"I sketched every morning in a notebook a small circular drawing,...which seemed to correspond to my inner situation at the time....Only gradually did I discover what the mandala really is:...the Self, the wholeness of the personality, which if all goes well is harmonious.” 

Carl Jung, Memories, Dreams, Reflections

Mandala, Sanskrit for circle, is a spiritual and ritual symbol in the Hindu and Buddhist religions, representing the universe. However, similar forms of sacred geometry evocative of mandalas are also created in Christian, Islamic, Celtic and Jewish iconography.

In common use, mandala has become a generic term for any diagram, chart or geometric pattern that represents the cosmos metaphysically or symbolically; a microcosm of the universe.

In this project, my students explored making a mandala self-portrait of symbols, images, colors, places and ideas that represent who they are and who they might become. The students researched symbols and images of the self and made initial sketches before they committed to a single painting on a prepared masonite board with acrylic paint, watercolor, collage, color pencil, pen and ink.

Below are examples of my students’ self-portrait mandala paintings.