A surreal portrait, The World in Her Eyes, 2011, captures both the physical likeness of a female figure and the mystical universe as she perceives it. The close-up view reveals that the woman’s irises are small globes. On top of her head are the entwined bodies of a polar bear, walrus, and swan. The spheres swirling around the woman convey a universe in constant motion. To her left, eyes with planets for irises follow a winding cosmic pathway. To her right, below two large overlapping worlds, streaks of hair colour—primarily yellows and browns—capture the speed and elaborate movement of a distant cluster of globes. Situating the subject within a dynamic extraterrestrial space, this drawing vividly explores the possibility of multiple worlds, altered states of mind, and shifting perceptions.
Shuvinai Ashoona: Mapping Worlds
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Shuvinai Ashoona, The World in Her Eyes, 2011
Fineliner pen and coloured pencil on paper, 119 x 241.3 cm, TD Bank Corporate Art Collection | The Ready Commitment. Photo credit: Toni Hafkenscheid.