South African Merkaba: Healing Meditation Artwork

Kristen Palana is an American/Portuguese multidisciplinary artist (born in 1976 in Fall River, Massachusetts, USA) and based in Malawi since 2019. After decades as a digital artist and full-time university professor, in 2021 she reconnected with her fine art roots. Inspired by the lofty mission statements used by the world’s top organizations, her mixed media drawings are a call to action to visualize better outcomes for our lives, communities, and the planet. Kristen's earlier animations have screened at over 75 international film festivals, earning numerous “Best Animated Short Film” awards, including at the Cannes Short Film Festival, Italy International Film Festival, and Sunscreen Film Festival. As an educator, Kristen taught at universities on four continents. She co-founded the Film and Digital Media BFA at The American University of Rome, where she was tenured and led the Film and Digital Media Program between 2013-2016. From 2016 to 2019, she expanded her teaching to academic institutions and NGOs in Myanmar, including at the groundbreaking American University of Myanmar. Founded in 2014, this institution posed such a challenge to the individuals now leading the current military government that it was unfortunately forced to close in 2018. When not making fine art, Kristen works as a designer and educator for United Nations agencies and international bodies, including the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), The British High Commission, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Food Programme (WFP), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), The Public Relations Society of Malawi, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and The Australian High Commission. She crafts training programs catering to diverse audiences, and since 2014, Kristen has also reached over 80,000 online students from 191 countries. Her learners range from refugees and diplomats to individuals without formal education living on less than $2 USD a day, reflecting Kristen's commitment to inclusivity and empowerment. See more of Kristen work at her website at: https://www.makalulustudio.com/ Follow on Instagram: @kristen.palana_arts