Hero's Journey (2015) by Rufina SantanaCurbelo Santana Foundation
The “hero's journey” is a narrative concept. It describes a structure in which the protagonist goes through a series of stages as they continue to grow, both personal and spiritual. It was popularised by Joseph Campbell in his work The Hero with a Thousand Faces.
In the context of Rufina Santana's work, her mural "The Hero's Journey" refers to a visual and symbolic exploration of personal growth, confronting the unknown and the transformative effect of experience.
The mural shows symbolic elements, landscapes and other personal or universal symbols. They form a narrative discourse around the figure of the mythological hero. Let's take a closer look.
The Great Wave
The Great Wave gives the hero the impetus to begin his journey, it is a call to adventure.
The Island
The island symbolises the place where comfort and safety can trap us.
The sea
In this uncertain and labyrinthine sea, the nets are set, symbolising the knots of our own minds that we must unravel.
The waterfall
The waterfall symbolises the threshold, the point of no return, where the hero enters the unknown, leaving behind their home and his former life.
The Golden Glass and the Still Waters
This glass and these waters symbolise the elixir, the result of the journey, something the hero brings back that can benefit his community or themselves.
The Blue Smoke
The blue smoke is the symbol of revelation, the crucial moment when the hero learns something important about themselves or the world around them.
The double-rowing boat
The boat symbolises return. Having completed his adventure, the hero returns home, often with new knowledge and experience of life.
"The Hero's Journey" is the mural created for the exhibition "Cartography of Water" at the Frost Art Museum in Miami in 2015.
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