Part 2: Selected Art works
By Ong Xiao Yun
The middle path is a path of mindful practice and purposeful cultivations avoiding extremes of indulgence or austerity. In this Buddhist Art journal, it is a form of purposeful mental cultivations, strokes and snippets of intent executed through the hands of artists. Arts can both be a solitude and community practice as presented by these artists. These selected art works present various themes, such as meditation through art, imageries and metaphors. Some of them depict forms of epiphany (Michelle Exhales, Michael Moreth, Ang Teck Ee, Skuja Braden and Frances Alleblas). Some of them are contemplations on serenity (through compositions and colours) and symbolism (Birch - renewal and shredding layers of attachments by Mikhail Kalinnikov), meditative quality such as impermanence (Lotus flower by Lim yu cheng).
I breathe
21 x 29.7 cm
Pigment ink pens on watercolour paper
2014
Michelle Exhales
Created during a daily meditation then drawing practice when I returned to my home country of Australia following a journey through India.
Michelle Exhales
Anchor
21 x 29.7 cm
Pigment ink pens on watercolour paper
2014
Balance
60 X 40 inch
Resin, acrylic painting, bark
2023
Mikhail Kalinnikov
This work is the completion of my series of works dedicated to birches. Birch trees are a symbol with opposing meanings in many cultures and in my opinion they perfectly represent “duality”. The structure of birch bark combines the struggle of white and black. I think the birch tree would be a great symbol of Buddhism, but it doesn't grow in the regions where it is practiced.
Welcoming
5 x 7 inches
Oil drawing and watercolour
May, 2023
Michael Moreth
Rhapsody of Droplets
70cm (H) X 110cm (W) (Unframed) (Diptych)
Mixed Media on Canvas2020
Valiantly
5 x 7 inches
Oil drawing and watercolour
May, 2023
The artwork, “Sonata of the Falling Rain” attempts to re-connect to such inherent internalized references through ‘distancing’.
In order to create ‘distance’ there is a need to de-familiarize the past through alienation effect by capturing and altering the familiar natural phenomenon in our day to day life such as rain droplets, drizzle and downpour which has been in existence since primordial times, thereby creating a fresh perception by the use of material, texture, expressions and others.
The contrast therefore becomes reconstructed and transformed by transforming the experience where one connects with the sensitivity, curiosity, joy and innocence of the ‘inner child’ within us.
It epitomizes the Buddhist perspectives about illusionary nature of our concepts and labels of phenomenon and objects which are without any unchanging intrinsic entity.
Ang Teck Ee
120cm (H) X120cm (W) (Unframed)
Mixed Media on Canvas2011
Over 2.5 matters high and limitless in the size because this encompasses the entire installation.
Porcelain
2022
Latvian National Museum collection.
Skuja Braden
The main work from our show Selling Water By The River, held in the Latvian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2022 is a giant porcelain bed that rests against a wall all tired out from its trials and travails. The bed has a giant wave for sheets and is blasting off and blowing everything out in the room. Our life and works and dogs are all swimming in the water. The water transforms everything and reminds us of the impermanent nature of our lives and perceived realities. There is nothing to hang on to in our made up room. The symbol for water and the symbol for women are the same. We are attempting with this exhibition to show the impermanent nature of everything with seemingly permanent objects all made from porcelain.
Frances Alleblas
video still
2017
As the main character is practising his rolls, he literally 'overthrows himself' and then has to 'recover himself'. Literally submerged in his surroundings, one could say there is no ego, he has transcended the difference between himself and his environment. A self inflicted 'falling' and 'getting up' again. A practise for life. Carried out in such precision, like a ritualistic dance with an intense focus. As the Zen Master Dogen said:
"On the great road of buddha ancestors there is always unsurpassable practice, continuous and sustained. It forms the circle of the way and is never cut off. Between aspiration, practice, enlightenment, and nirvana, there is not a moment’s gap; continuous practice is the circle of the way. This being so, continuous practice is unstained, not forced by you or others. The power of this continuous practice confirms you as well as others. It means your practice affects the entire earth and the entire sky in the ten directions. Although not noticed by others or by yourself, it is so.”
This quote shows me that there is a considerable connection between this work and Buddhism. In the cycles of overthrowing and resurfacing the main character shows how the self can be transcended in 'ordinary' practice,
A3
Acrylic on canvas
2021
Lim yu cheng
This is my painting of a scenery of lotuses in a pond at dawn. The water is undisturbed and there is a slight mist surrounding the pond. I enjoy the peace and calm feeling from this lotus pond scenery. I hope it will be helpful for anyone who needs a reminder to breathe deep and find stillness in our hectic life.