THE RED BOXER

MASAO HERO WITH TARA CONSORT by J.A. Austria, pen-and-ink drawing on paper [framed], completed June 2011. Collection of Dr. Ruth Cobb Hill - Berkeley, CA.

“The inner work of integrating the ANIMA within the masculine psyche often takes the form of erotic imagery. My first exhibited pieces (2009) were all inspired by the Buddhist Yab-Yum [Father-Mother] iconography: an explicitly erotic image of the unity between male and female principles. Recently (2011) I went back to this theme and transported it to a more Filipino setting.

By 2011, I am already making my pilgrimage of learning to Buddhism so its iconography has become a major source of inspiration. One of the most fascinating artifacts in the Philippines was the Golden Tara of Butuan. She became the inspiration for the female figure. The male deity on the other hand takes the form of an epic hero wearing jewelries and accessories inspired by the golden treasures of the ancient kingdom of Masao. 

From the Jungian point of view, it’s almost like a summary of the structure of the psyche in it’s mature form. The man is in erotic union with the woman within—-the ANIMA. His multiple hands display the symbols of the four archetypes of the masculine: WARRIOR, KING, MAGICIAN AND LOVER. They are riding a giant sea turtle [a symbol of the healthy ego] as it floats on the sea of the unconscious. The face of the man is hidden by his salakot indicating that he represents not just the literal hero or the artist but all men. Joseph Campbell is very clear with this: the hero indeed has a thousand faces. Among those faces are yours and mine.”