During the seasonal rains, an epidemic of Dengue Fever (also known as Break Bone Fever) swept through the Tuxla Mountain Area. All of his family except his youngest daughter fell victim to the fever.

By the time he had arrived at Crawford Long Memorial Hospital, he was well into a delirium caused by the high fever and other complications. Later that evening, during a spinal tap which confirmed that he had contracted spinal meningitis, Dan had a near death experience.

Dan relates, "I traveled out of my body and began journeying down a long dark tunnel. As I progressed down the tunnel, I remember thinking that I did not want to die without my wife and children being with me. My progress down the tunnel ended and I began the long struggle back to consciousness, one level at a time."

Early in his recovery, Dan began to create works of art using locally collected wild thorny vines which to him represented the damage which the fever had inflicted on his brain. Later, in Tucson, Arizona, Dan began to write short stories and collect objects found during walks in the desert.

After moving to Louisville, Kentucky in April 1995, Dan began to create multimedia collages, sculptures, and masks from his collection of found objects. In 1997 he began to paint, capturing the images flowing through him in a unique three dimensional style. His art has been heavily influenced by his illness, his readings in comparative mythology, and his own search for spiritual meaning.

To read more about Dan Rhema see LEO Magazine's article, "The Art of Healing," or Louisville Magazine's article, "Reborn in Found Art" by Michael L. Jones.

For further information, please contact Dan Rhema.
POB 17513
Louisville, KY 40217

Phone: 502-635-2457

Artist's bio photo by: John Strong