Last evening, standing at the door of an art exhibition, I shook many hands - big, clammy, rough, fragile, one was as soft as velvet and cold as ice, some held on too hard, and others too long. Handshakes are one of the most boring, and thoughtless social rituals. Almost an automated response in grey corporate offices, routine and dull. Which is strange if you think about it. Because the most meaningful connections in life, often begin by holding hands.
Radha Krishna - Miniature Painting, circa 1800
There is much symbolism attached to hands. The mudras invoke spiritual energy, Heil Hitler reinforced fear and loyalty, Michaelangelo’s almost touching ‘Hand of God’, an angry balled fist, an exuberant high five with friends on Friday nights, wedding rings, fingerprints and sedate namastes, bulk printed on white and gold wedding cards.
Creation of Adam (Hand of God) - Michaelangelo, 1512
Hands allow us to express what we feel, sometimes through a gesture, and sometimes by holding on tight. It feeds our hungry mouth and our soul. It moves over instruments to make music, it draws circles in the air and we dance, it scratches skin, and it also creates beautiful works of art. We often forget what we are capable of.
Self Portrait with Spread Fingers, Egon Schiele, 1909
Open your hand and look at it. Everything is possible. The lace of lines on your palm is trying to tell you, your own story.
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