Arts without Barriers from a Sincere Friend
New Zealand artist Leonore Ashby and her husband Errol Ashby became friends of the Fo Guang Yuan (FGY) Art Gallery Christchurch in New Zealand after attending the Art of Embroidery - Yao Hong Ying Embroidery Exhibition in 2009. They have been well acquainted with the temple ever since, with great bonds of friendship with Fo Guang Shan (FGS) Venerable Abbess Manshin, Venerable Jue Xi and the FGY Art Gallery team. Mr. and Mrs. Ashby usually come to see art exhibitions every few weeks, exchanging greetings and catching up with the temple.
Mr. and Mrs. Ashby had invited the FGY Art Gallery Christchurch team and Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) South Island NZ members to their home in Darfield, 50 kilometers away from Christchurch City. Their home has a large garden with many plants, including one which is the largest and oldest walnut tree in Christchurch. They often send their harvested walnuts to the temple, thus earning them the nickname of the "Walnut Couple". The retired Couple takes care of their garden as a hobby, and sometimes they even send their harvested garden crops to the temple.
Leonore, who loves knitting, found a piece of copper wire on the side of the road when she visited the FGY Art Gallery Christchurch ten years ago and this inspired her to create copper wire art. Through continuous research and development, she learned to create a variety of miniature wire art pieces with different themes, such as animals, plants, clothing, jewelry and everyday objects. Leonore has always wanted to share her creative vision with the New Zealand public by exhibiting her work at FGY Art Gallery. In 2019, she was finally able to do so with her Reflections Copper Wire Art Exhibition. Unfortunately, Leonore's eyesight has deteriorated in her 70s and her wrists become sore from weaving copper wire art for so long that most of her works cannot be reproduced anymore, making them extremely valuable. Leonore's wire art was well received during the exhibition period and she presented a major live demonstration of her artwork before at FGS South Island NZ, to great acclaim.
Leonore is grateful to the temple for providing the opportunity to present her first solo art exhibition. To Leonore, who is an introvert, it was the biggest challenge in her life to hold a live demonstration of her artwork in front of a crowd of 100 people while interacting with them. In 2019, by participating in the Art Salon Festival organised by FGY Art Gallery Auckland, the Walnut Couple was able to travel to FGS North Island as artists and had the opportunity to interact with many artists from home and abroad, broadening their horizons. During the trip, the couple were warmly received by FGY Art Gallery curator Abbess as well as the FGY Art Gallery No. 1 team, which touched them very much. The rewarding trip gave them a deeper understanding of the way of the FGS temple.
Mr. and Mrs. Ashby expressed how they love to visit the temple so much and will visit every time when they in Christchurch. The temple is like their home in Christchurch, with a quiet and peaceful atmosphere and familiar faces and it is also a recharging station for their souls. They feel that Abbess Manshin is like a mentor and Venerable Jue Xi is like a close family member and a friend. The temple often hosts various events for them to learn about the customs and festivals of different cultures. Every time the temple holds a large event, they see many volunteers giving selflessly and bringing much joy to the public. They can really feel the strength of collaboration and are moved by the volunteers' dedication.