future, for the aforementioned purpose. These images are of the masculine and feminine in balance, which she feels to be necessary in a world full of damaged feminine beings and toxic masculinity. There will be a development of a Plant Medicine series, the first of which is the Spirit of Cacao, chosen because she is a healer if the heart on both the physical and non-physical levels.
There are increasing numbers of other artists working along similar lines, Chloe hopes she can make a useful contribution to this body of work.