Welcome to Arcana

At the intersection of innovation and artistry, we develop systems that reshape wellness as a world of visual poetry. We invite people to immerse themselves in rhythm, thoughts, feelings and colour. Our goal is to create space for imagination and reflection at individual, organisational and community level.

Arcana is a therapeutic art platform that dedicates space to restorative experiences, body-felt senses, and embodied wellbeing. Blending principles from somatics, meditation, mindfulness, audiovisual arts, and instrumental soundscapes, we design tools for personal catharsis and self-discovery.

Our values

  • Burning the rulebook of art.

    We aim to shift the historical egoistic and exclusive mindsets towards the arts. We believe the arts industry today has become alienated by outdated systems of privilege and elitism. Instead, we aim to open up access to everyone’s hidden intuition and understanding that art is an inherent skill anyone can use to process feelings, emotions and rhythms — as a form of personal or collective catharsis.

  • Building a culture of reciprocal care.

    We want to help elevate better care systems, towards ourselves, our cohabitants, and surroundings, with a sense of reciprocity. This involves finding individual agency and collective freedom through a reclamation of rest. We aim to deprogram people away from toxic productivity cycles, fuelled by capitalism and grind culture. We build and create more spaces that are dedicated to restoration, relaxation and restful moments.

  • Using imagination as liberation.

    Imagination can offer the highest form of hope for systems of oppression. At a time where efficiency is prized over patience, we have learnt to minimise our creative, intuitive and body-felt senses. We want to return people back to using imagination as an essential resource to break free from oppressive systems, move us past places we feel stuck, and helping return us to our most playful, joyous and liberated selves.

Our approaches

  • Therapeutic art-making

    Art-making and imagination can be a powerful tool. It allows us to dream of a better future and envision a world that is more equitable, compassionate and liberating. Activities such as painting, writing, poetry or music making can help expand our understanding of ourselves and the world surrounding us. Our relaxing and meditative art practices invites free-flowing movements and rhythms to reconnect with senses and our embodied selves.

  • Meditation

    Rooted in ancient traditions, meditation is a practice of conscious awareness towards the present moment, action, thought or sensation. Often involving specific techniques like breathwork or body scanning, regular practice can help us to step back from our habitual patterns of thinking or reacting, creating more space for conscious choice.

  • Soundscapes

    Soundscapes are not merely background noise; they are auditory environments that can influence our moods and create atmosphere. For instance, nature sounds have been shown to lower heart rate and reduce stress hormones, whereas upbeat music can increase energy and motivation. Soundscapes can also stimulate creativity and foster a sense of connection to the world around us.

  • Neuroaesthetics

    Neuroaesthetics is the study of how the arts impacts our brains and bodies. It examines the connection between the physical and emotional responses we have to art, and explores the underlying neural mechanisms that causes these responses. Although a relatively new area of study, neuroaesthetics is rapidly growing field helping us understand how art affects us, and how we can better appreciate the value of art in our lives.

  • Somatics

    Somatics invites us to reconnect with the wisdom of our bodies. Using gentle movements, somatic practices can awaken our embodied senses and cultivate a greater sense of self-awareness. By listening to the subtle signals of our bodies, we can tune into the tension, stress, and tiredness we hold. Somatics empowers us to inhabit our bodies fully, fostering a deep sense of grounding and presence.

  • Mindfulness

    Mindfulness is about paying attention to the present moment with curiousity and kindness, observing situations, thoughts or feelings without judgement. Mindfulness can be integrated into any moment of our day, from the simple act of breathing to the complex interactions of our relationships. It can help us to respond to situations with greater clarity and wisdom, rather than reacting impulsively from a place of fear or anger.