Reconnecting with ancient wisdom through encaustic art
“Myths are more than just stories to me. They act as a reminder that we come from an old lineage of wisdom keepers. This is an essential source of hope, strength and love for me as a woman in this time.”
- Anne-Claire Martens
ARTIST STATEMENT
I'm Anne-Claire Martens, encaustic artist and intuitive soul, born with a pencil in my hand to make sense of the world around me. I was born in the Netherlands, with ancestors from Scandinavia, Celtic Brittany, the Balkans, and ancient Greece. With my work rooted in mysticism, ancient history, myths and stories I try to honor this old lineage.
A few years ago, at a time in my life when everything seemed uncertain, questions began to rise from deep within me. I sought comfort in ancient symbols, stories, and the history of the world I lived in, but understood so little of. Something inside me longed for a sense of coming home.
And so, my journey of discovery began in Europe, my birth ground— a journey that carried me back to an ancient era, where women were honoured as the heart of their matrilineal society, and wisdom was passed down through their artistic creations for many generations. Because pre-Indo-European invasions, pre-conquest, we used to lived in peace.
I feel the joy it gives me to remember what I intuitively knew as a little girl:
Our ancestors from long ago used to live in harmony with the earth and with one another. It is this ancestral memory I strive to reawaken. Because I believe this is the ember for the future. That small piece of warmth that resides in all of us, which, together, can ignite a great fire of change that will spread across the world. As long as we remember.
As Sylvia V. Linsteadt beautifully wrote:
"There is a hearth in you made from the spark of your original ground. Even if everything around you crumbles, this hearth and its original ember remains. It is this inner hearth that can provide sanctuary and nourishment and kindle light for us, again and again, even when all seems lost."
I find deep inspiration in the work of women like Marija Gimbutas, Clarissa Pinkola Estés, and Renée F. Gloudemans. Each of them offers a unique glimpse into the wisdom of ancient cultures and their regenerative way of living.
I want to devote this life too connection and creation— healing our love for Mother Earth, ourselves, and one another. This will be my inner fire, the light in my heart. And I hope to ignite yours too.
With love,
Anne-Claire Martens
Photo's by Tumbleweed & Fireflies
