This inner coffin depicts the figure of a woman, which represents the soul of the female entombed within. Her face is painted green to link her to the God Osirus. This deity stood for vegetation which symbolises rebirth. Across the torso a scene displays the weighing of her heart in judgement. She has been determined to have lived a moral life, and so she is shown wearing a red robe and led towards various divine figures. Along each side of the lid, protective gods give speeches that announce their guardianship of the dead woman. Within the coffin, excerpts from the Book of the Dead appear in white against a black background.

2. The Assumption of the Virgin
Francesco Botticini
Italy, C. 1475-6

This early renaissance portrayal of Christianity's Virgin Mary shows her ascending into the faith's positive version of the afterlife, Heaven. The lower foreground shows the apostles kneeling at Mary's lily-filled tomb, while she ascends beyond the circles of heaven, past its governors, to join her son at the highest tier. Towards the middle of the painting, the apostles of Jesus Christ, the Apostles marvel at the tomb of the Virgin filled with lilies while above Christ receives her into the highest circle of Heaven.

3. The Rich Man Being Led Into Hell
David Teniers the Younger
The Netherlands, C. 1647

In the Christian parable that describes admittance to heaven, Jesus Christ claimed that wealthy individuals have the same chance to enter the gates, as a camel does passing through the eye of a needle. In this painting depicting the demise of one rich man, Teniers displays Christianity's negative version of the afterlife, hell, as a cave mouth surrounded by demons and monsters.

4. Mansions of the Dead
Paul Nash
England, 1932

The artist Paul Nash links surrealism with earlier British romanticism in this work, and says it shows, "aerial habitations where the soul like a bird of some such aerial creature roamed at will."

5. The Eternal Sun
Cecil Collins
England, 1961

This work displays a figure within the sun, and as the sun rises and sets, so does humanity experience reincarnations.

6. The Marriage of Heaven and Hell
Gerald Wilde
England, 1971

This image shows the forces of both heaven and hell merging in a frenzy of colour, displaying energy and animation which may still exist beyond life.

7. Chrysalis
Stephen Cox
England, 1989-1991

The highly-polished outer surface of this sculpture implies a soft yet firm skin in the process of a transition or reincarnation. Artist statements have supported this; they also mention how this piece resembles an Egyptian funerary figure in the process of changing and mutating.

8. Mud Dream 1
Maggi Hambling
England, 1990

This work stemmed from a positive dream the artist had about the nature of the afterlife. In it, she sensed a creeping mud slowly coming over her, and she could not stop it. It covered her completely and she died, yet she continued to dream that she lived on, and that there existed a further dimension. Inspired by this fearless experience, she artistically rendered the feeling the dream conveyed.

9. Koh Ah Bah (Paper Effigies)
Artist unknown
Malaysia, 20th century

Nations such as China maintain great respect for family members who have gone before them; they believe that from the afterlife, ancestors may cause either positive or negative events in the lives of surviving relatives. Therefore it is traditionally believed that burning effigies of motorbikes, telephones, money and other symbols of worldly success sends the goods across planes to the afterlife, where their recently-deceased relatives may enjoy them as they pass through purgatory. That way, when they reach 'the beyond,' they will be pleased with the reverence they have received, and will positively influence the lives of the living.

The Aims of Here to Eternity: Art and the Afterlife

Despite the extreme and diverse differences between the billions of people who inhabit this planet, we nonetheless all share two certain universal truths pertaining to life. Each of us was born, and therefore, each of us must also die. The single fact that we all have this in common signifies the great gravity of the subject, but it is deepened by the sheer number of beliefs on the matter. It has always been a controversial topic; each person is affected by it and therefore it remains a collectively-sensitive subject. Therefore, in order to overcome this debate, communities of people often adopt the similar beliefs, drawn from a shared spirituality or religion. Out of a general consensus on 'what is to come,' the people often become further convinced of its truth. This provides a great amount of comfort to the believers by erasing the fear of the unknown, which death fully promotes. However, no worldwide consensus can be drawn, the mainstream beliefs vary too widely across the world and many additional beliefs emerge daily as well. From these multitudes of beliefs, a wide array of artistic work emerges. The trial of understanding the legacy of the soul manifests through colours, textures, and images that the mind may envision, but not verbalize.

Because there is no single answer to the question 'what is art?' just as there exists no finite explanation for 'what is the afterlife?' visual creation makes an ideal expression of the conflicting views of life after death. For each question about heaven and hell which exists, a medium of art serves to perfectly accommodate the articulation. It can worship by glorifying a given image, conjure up an imagined scenario, submit provocative and unanswered ideas, express what the only mind can conceive of the beyond, and advertise an personally-believed principle. Since all these uses of art fit extremely successfully in the quest to understand the afterlife, a wealth of work may be found.

This exhibit seeks to take an assortment of examples of how artists choose to explore the concept of the afterlife through death. By uniting such works under one exhibit, all the various questions can be passed onto the viewer, and hopefully raise the variety of opinions even further. The very first item, the inner coffin from Egypt, is an actual participant in its culture's ceremony for the person passing to the life beyond. The very last pieces, the paper effigies, have this function as well; both were used to provide comfort and success to the person on the other side. These two items do not necessarily fall into the category of intended art, but nonetheless they present a complex concept in a beautifully-rendered physical way, and make statements on behalf of their creators. These pieces, which are separated by over two and a half thousand years but united by their similar roles, act as bookends for the other works. The remaining works have not actually directly participated in post-death rites, but instead represent assorted beliefs and possibilities.

The pieces indicating the dichotomy between Christianity's Heaven and Hell are rendered with a realistic clarity that stylistically emphasizes the artists' certainty in their shared belief. These paintings act as a form of worship as well as a cautionary tale for the still-living. The dream-like compositions of the other works support their own themes as well. Where realism portrays certainty, abstraction shows ambiguity. This portion of the collection captures how people have departed from faith for explanations, and how they rely on personal imagination for their visions of the afterlife. However, without the support of a community affirming these beliefs, the ideas remain hazy and soft. Even if one does have a specific view of the afterlife, he or she will likely find a work which seems to sympathise with that belief. Aside rfom the fifteenth and seventeenth century Christian works, two of the modern works, Chrysalis and The Eternal Sun both deal with reincarnation. The others have a malleable quality to them which allows people with unrepresented views to mould what they wish from these. The only piece missing would be a work such as a solid black canvas, for those visitors who believe that afterlife does not exist at all. However, this exhibit actually intends to prove that some measure of a person�s soul goes on, at least through the philosophical inheritance they leave, and the memories they have granted.

The medium of art presents a dual purpose of presenting the afterlife. Not only does it request a reaction from the viewer, but it also serves as a legacy of its own. The artists who have imprinted their talent and values upon their work leave a lasting impression, which sustains beyond their death. Art itself transcends the physical constraints, which not only makes it the perfect forum for discussion of such subjects, but causes it to become the discussion itself. The legacy of the artists continues in their memory, which proves that as long as we enter the debate from the artistic approach, we will remain incorporated with in it on at least some degree.

The ultimate goal of this exhibit would be to convey the question of not only what follows death, but what is life itself. Questions asking whether life is a prelude, a cycle, or a conclusion arise, and then ask each viewer to examine his or her own beliefs on the matter. For the young, this examination will seem purely philosophical and abstract, yet serve to raise their awareness of various cultural perspectives, as well as perhaps grant them a deeper appreciation for life. Those who are older, meanwhile, will hopefully gain a sense of peace from the idea that though passing away remains a great unknown, it is something we must all face, and therefore it is not as lonely a journey as it may seem. For all viewers, no matter what their age, this exhibit should provide inspiration and hope; it is about life, and life after life, but not death.