Friend of FGY Enjoying Peace and Tranquility at Floral Art Exhibition at FGY Christchurch
On 15th September 2020, Vivian James, a resident of Ashburton, a small town in Canterbury New Zealand, visited Professor Kuo Yen-Chiao’s Traditional Chinese Painting Exhibition at Fo Guang Yuan (FGY) Art Gallery Christchurch. Vivian is a friend of FGY Art Gallery Christchurch and she made it a point to visit the exhibition after receiving a notification from the Gallery. Vivian was full of praises for Professor Kuo’s Exhibition and commented that although she did not understand the Chinese wordings in the paintings, nevertheless she could feel the peace and tranquility of Mother Nature conveyed therein. Contrasting this peaceful feeling with the disastrous Covid-19 pandemic, a message surfaced in Vivian’s mind, that is: people should slow down their tempo, stop chasing material things and live a tranquil life close to Nature. They should learn to coexist with Nature and avoid activities that can harm or destroy the environment.
At the Floral Art Exhibition, Vivian was pleasantly surprised by the quality floral art exhibits created by Gallery Curator Venerable Abbess Manshin. Vivian could not imagine that an elegant floral arrangement of smoothness and softness could be created by using simple twig, leaves, and flower commonly found in the garden. She was full of praises for Abbess Manshin for skilfully exploring the use of inexpensive natural resources in her works. Inspired by Abbess Manshin, Vivian now becomes interested in floral arrangement. She hopes to be able to witness a floral arrangement demonstration by Abbess Manshin where she can learn not only the basic skills of the art, but also the right spirit and mental attitude of Abbess.
Vivian likes to visit exhibitions at the Gallery and loves the artistic ambience of the Gallery. She is always on the lookout for news of any exhibition and does not mind driving an hour to attend one. Vivian looks forward to each exhibition with enthusiasm because she is able to be immersed in an artistic surrounding there, and because meaningful exhibition will impart positive energy to propel her moving forward.