Saturday September 27, 10 am – 1 pm
Nancy VanKanegan
Held In-Person, not recorded
$65, CEUs: 3
*Limited to 15 participants.

Ancient and modern stories are populated by demon figures: Archetypal demons such as the seducer, the devourer, the gate-keeper, the ‘fallen angel’, and elemental demons of fire, water, and earth torment humans. Demons – called Daimon by Jung; as in the Greek guiding spirit, ‘attach’ themselves to the souls of people described as being ‘possessed’. The Jungian perspective sees the daimon as a “psychic manifestation of the unconscious” (M.L. Franz) whose nature is more nuanced. Jung believed the daimon guided the unconscious toward creative activity. In the Red Book he discusses his conversations with his daimon “Philemon”.  “It was he (Philemon) who taught me psychic objectivity, the reality of the psyche“ Communication with the daimon involves examining the shadow self to uncover and express creative energies.

In this workshop we will examine these archetypal demons through image and discussion.  Meditation and journaling will be employed for self-reflection. Using a subtractive art technique (scratching away the shadow so to speak) participants will ‘uncover’ images of their daimon.

About the Instructor

Nancy VanKanegan is a multidisciplinary artist living in Chicago. She currently teaches art and yoga theories and practices at Columbia College, DePaul University and Northeastern Illinois University.

Dreams, travel, light, nature, yoga and meditation shape her expressions. Inspired by Dada and Surrealist artists Mina Loy and Beatrice Wood, Louise Bourgeois, and Yoko Ono, she explores connections between, and the realization of, magical shared spaces through use of unconventional materials. Her university teaching and numerous artist residencies allow for collaborative explorations of art and culture. Her performative works have been presented at multiple academic conferences, and in 2022 she was awarded an NEH fellowship to study at the Newberry Library, Chicago. She has exhibited widely in the Chicago area and the United States.

View her work at Alma Gallery Chicago. Past shows include at Oliva Gallery, Woman Made Gallery, Hyde Park Art Center, and Evanston Art Center. Her works involving demons will be exhibited at the CG Jung Center in September.

References

• In the grip of the Daimon
• This Jungian Life podcast – DAIMON: Demon or Destiny?
• You’re Wrong About podcast: Exorcism