Yoga With Friends 

Lucia Heffernan’s contemporary painting features a pig and a mouse practicing yoga. At first glance, a comical scene, yet the symbols carry deeper cultural echoes. The pig, long associated with gluttony, here attempts a form of spiritual discipline. It is a motif that calls to mind the ancient Greeks’ use of animals in satire, a mirror reflecting human follies. Observe the mouse, too, a creature often linked to timidity, now seeking balance on its own mat. The act of yoga itself—an ancient practice aimed at harmonizing body and mind—speaks to a longing for transcendence. This desire isn't confined to humans; it echoes through history. Consider the medieval bestiaries, where animals were imbued with human traits. In this painting, Heffernan touches upon a collective yearning for self-improvement and harmony, a yearning that transcends species and time.