Francis Jansen / Biography & Mission
Francis Jansen, was born in a small harbor town in the North of The Netherlands. Her father, who was part of the Resistance Movement in war torn Europe (recipient of the Purple Heart), chose to emigrate with his family to Australia when she was 6 years old, (this happened on a seriously overcrowded Greek immigrant ship for 8 weeks).
New Australians weren’t that welcomed in those days so Francis grew up understanding what it ment to be viewed as a second class citizen. After 12 years, and in addition to regular education, she studied classical ballet for 10 years as well as 6 years in classical piano, and now an adult, the family returned to Europe.
With specific job trainings she worked in a variety of positions as lab tech and doctors assistant in a hospital and medical care facility, till she met her then U.N. diplomat husband.
They were assigned to Thailand in 1969 during the Vietnam war. In the 6 years there, Francis traveled extensively throughout war torn Asia and was exposed to extraordinary, sometimes life threatening adventures in countries oppressed by war.
Francis with her adopted son, whom she met in a orphanage in Bangkok Thailand, (while doing volunteer work there) emigrated to America, after a year spent in Germany while waiting for her green card, and in the process of divorce.
In California she opened and operated a successful natural fine foods restaurant for 7 years. The strenuous demands of restaurant life compromised her health and well being, which led her to an in-depth exploration into the alternative healing arts. A major part of that exploration involved regular fasting, nutritional support and specific clean diets, regular detoxing through colon cleansing, and emotional release work. She experienced first hand the powerful effects that this kind of internal body work has on mental, emotional, spiritual as well as physical health.
In creating a new deeper respect and relationship with her whole being, Francis’s relationship with Mother Earth also deepened. On her backpacking hikes into the mountains of Southern California, she learned to open herself and commune with the elements, the stone people, the plants, animals and the Earth herself. On some of these occasions she experienced “initiations” that showed her the magical connectedness of all of life.
Francis felt a particular kinship with the stone people, and in 1988, with no previous training in art, drawing or clay work of any kind, she was drawn to begin sculpting in stone (see video: How did it start?
A year later, while exploring quarries in Carrerra, Italy, Francis came upon a large block (chip) of white marble, 14 feet long and weighing 7 ton. Francis had an extraordinary vision while looking at the marble chip and saw a large Native American man lying with his face on the ground, and couldn’t leave him there and felt compelled to ship him home. That ‘Chip’ ultimately gave birth to her Monument ‘Transformation through Forgiveness’, which she completed in 9 months – 12 feet tall and weighing 11,000 lbs. “I literally fell in love with the stone or the Being that dwelled within it,” says the artist. “while in the process of sculpting He brought me to my knees to face my un-forgiveness — not just what I had been holding against others, but what I had been holding toward myself.”
The monument ‘Transformation through Forgiveness’ stands as a reminder that the separation and discord between nations, religions and peoples is rooted in humanity’s separation from Spirit – our “forgetfulness”, that all of life is sacred and we are part of that sacredness. The Native American people, among other indigenous tribes of the world, have been keepers of this “spirit remembrance”, knowing that the sacred dwells in mouse as well as mountain lion.
Francis created an exact bronze replica of this monument on a large turtle base, called “Monument to Forgiveness” and donated it to stand at the end of the “Trail of Tears“, hosted by North Eastern University in Talaquah, OK.
“Sculpting came to me as a deep calling, to express humanity’s great inquiry into the ‘Dance of the Cosmos’ that brought us here.
In offering myself as a shamanic sculptor, many sculptures in marble and bronze have followed, and continue to bring forth my creative visionings as Grace in Stone. Each sculpture has its own energy and message to offer. I create medicine art for the planet. The vibration of a space is attuned by their presence”.
