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Marianne Pon-Layus

Nanaya

Nanaya

$1,200 CAD
$1,200 CAD
Sale Sold out
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Ancient serpent goddess and sleeping woman entwined in symbols of fertility and power.

acrylic on canvas

This painting weaves archaic mythology with contemporary embodiment to explore feminine power, fertility, and transformation across time. At its center stands an ancient Iranian-inspired deity holding serpents in both hands, evoking early divinities connected to life force, protection, earth wisdom, and cyclical regeneration. She is not distant or idealized, but physical and present, in control of forces often framed as dangerous or forbidden. Beside her, a contemporary woman sleeps while a serpent coils gently around her body. The sleeping figure introduces vulnerability, dreams, and the unconscious. A liminal state where change occurs beyond rational control. The serpent’s embrace remains deliberately ambiguous: it may suggest threat, protection, initiation, or intimate alliance, reflecting the historical tension surrounding female power and sexuality.
The serpent reappears through the image of an egg, reinforcing its role as an ancient symbol of fertility, here expanded beyond reproduction to include creative and psychic potential. The composition also integrates a reimagined Triskelion a hybrid form combining a winged Medusa head with three bent legs. This symbol of rotation contrasts with the stillness of the sleeping body, creating a visual dialogue between passivity and agency, body and myth, contemporary presence and ancestral memory. By placing an archaic goddess alongside a modern woman, the work collapses historical distance and reclaims figures once cast as monstrous or occult, reframing them as sources of knowledge, protection, and generative force.
61 × 61 cm
(24 × 24 in)

2025

Shipping

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Montreal, QC Canada Citizens

For most original artworks, depending on the artist, we are happy to arrange a pick up at our gallery's location. 

Address: 200- 3819 Rue Wellington, H4G 1V1 Montreal QC.  It is the most economical and safest way to obtain your artwork. 

Please contact us directly at hello@janogallery.com for questions and what artwork you are interested in. We will gladly assist you with our options.

Residents outside Montreal, QC

We currently ship Internationally.  Charges vary depending on product size, weight, and location.  Please contact us for particular inquiries about your circumstance and desired artwork.

We take great care in our artworks and will ship to you as soon as possible in the safest way possible. 

Returns

Unfortunately, due to the unique nature of our products, we cannot accept any returns.  

Pick-up

Prenez rendez-vous pour venir chercher votre oeuvre physique sans frais et rapidement! Rendu sur place si vous n'êtes pas satisfait nous vous remboursons tout de suite.

Montreal, QC Canada Citizens

For most original artworks, depending on the artist, we are happy to arrange a pick up at our gallery's location. 

Address: 200- 3819 Rue Wellington, H4G 1V1 Montreal QC.  It is the most economical and safest way to obtain your artwork. 

Please contact us directly at hello@janogallery.com for questions and what artwork you are interested in. We will gladly assist you with our options.

Residents outside Montreal, QC

We currently ship Internationally.  Charges vary depending on product size, weight, and location.  Please contact us for particular inquiries about your circumstance and desired artwork.

We take great care in our artworks and will ship to you as soon as possible in the safest way possible. 

Returns

Unfortunately, due to the unique nature of our products, we cannot accept any returns.  

Care

Nous conseillons que toutes nos oeuvres sont manipuler avec grand soin et délicatesse

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