Lektrima by 2 Worlds

Lek Trima is a portfolio of photographs expressing reverence for feminine energy.

I had doubts as to whether I should create around this topic, I’m not a scholar, subject expert, or woman, but during flailing phases of the project I counted on sincerity and passion to keep me focused and hopeful.

In fact, after an exuberant start with some reading and research, I became dismayed in that any attempt on my part would seem to contribute to the problem that the majority of world literature on female archetypes, religious figures and myth traits has been written from a male viewpoint and projection. With a tempered demeanor, I continued. My intentions were earnest and as the work began to mature, I regained confidence and felt I could make something interesting and purposeful.

The title, Lek Trima, is taken from a mystical song composed by the first Dali Lama (1391-1475) in celebration of the Tibetan Buddhist deity, Tara. Tara is known as the “mother of liberation,” and recognized as a female Buddha. Ultimately, she represents a set of Buddhas and traits that are called on as focus points in developing inner qualities by practitioners of tantric mediation.

When you look at the myriad qualities associated with Tara, such as wisdom, strength, compassion, fearlessness, nurturing, protection, wrathfulness, joy, creator, destroyer, it’s easy to see the commonality of cultural stories and writings from all parts of the world. While I titled the project with a Tibetan reference, it’s the universal nature of the Tara qualities that interested me most.

Feminine and masculine energy are shared qualities in both men and women, albeit in varying degrees and mixtures. As a blend of these traits, between people of all sexual and gender identity, can be a recipe for strong relationships and love, at their most potent the synergy between such contradictory forces potentially serves as a foundation for breakthroughs in consciousness, spiritual awakening if you will.

While the word “tantra” is often first thought of as a sexual practice, its premise lies in the interplay of these energies.

While I’ve always been fascinated over the role asceticism, meditation, philosophy, religion, psychoanalysis, technology and science can play in trying shed light into shadowed parts of the mind, the synergy between male and female energies seems a most human and practical path in that it can be practiced within the context of daily life. Moment by moment, wrapped in the supreme ideals of altruism and love -with a sprinkling of give and take, sacrifice, compromise, abandon and lots of trust- I venture that most human lessons and growth can take place within this sphere.

Perhaps it isn’t coincidence that my perseverance and passion in making Lek Trima was during a time of loss and lack of female energy in my life. And so, unlike past work of mine, I did not wait for the “right” moment to make something. Instead I created, edited and made decisions during all moments and moods, from energetic to lethargic, joy to sadness, creative bursts to aesthetic lulls, daily responsibilities in check through times when the shit was hitting the fan. The energy I lacked in my over-weighted-to- one-side self, I put into the ideas and imagery.

Beyond the personal however, is the universal. The Dali Lama once commented that “The world will be saved by Western women.” Likely, he noted “Western women” for the resources, freedoms and education available to them as opposed to women in other parts of the world. While he called himself a feminist, I would add scientist, economist, professor and a few other monikers because success in world politics, government, business, the environment, the educational system, the healthcare system, etc etc, stand no chance of evolving to a better place without collaborative problem solving, strength, intellect, compassion, fierceness, healing and nurturing– all traits linked to feminine energy and archetypes.

My project began four years ago, prior to Brexit and the recent US elections. It was only a year ago that I realized the portfolio was timely, giving me more confidence to complete it. As seen in the 2017 Women’s March, we are at another pivotal point in world history in which we best make sure that the female principal is not only present, but thriving in all the key aspects of policy, decision making, technology, science, philosophy and religion.

Feminine energy is not a “nice-to- have,” it’s an essential part of making the world work well. It’s part of the planet’s process. Outside of personal interest, passion and wanting to creatively express, I’ve begun to look at Lek Trima as a tiny and timely contribution to a subject that, especially now, needs more attention.

2 Worlds is an artist who works in both traditional film photography and digital imaging. To view the entire Lek Trima portfolio, please click here: http://bit.ly/2vvhtVe