Awakening Through Art

 

03.31.2023 AWAKENING THROUGH ART Great art can serve as a powerful mindfulness tool. Many of us have experienced the moment strolling through a gallery when a work of art unexpectedly captivates our attention. It’s nearly impossible to be anywhere but the present moment as you take in the details of the work before you. Maybe you see something mundane in a new light, like the beauty of simple flower or piece of fruit depicted in a still life. Perhaps the shapes, colors, and textures in the work before you bring up an unexpected emotion, or even a long lost memory. In an instant, your perspective shifts — an awakening occurs. In the new May 2023 issue of Lion’s Roar, Jennifer Keishin Armstrong profiles feminist-Buddhist artist Michela Martello, whose work predominantly explores the female experience through a combination of symbolism drawn from her unique blend of influences, including Italian masters and Tibetan Buddhism. “Learning Buddhist teachings made symbols more apparent,” Martello explains in one of her artist statements. “They form a mysterious and refined language at times deep, at times on the surface, until suddenly their story appears from the unconscious.” For me, Buddhist art like Martello’s brings the awakening power of art to an even deeper level, becoming a powerful tool and inspiration for practice. With today marking the final day of Women’s History Month, I invite you to explore the art of the three female Buddhist artists featured below. Each of them bring the sacred feminine to life through their beautiful depictions of bodhisattvas, dakinis, goddesses, and deities. May their creative inspiration and great works bring delight to your eyes, mind, and heart this weekend. —Lilly Greenblatt, Digital Editor, Lion’s Roar

Dakini Energy: Feminist-Buddhist Artist Michela Martello Jennifer Keishin Armstrong profiles the inspiring feminist-Buddhist artist Michela Martello—her life, her work, and the dream that put her on the spiritual path. From the May 2023 issue of Lion’s Roar. Martello’s piece Future Is Goddess, for example, riffs on Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus, making the famous figure into a blue dakini with a Tibetan snow lion in her womb. The piece is painted on Italian linen, with a mask of antique lace over the goddess’ eyes. “I definitely felt this dakini connection very strongly,” Martello says, referring to the tantric female deities found in both Buddhism and Hinduism. “There’s no division between my art and the symbolism of the dakini presence in Buddhism. The Virgin Mary, I didn’t connect with her, but the dakini energy allows me to really go beyond my limits, to break through, without the barrage of judgment or guilt we have in Italy. The culture of Tibetan Buddhism uses that kind of female energy very differently from my upbringing. That’s alluring to me.”

The Art & Activism of Mayumi Oda With her empowered imagery, she’s connected countless women, and men, to the divine feminine. She has, moreover, uncovered her own strength, unleashing her resolve to protect Mother Earth. Andrea Miller profiles the Japanese American visionary Mayumi Oda. Oda considers herself both a Zen and Nichiren practitioner, making no distinction between the two. In fact, as Oda sees it, all religions have the same essence, and this is why she finds it compelling to create female imagery not only from the Buddhist tradition but from all traditions, including Christian, Mesopotamian, and Native Hawaiian. Oda paints goddesses because she believes a “feminization” of our society is necessary if we wish to survive our current political and ecological crisis. In the goddess figure we find reverence for the earth. We find compassion, innate wisdom, and creativity. Preparing to paint, Oda meditates and traces sutras. “I calm down,” she says. “I clean my heart. Then I’m ready to get inspired, and whatever comes is coming from a bigger place than me.”

An Extra Layer of Intention: Artist Lasha Mutual Artist Lasha Mutual discusses the dharma and dedication that go into her vivid visual meditations of Buddhist deities. Devotion permeates Lasha Mutual’s art, which pays homage to Buddhist deities. Looking through her gallery of work, you’ll find a vibrant Red Tara crafted with egg tempera and gold on wood, a White Tara with Infinite Yes rendered in watercolor, ink, and gouache, a resplendent portrait of the Wisdom Dakini, and much more. Formal meditation and a rich exploration of Buddhism’s artistic traditions are woven together in Mutual’s body of work. Beholding these pieces, it is easy to see the artist’s intention of cultivating a generous, peaceful, and clear mind for the viewer.

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