"Beyond the Skin" series, Oil on Panel

Parr has maintained a studio practice in painting since 1992. She often paints in series. "Beyond the Skin" was a series of self-portraits based on the 7 chakras, inspired by her experiences in meditation and yoga, as well as an interest in Hindu iconography. Each painting tells a story of a chakra, using its associated color. The 4th painting, on the heart chakra, was completed just after Parr's father died. This is a very personal series; but it also speaks to a more universal experience of going inward, exploring painful terrains, and transcending through the dying of the ego self.

To learn more about Parr's expressionist painting, visit darkparr.com.