Sofia Minson

All limited editions are signed, numbered, and titled by the artist.

This limited edition print is available in 3 sizes:

Regular museum archival paper – paper size 565 x 855mm, image size 500 x 805mm, limited edition of 95

Large museum archival paper -paper size 830 x 1270mm, image size 715 x 1155mm,  limited edition of 95

Extra-Large museum Canvas  – image size 840 x 1360mm, limited edition of 95

“Brahman” is part of Sofia Minson’s 2017 Sacred Mirrors series of works.

Brahman is the name of a variety of cattle in India, but this artwork is modelled off an Angus bull.  Sofia Minson uses the word Brahman here in the Hindu sense of the supreme spirit. Brahman has many forms and pervades the whole universe. It is symbolised by the sacred syllable Om, which is the sound or frequency of this dimension. Brahman is present in every person as the eternal atman.

“We sense this atman or awareness in ourselves when were totally present. We can experiment getting in touch with the atman by becoming -the watcher. Instead of identifying ourselves with every random thought and emotion, we can try observing the thoughts and feelings in the body as weather or clouds passing by. Treat them with compassion as you would a child who you love. We can choose to not latch onto those phenomena and attach our go-to stories and reasons for things. Sometimes we can just be.

The patterns on this cows head are a mixture of Maori and Eastern designs. The eight petalled lotus flower at the centre of the forehead is seen in Buddhist mandalas. It signals cosmic harmony and is often used as an object of focus to aid meditation. The lotus flower closes its petals at night and sinks underwater, to rise and open the petals again at dawn. Ancient Egyptians taught that the lotus represented the sun. Because of this opening and closing cycle, it also symbolised creation and rebirth.

The eight petals of the white lotus seen here, correspond to the Buddhist Noble Eightfold Path. Vision; loving compassion; truthful speech; ethical action; livelihood of non-exploitation; vitality; mindfulness; single-pointedness of mind and body. 

The triangular pattern at the third eye is the jewelled doorway into the universal cosmic mind.”

From her studio in Auckland, New Zealand, Sofia Minson paints bold, soulful, finely detailed portraits, landscapes and surreal oil works. She is inspired by the land, myths and people of Aotearoa (NZ) as well as the unity she sees amongst richly diverse cultures from around the world.

For 13 years Minson’s paintings have been exhibited and collected globally. The artist is inspired by her mixed Ngati Porou Maori, Swedish, English and Irish heritage as well as the taonga (treasure) that are Aotearoa’s people, land, forests and birds.

View full bio