The International Face of Mona Lisa

The Mona Lisa is the definitive manifestation of creativity, expression and timeless beauty. She was born in an era when science, innovation, religion and spirituality were in a tug of war with humanity’s intellectual and creative attention.

In a time when conforming to restrictive values and limiting impositions were an unfortunate, fundamental aspect of people’s lives, Leonardo was among the few who broke past them and harnessed the power that the age of the Renaissance began to reveal. Disregarding traditional views of religion and history, he used his own understanding of truth as a theme on which to support his work. Often ignoring traditional preconceptions, his inspiration came from knowledge, science and the true nature of the world, allowing him to develop illusionary techniques such as sfumato (atmospheric effects) and chiaroscuro (intense, sharp shading) to portray unsurpassed realism and emotional dynamics in his work.

Today we find ourselves in a new kind of Renaissance. Our abilities, direction as a whole, as well as the Earth itself, lie in the crossroads of change. Some are acknowledging the flicker of a new light, while most hold their eyes shut to it, wilfully subjecting themselves to dominating, authoritative forces that often limit our understanding of the world, suppressing our individual creative abilities and ultimate human potential. Whether truth is blurred by propaganda, corporations, government, media, tradition, or mere ignorance, it is up to us to find it and collectively understand what it means to be creative beings.

The myths, secrets and stories involving the Mona Lisa are as mysterious and eerie as the (often overlooked) alien landscape behind the beauty. However, the most bizarre enigma has to be the reasons behind the hairstyle Tom Hanks sported in the movie, The Da Vinci Code.

The most obvious of enigmas, the identity of Mona Lisa, does not have to be a secret if you disregard confirmed conspiracies and acknowledge that she was a means of creative exploration, representing timeless beauty, creative truth and humanity. In this light, her name is whatever you call her, her origin is yours and her smile can reflect that of your own. Because she speaks for all of us, she is in fact, every person on Earth.

The International Face of Mona Lisa is a study depicting the classic wonder in a perspective which is more true to our time through the presentation of Mona in a multicultural light.