Artist shares joy of creation at Fo Guang Yuan Art Gallery Christchurch

On 26 March, New Zealand artist Leonore Ashby and her husband Errol Ashby visited Fo Guang Yuan Art Gallery Christchurch and brought some new artworks for everyone to enjoy.

As autumn begins over late March day in the southern hemisphere, the chandelier-like flowers in Leonore's garden were in full bloom, which inspired her to create miniature chandeliers made of copper wire. The iris and daffodil flowers were also a source of creative inspiration. Leonore used copper wire to weave out the beautiful shape of these flowers, then used nail polish as a pigment to colour the flowers and placed them into tiny glass vases, thereby encapsulating their delicate and intricate beauty. The meticulous craftsmanship is nothing short of astonishing and it is hard to imagine that this came from the work of a 70 years old elder.

Leonore Ashby's artwork was exhibited at FGY Art Gallery Christchurch in 2019 to great acclaim. In the same year, she was invited by FGY Art Gallery Auckland to participate as an artist in the Art Salon in Cherry Blossom Festival and it was during that trip that have broaden her horizons in artistic learning. Earlier on, Leonore was actually forced to suspend her work due to a wrist injury caused by an extended period of working with copper wire and also because her eyesight was getting worse. After attending the art salon at FGY Art Gallery Auckland, she had the opportunity to see different types of artworks and interact with many artists and this helped her to regain her confidence in creating again. This new series of artworks is the result of an improved production method, and we are pleased to see that her delicate works are still as charming and moving as before.