Blake Pierre’s Primordial Spirit: Transcendence of Duality at the Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery in Washington, D.C.

Portrait of Blake Pierre, 2025.

By CLARE GEMIMA  June 6, 2025

Blake Pierre’s Primordial Spirit: Transcendence of Duality, on view at the Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery in Washington, D.C. through July 12, 2025, is a layered exploration of inner reconciliation, symbolic consciousness, and spiritual inquiry. Drawing on Carl Jung’s theory of the unconscious and the alchemical metaphors of shadow work, Pierre’s practice involves resin, crystal, oil, glass, and found materials that act as agents of psychic excavation and personal mythology. Installed in a gallery devoted to healing-centered arts practices, the exhibition extends an invitation to simultaneously embrace spiritual contradictions alongside psychological tensions. Circular paintings shimmer with reflective surfaces that implicate the viewer, while larger, painted canvases bring opposing forces —masculine and feminine, spirit and flesh, ascent and descent—into bold equilibrium. 

In the following conversation, Pierre speaks about multifaceted ethics of transformation, the influence of discarded glass, and the difficulty of becoming whole. “Being one with yourself is probably the most difficult thing one can do, but art can hold that process...and sometimes even initiate it.”

Clare Gemima: When I visited Primordial Spirit: Transcendence of Duality recently, you described shadow work as a process of surfacing unconscious drivers that shape our thoughts and behaviors. How does your latest presentation of works—especially your layering of resin, crystals, and pigment—parallel the process of uncovering and integrating the unseen?

Blake Pierre: The process of layering in my latest body of works, and the process of uncovering the unseen in our psyche share metaphorical similarities. Both involve the process of unveiling and discovery. Just as I layer paint, resin, crystals and glass for a work to emerge, we can peel back layers of our own repressed thoughts and emotions to allow deeper truths about ourselves from the depths of our unconscious minds to emerge. In art, layering creates an illusion of depth, and reveals hidden details or meanings that aren't obvious at first glance. Similarly, our psyche is layered with various thoughts and beliefs that can be superimposed on deeper, often unconscious desires, memories, thoughts, and emotions that interact in complex ways. By exploring these layers and interactions we can uncover the root causes of our behaviors and motivations and gain a deeper understanding of our own internal world.

Clare Gemima: You mentioned using obsidian for its association with truth, saying that “the goal of shadow work is to get to the truth of who you are.” What draws you to this material, and how do you see its symbolic weight playing out for a viewer that encounters your work?

Blake Pierre: Black obsidian is known as the "Stone of Truth" and is believed to encourage deep introspection and reveal hidden truths of one's inner psyche. It is a naturally formed volcanic glass, often associated with transformation, and confronts the shadow self due to its grounding and cleansing properties. It also carries the ability to aid in the release of emotional blockages. It is for these reasons that I was drawn to use the stone as a powerful, multilayered symbol. Obsidian's symbolic weight for a viewer who encounters my work can be multifaceted, and totally depends on their culture and individual beliefs. Viewers may perceive it as a powerful stone that facilitates emotional healing, as well as self-awareness.

Treasures of Darkness, 2025. Spray paint, obsidian, tourmaline, snowflake obsidian, resin on wood. 36 in. diameter. Photo courtesy of the artist. 

Clare Gemima: You spoke of Carl Jung as “an older, more evolved version” of yourself, and described your art as a form of inner inquiry. How has Jung’s theories and ideas shaped your approach to image-making, and influenced your engagement with archetypes and the unconscious?

Blake Pierre: Jung's writing, particularly his exploration of archetypes, the self, and the collective unconscious significantly impacted my approach to art making by providing a framework for understanding universal symbols and their psychological resonance. It encouraged and validated my practice of exploring how imagery can tap into subconscious patterns and connect with viewers on a deeper, emotional level. 

Clare Gemima: You contrasted Jung’s integrative thinking with Freud’s more analytic mindset, saying “he stayed too much on the left side” of the brain. How does your own effort to balance opposing forces—intuition and logic, the spiritual and material, the feminine (anima, or inner receptivity), and the masculine (animus, or inner assertiveness) —manifest in Primordial Spirit: Transcendence of Duality?

Blake Pierre: This manifests in my work through my artistic process and visual language which reflects this balance through the exploration of dualistic themes, as well as the use of contrasting symbols, techniques, colors, and textures to create a sense of visual harmony. This harmony reflects the balance of opposing forces. For instance, I combine detailed, precise techniques with looser, more expressive ones that mirror the conscious and unconscious aspects of the Anima and Animus. In the painting Twin Flames Merging, I use symbolism to represent the Anima and Animus through the merging of male and female to visually convey the harmonious balance of masculine and feminine energies as a phoenix rising, which represents transformation. In The Fall and Ascension of Man, I rely on contrasting colors, as well as the juxtaposition of rougher, textured  brush strokes to paint the male figure, creating a sense of boldness and intensity. Smoother brushstrokes with flowing lines are used to paint the feminine figure, creating a sense of fluidity and elegance.

Blue Aura, 2025. Spray paint, blue aura crystals, reflective glass. 36 in. diameter. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Clare Gemima: You described your use of reflective surfaces as a way for viewers to “see the divine and allow it to be reflected back.” Do you consider the occurrence of reflection as spiritual, psychological, or perhaps something else? 

Blake Pierre: There's something really powerful about viewing a dynamic piece of artwork and simultaneously seeing reflections of yourself throughout it. The synergistic experience that I provide through my work acts as a gateway to contemplate reflection on various levels, and allows the viewer to realize the divinity lies deep within them. As a psychological practice, reflection aids in the development of self awareness and personal growth. As a spiritual practice, it facilitates connection to a higher power, and fosters self-realization. Reflection is also a philosophical tool for examining life's purpose, and one's role in the world. Therefore the experience of reflection is a complex phenomenon that occurs at the intersection of several domains, and encompasses elements of all of these aspects.

Clare Gemima: You spoke about sourcing discarded mirrors and glass to create your more abstract pieces, materials people had thrown away because they no longer found value in them. How does working with overlooked materials shape your relationship to ideas of worth and transformation?

Blake Pierre: It shapes my relationship to these ideas by promoting a more mindful and innovative approach to art making, which challenges perceptions of value, and transforms discarded items into new forms. This process also creates a deeper sensory and emotional connection, as transforming an item gives it a unique story. 

The Fall & Ascension of Man, 2025. Oil, reflective glass on canvas. 48 x 66 in. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Clare Gemima: We talked about sacred texts and the need to “decode” documented truths beyond their surface. Do you consider your work as a kind of visual scripture, one that is layered with metaphors that could allow interpretation across varying devotional or religious systems?

Blake Pierre: Yes. I utilize layered metaphors in my work, making them adaptable across various spiritual systems. My art is rich in symbolism, drawing from mythology, archetypes, color, materiality, and personal experiences. This allows viewers to interpret them through their own lens, informed by their personal understanding of reality. For instance, water or the moon may represent emotional or unconscious aspects of the mind. The night sky may represent connection to the Divine or infinity, while the Tree of Life symbolizes connection, growth, and cycles of change. The combination of materials may also highlight the use of metaphor as a way to explore human experiences. While there is established meaning for each piece, the final interpretation is subjective. Individuals draw from their personal experiences, intuition, and understanding of my chosen symbolism to find meaning. My artworks' power lies in its ability to act as a mirror reflecting the viewer's inner and outer worlds. The layers of metaphor allow for multiple interpretations, as well as a rich exploration of human experience across different spiritual systems.

Clare Gemima: You remarked that “being one with yourself is probably the most difficult thing one can do.” In what ways has your production helped you to pursue a personal, internal coherence? Do you believe that art making can similarly enable others to initiate their own process of self-integration?

Blake Pierre: The process of creating and examining artwork has helped me pursue a personal coherence by encouraging expression, self reflection, and integration of thoughts, emotions, and experiences. This process also acts as a platform for processing trauma, improving self esteem, self discovery,  and emotional expression, all of which is vital to the process of self integration. This production has led to profound personal insights, and a strong fostering of self awareness and healing. I believe art making is an extraordinary tool that can enable others to initiate their own process of self integration, and lead to a more unified sense of self.

Spiritual Alignment, 2025. Oil on wood. 48 x 48 in. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Blake Pierre’s Primordial Spirit: Transcendence of Duality at the Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery in Washington, D.C will run until July 12, 2025