Portal Two is the embodiment of the great paradox.

It’s lesson is the same of the yin yang and is a very important one.

There is dark and light in everything, a duality to everything.
You cannot have one without the other, they are two sides to one coin.

When I was in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil last year around the same time, I came across an old Cherokee tale that inspired the following painting made at the top of the favela Vidigal depicting two hearts, one black, one white; representing the dark and light inside each of us.

The story goes:

An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life:

“A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy.”It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.” He continued, “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather:

“Which wolf will win?”

Now originally I heard that the story ends like this: The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”

I loved the story. We retold it in image; Two hands, each holding a heart. One heart is black and the other is white. We passed the brush to the people standing around watching and told them to paint something of their darkness in the black heart and something of their light in the other. In a banner below we wrote “Choose the one you feed.”

Painting at the top of the Vidigal favela, Rio de Janeiro

The favelas have the best views in Rio

Now, one year later and back in Rio, Perola and I start Portal #2, the Portal of duality, of our 13 Portals project and I remembered that story. I look it up again and this time find it with a different ending which is apparently the original ending and it speaks to me with more wisdom.

The true ending of the story goes:

The old Cherokee simply replied, “If you feed them right, they both win.”

“You see, if I only choose to feed the white wolf, the black one will be hiding around every corner waiting for me to become distracted or weak and jump to get the attention he craves. He will always be angry and always fighting the white wolf. But if I acknowledge him, he is happy and the white wolf is happy and we all win. For the black wolf has many qualities – tenacity, courage, fearlessness, strong-willed and great strategic thinking – that I have need of at times and that the white wolf lacks. But the white wolf has compassion, caring, strength and the ability to recognize what is in the best interest of all.

“You see, son, the white wolf needs the black wolf at his side. To feed only one would starve the other and they will become uncontrollable. To feed and care for both means they will serve you well and do nothing that is not a part of something greater, something good, something of life. Feed them both and there will be no more internal struggle for your attention. And when there is no battle inside, you can listen to the voices of deeper knowing that will guide you in choosing what is right in every circumstance. Peace, my son, is the Cherokee mission in life. A man or a woman who has peace inside has everything. A man or a woman who is pulled apart by the war inside him or her has nothing.

“How you choose to interact with the opposing forces within you will determine your life. Starve one or the other or guide them both.”

–Cherokee Story

I think this ending to the story is a healthier way to deal with the duality inside of all of us. Instead of suppressing our darkness, we can learn to accept it and even use it’s aspects in a positive way.

Here is Portal #2

It’s so inspiring to work next to an amazing artist. Perola Bonfanti

In progress

The artwork for Portal #2 finished and awaiting it’s QR code

I couldn’t help but Photoshop it into it’s East Village location to see what it will look like on the street.

Carnival has already kicked off here (like 2 weeks ago) They start EARLY! I am looking forward to going to some blocos this weekend. (Carnival street parties) We start painting portal 3: The dragon, tomorrow.

All 13 portals will hit the streets of the East Village, NYC this summer.

Stay alert.