Painting of FGS South Island Temple by Amateur Artist
From 13th to 15th January 2021, Danny Lum, an amateur artist from Auckland New Zealand, was invited by Fo Guang Shan (FGS) New Zealand Venerable Abbess Manshin to come to FGS Temple South Island to paint the architectural features of the Temple.
Danny, who was originally from Guangdong province, People's Republic of China, loved painting since young and often read books about art when he was in secondary school. Through self-study, Danny was able to create a unique style of watercolour painting. He likes to paint in a casual manner as and when he feels like it. When he sees a distinctive architecture, scenery or local customary scene, he will stop and sketch. He especially likes to paint in the sun. Through the clever use of Sun-rays in his works, Danny is able to make his paintings look light, delicate, transparent and fresh. Danny moved to Auckland New Zealand ten years ago, and through his son, Danny came to the Temple two months ago and made contact with FGS Temple North Island. After that, his paintings gained the affirmation of Abbess Manshin and he was then invited to become the Resident Artist of FGY Art Gallery New Zealand, with the mission of putting on paintings the North and South Island Temple buildings and the events at the Temples.
Danny said that the architecture of FGS North Island Temple and that of FGS South Island Temple each possesses its own characteristics, giving him plenty of room for different artistic expressions. The former is a traditional Chinese building with mostly curved structures; the latter is a modern building with straight-lined structures. After learning that the design concept of the South Island Temple was based on Longman Grottoes, Danny was greatly amazed! FGS North Island Temple has a large space, Danny will carry out his painting inside the Temple most of the time; FGS South Island Temple is small, most of the time he has to paint in the public areas outside the Temple which gives him the opportunity to get close to the local community. When he was painting the South Island Temple, from time to time passers-by would come to find out what he was engaged in. They would praise him for his excellent painting skills, and some would even take pictures with him!
Although the time of this trip was short, it was nevertheless filled with surprises and rewards for Danny. Danny would like to thank Abbess Manshin for giving him the opportunity to utilize his painting skills to serve the Temple, widening the range of his painting themes and enriching his painting experiences at the same time.