A Dedication to Meditation embodies many notions, but its essence is a tribute to ritual and transformation.

Each of these 108 leaves of paper, individually handmade by the artist, have been crafted with the paper from the installation Unravelling to Recognition, exhibited in Maitland Regional Art Gallery, 2020.

All 108 woodcut prints are hand burnished from a block carved over 10 years ago in 2014, which was only proofed at the time.

In the print is a small lotus flower, a moment caught whilst wandering the vibrant old town of Hoi An in Vietnam, where the artist has returned a handful of times.

In meditation, chanting mantra 108 times is believed to create harmony with the vibrations of the universe, each chant representing the journey from our material self towards our higher spiritual self. The sanskrit mantra Om mani padme hum can be translated to ‘the jewel is in the lotus’ with the belief that like the lotus flower, we have the ability to emerge and awaken in beauty from the mud.  

Serendipitously, the timing of the installation of this work has aligned with another visit to Hoi An, co-hosting a retreat with Fyona Coulton of Yoga Brave. This will involve an immersion into yogic, artistic and cultural rituals including a natural dye workshop with a local artist.