The Opening Ceremony of the Sixth Art Salon – Stunningly Beautiful Masterpieces in Fo Guang Yuan Art Gallery
On 29th October 2022, the 6th Art Salon hosted by Fo Guang Yuan Art Gallery in New Zealand has commenced. On the same day, an artist get-together was also held to invite participating artists to return to Fo Guang Shan North Island for ribbon cutting in the Opening Ceremony. The Curator of Fo Guang Yuan Art Gallery New Zealand, Abbess Manshin, led the organising team to participate in the Ceremony. The distinguished guests include Auckland City Councillor, Ms. Sharon Stewart; Former MP, Hon. Maurice Williamson; Howick District Councillor, Ms. Adele White; New Zealand Police Senior Sergeant Anson Lin; Director of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Auckland, Ms Kendra Chen, over 200 artists and their relatives and friends.
This year, there are 90 local artists, with more than 400 artworks exhibited in the Art Salon. There is a vast variety of artworks in the exhibition, which include but not limited to oil painting, watercolour painting, glass arts, photography images, sculptures, weavings, embroideries. Over the past few months, Abbess Manshin, has led the organising team to work collectively in order to present high-quality services from execution and planning, to setting up the exhibition, organising exhibition tours, and sending invitations. This helps to bridge cultural interaction in the local community, create harmony and introduce inspirations for art creation.
Abbess Manshin delivered a speech to express her gratitude to the artists for returning to the Temple and coming together to celebrate the aesthetic of arts. Many artists have participated in the exhibition since the first Art Salon in 2016. From supporting to maintaining, the visitors with positive affinity are able to witness the beauty of New Zealand’s local art, which warms people's hearts. Fo Guang Yuan Art Gallery is a gift from the Founder of Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Order, Venerable Master Hsing Yun, to the world. The Art Gallery team has been working day and night to set up the exhibition both indoor and outdoor, simplify complexity of the exhibition and present the artists’ enthusiasm and creativity with wisdom and skills. The Curator introduced several artworks by painters such as Roland Seibertz and Nidaal Altimimi on the spot and shared the stories behind the masterpieces, delivering the message of peace, harmony and purity to the public.
Distinguished guests expressed their gratitude one after another. Councillor, Ms. Sharon, pointed out that the temple is the pride of the community. She urged everyone to bring along families and friends to participate in this annual event. She even hopes that the public can purchase these local artworks as collection. Hon. Maurice Williamson, who participated in the Art Salon for the first time, shared, "It’s great to see the joy on everyone's faces, I look forward to seeing the artworks on display and getting in touch with talented New Zealand artists.”
The Manager of Howick Historic Village, Lexie Palmer, whom is also a historian, said that art and education are the basic building blocks of a culture. “All artworks are creations made with lots of dedication, which is why these masterpieces often have special meaning and worth reminiscing,” Lexie said.
Ms Kendra expressed her gratitude towards Fo Guang Shan for supporting art and literature not only in Taiwan, but also providing a platform for local culture here in New Zealand. Ms Kendra said that 2022 is a meaningful year, as the public can have more in-person interaction following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions. “Thanks to the Art Gallery for working hard for the community for the past 6 years,” she added.
Venerable Master Hsing Yun initially started from Humanistic Buddhism, the addition of some elements of art strengthens the meaning of the teachings and contributes to the esthetics of local culture.
The Temple volunteers have given great support to the Art Salon by purchasing the artworks from Steel Sculptor, Trish Clarke and Painter, Irina Velma. Other artists such as Liz Payne and Amanda Gleason also expressed their gratitude to the Temple for the professional services and support.