Rescue your creativity from the internet at Nan Tien’s Buddhist style ted-talks on Cultivating Inner Beauty. From scrolls, sacred trees to stitching shrouds this is a unique event to help mark a fresh start in 2023. Buddha V goers will be inspired by leading artists who share compelling personal stories and highlight how their art practice can help you re-commit to your creativity. Louise Fowler-Smith and Michele Elliot join Venerable Youji reveal their insights into how the creative process – patience, sensitivity, generosity, persistence and alike also cultivates a spiritual practice, each with very different results.

Sponsored by Hsing Yun Education Foundation

Meet the Guest Speakers

Venerable Youji

Australia’s only female monastic curator, Venerable Youji from Nan Tien Art Gallery and a member of the editorial team “Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts”, will share fundamental insights into significant Buddhist artworks, its defining principles and look at what separates Buddhist art from other religious symbolism. “You’ll came away knowing how to ‘read’ Buddhist art, be inspired by the symbolism and gain fresh ideas” comments Ven. Youji, a qualified holistic art therapist. Ven. Youji will hold a Mindful Doodling class at 11-12pm before the talks, where participants will be guided through a series of related rhythmic drawing as a meditative way to slow down and focus on creative expressions.

Michele Elliot

Image by Nina Kourea

Michele Elliot local textile artist and recent Australia Arts Council recipient will share how her PTSD from the earthquake in Nepal transformed her art practice to include kantha stitching, India’s oldest textile tradition. Michele comments, “It’s not what you make, it’s who you make it with and the effects the stories exchanged during the artmaking have on you. There is a general acceptance that creativity is a soul expression and it is recognised that artmaking is a spiritual practice”

Louise Fowler-Smith

Louise Fowler-Smith, environmental artist-writer, Founder and President of The Tree Veneration Society, comments, “My decades of field research on the sacred trees around the world, inspired my artistic practice as a photographer, painter and teacher of art. And here we are living on the brink of ecological disaster and seeking a renewed relationship with Nature. If only we saw trees as human.”

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