In 1986, Vijali traveled to 12 sites around the world creating earth sculptures and performance ceremonies with the local communities. Below is a description of one of the 12 sites from the first World Wheel circle. For more information about the first World Wheel project, see About World Wheel page.
Voices Of The Umbrian Forest — Rewriting Mythology
Umbrian Forest, Gubbio, Italy
Trinity
Sculpture and photo by Vijali Hamilton
In Italy I lived at Etain Addey’s summer community nestled in the Umbrian forest outside of the town of Gubbio. Etain gave me the Sumerian myth of Innana’s descent into the underworld, and on this we based our performance.
In this area of Umbria there were many intentional communities living off the land. Word spread of the World Wheel and on the day of the ceremony many people came. We developed a site in the forest to represent the Underworld, with sculptures symbolizing the seven gates.
One of the sculptures I carved was called “Trinity,” which had three faces emerging out of alabaster. I could see them before I started to work the stone, and as I carved with my smaller and more delicate hammer and chisel I simply released their presence in a more tangible form. The three heads were joined, but their expressions were quite different: – the central face was a woman with compelling eyes and a soft, oriental feeling; the other two faces seemed to support her, one male and the other female.
