Today we’d like to introduce you to Iris Silva.
Hi Iris , thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was born and raised in Rome, Italy.
My parents were part of the cosmopolitan world travelers of the most refined intellectual circles in the world and brought me to experience the most incredible learning life experiences, especially the ones connected to the wilderness and rural cultures such as African Masai dances in the mountains or the ancient rituals of pre Vedic rituals in India.
For our family culture all world religions and traditions were imbued with an opportunity to learn what it means to be an artist and what it means to remain in reverence of the human experiences on earth.
Because my local daily backdrop was Rome, the eternal city of classical beauty and refined beauty , my contrasted experiences with the wilderness in African safaris and learning to practice traditional yoga through my mother’s career of bringing traditional Hatha Yoga, Pranayama and sound healing practices into her world renowned yoga center allowed me to practice a deeper understanding of what it means to develop the skills of contemplation, intuition and mastery of becoming an artist and modern shaman- these life treasures of constantly being gifted with such unique learning experiences brought me to study deeply: to explore within and without – my mystical visual interests , which landed me wanting to explore the great break from classical art making into the spiritual movements in art making stemming from the great American Abstract Expressionists and the Formalists.
Out of this great artistic visual awakening I experienced in the early 80’s, I landed an International scholarship at the time with the most renowned painting department in this field , at Bennington College , in Vermont, and had the great fortune of joining a group of artists and leaders within this incredibly powerful American Artistic Legacy – of living for the mystical side of a visual art impact on culture and beyond.
During those deeply focused years of my artistic formation I also encountered several keynote mentors that brought me to expand on the human potential when art and body awareness through the techniques of meditation and yoga all become deeply connected within what I call – my journey into my Self expression and awareness of the Spirit Worlds.
Once I completed my Masters Degree in Fine Arts at Hunter College in New York, the process of creating what I defined as – a mapping of my original blueprints in how I had walked on Mother Earth and how I was carrying her songs through my visual works also allowed me to create a new bridge between my shadow works on healing and connecting to incredibly powerful areas of my ancestral connections:
I understood that I was tracing my own self empowerment and healing rebirths- through expressing freely my inner hidden traumas and embraced the now well accepted concepts that art has always existed because it always heals and inspires for spiritual healing and evolution.
During my MFA in New York I connected deeply with tribal art and transcendental meditation and hip hop dance. I became an accepted dancer within the most renowned underground clubs in NYC and the dancing I explored throughout those formative university years lead me back to the Masai Mara tribes consistently and effectively.
The concept of understanding that I am a ‘ Modern Shaman ‘ became clear to me when I underwent the certification process of becoming a SoulCollage®️ facilitator. My mentors were incredibly knowledgeable on the Native American shamanic practices of their cultural heritage and combine symbolic Jungian psychology to the aspects of image making as a force of the archetypal collective consciousness – that all humans depend on and for the most parts without knowing it.
This element of the seen and unseen by studying Jungian archetypal philosophy elevated me and validated me into what I had been creating as an artist and shaman all along.
In 2010 I was granted to run my own cultural center and art studio at the newly renovated Tannery Arts Center in Santa Cruz, Ca. Out of that I became further more invested in developing my threefold passions as an artist, art therapist and shaman and run workshops and and art shows while treating my clients privately for individualized healing sessions.
All of these areas I serve and behold dear connections for, are truly the blessed parts of myself I so much love to enjoy with whomever I encounter.
Another portion of my work is vocational: I work with kindergarten level children and ensure to instill in what I call – the spark of the artist in them. It has been an incredibly fascinating journey I took on understanding that Great Spirit guided me into serving the very young incoming generations of potential leaders for the arts and human development.
Ultimately, being an artist and teaching to allow my students that we all have an artist living inside of us is the most important service I offer to life!
As a visual artist, because my art is spiritually aligned with my shamanic path , I sell privately and show case my works from my own personal collection platforms.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
This question is highly political to me. It also carries sociological and socioeconomic implications.
In 2014 I was considering a PhD at UCSC in the department of Art History for the degree in the “ History of Consciousness “. My thesis research would have been to study single mother artists of my generation and all the different implications carried for what they were able to endure or fail upon.
I believe the artistic platforms available for educational art advancement purposes are currently extremely elitist based and the changing of that narrative is something I opted out of.
Yet, I deeply hold a dignified wound for its lacks mostly because I truly know how much art inspires and heals and shapes the intellects of developing children at the highest levels:
public schools to this day look more like concentration camps than anything else. It is a shame. Shame on the politicians. Full stop.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a mixed media artist. I create my art works inspired by my nature walks and wilderness retreats.
I consider myself an elemental and tribal art shaman of the visual world:
my spiritual connection to mother earth’s own artistic genius is concentrated in observing the patterns forming in any shape or form I see up close:
I take it in, touch it, hold it, feel it and then I alchemise that sensorial sensation into a visual poetic story.
To me the feeling of floating in the ocean, or seeing live lava dripping and cooling in the ocean in Hawaii, or holding a tiny rock or a shell in my hands is how I feel the most connected to Spirit:
that mysterious sensation of being present with the elemental forces of nature is what I transfer into my canvas.
The mediums I have been currently engaged in and since early 2000’s are :
collage, painting in any water based painting mediums, iPhone photos and digital printing on metal or wood.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Swimming in the Red Sea in Massawa holding hands with my mom and seeing the most incredibly beautiful and colorful seascapes ever.
Pricing:
- For my art pieces the sliding scale is between $485 to $5,000
- For my private art classes the sliding scale is between $125 to $200 per session
- For workshops and private parties the sliding scale is $125 per person up to 20 people per event
- For private art therapy and transcendental shamanic healing sessions the sliding scale is between $225 to $400 per session
Contact Info:
- Instagram: natureartlabwithiris@instagram.com
