About Masa Rasa

                                              

                                              Apotheosis of the Corn Goddess      oil on linen   84"H x 60"W

Welcome   to the art of  Masa Rasa.  

Masa Rasa Studios was created to share the painting, sculpture, and multimedia artwork of artist James Nichols, featuring  Cornfield - An Artstory. 

About the name . . .  

Masa is the Spanish word for 'dough' made from Maize, or corn.  It is a grinding staple of life, a nourishing food cultivated for untold generations around the world.   A grain of mysterious origin, Maize was first cultivated in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, and is held sacred by the native cultures of the Americas - North, Central, and South.  Amazingly,  Maize is the only grain in nature that cannot propagate itself, it must be planted by human hands.  

Rasa is the Sanskrit word for 'nectar,' the ambrosial essence of art and aesthetic experience. The Upanishads state that "aesthetic experience is the twin of God."    In that light, Rasa is Divine in nature . . . it's the sweetness in the corn. 

Within the art of Masa Rasa, and with the native understanding that food is God and Grace,  Maize becomes a living symbol for Universal Consciousness with roots in two worlds - that of the natural world, and the world of human effort.

Masa Rasa is both the food and nectar of Spirit . . . a harmonious blend of effort and grace, spiced with uncertainty and sweetened with love. 

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Masa Rasa  -  Art for Life's sake          

Masa Rasa is not affiliated with any particular philosophy, art movement, religion, spiritual community, or farming cooperative, and welcomes all people with love and respect.           

Cornfield: An Artstory  in the round.         Digital imagining.

                                                                                                           Artwork and design  © James Nichols 1976-2025    All rights reserved