Studiolada

Community

Book of Birthday Greetings from the Australian Public
Dalai Lama in Australia Ltd.

I was honoured to be asked to coordinate the production of a hand crafted book of birthday greetings from the Australian public which was presented to His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Perth in celebration of His 80th birthday.

The book was carefully handmade by Cali Anderson, with eco printed Australian eucalyptus leaves, each page was deckled by hand. 

For more information about the Dalai Lama's Australian visits please see: www.dalailamainaustralia.org

Contact:
TIBET INFORMATION OFFICE
Web: http://tibetoffice.com.au
Email: rep.au@tibet.net
Phone: 02 6285 4046

LIBERATION
an exhibition of prisoner artwork and poetry

Over 2013-14, I coordinated the Victorian tour of ‘LIBERATION’, an exhibition of prisoner artwork and poetry for the Liberation Prison Project organisation.

We are currently planning exhibitions in NSW, to arrange an exhibition in your gallery or exhibition space:

Contact:
Liberation Prison Project
Email: infoOZ@liberationprisonproject.org

The Liberation Exhibition comprises original and varied images created by prisoners from Australia and around the world, from 1996 until the present.

A handful of these represent a unique style of 'envelope' art, designed envelopes the prisoners send with their letters to us. 

The prisoner art provides some insight into life on the 'inside'.  Some of the artists featured in the exhibition have since been released, two are deceased, most are still doing time.

Accompanying the artwork is the soundscape 30 Voices, featuring poems by 30 prisoners, recited by professional Australian Actors, Peter Carmody, Steve Bisley. Fiona Prest, Noel Hodda, Danny Adcock, Tracy Mann and Benita Collings.

Liberation Prison Project was established in 1996 by Ven. Robina Courtin, Australian Buddhist nun, in response to a letter from a young Mexican-American ex-gangster serving three life sentences at Pelican Bay, one of California’s maximum security prisons. Ven. Robina replied to the letter, sending some books and thus the project began. 

The Project’s international office is in Ashfield, New South Wales with branches in Denmark, England, Italy, Mexico, Mongolia, New Zealand, Spain and USA. Around 800 prisoners write to Liberation Prison Project each month, seeking support to transform their lives. Our team of 150 volunteers worldwide correspond with them regularly. We also have a number of volunteer chaplains who visit prisoners in person. 

Since 1996, the project has supported over 20,000 incarcerated men and women around the world. 

Prisoners first contact Liberation Prison Project after hearing about our services from another prisoner or from one our volunteer chaplains, reading the Liberation newsletter, or seeing our name in a book we have donated to a prison library. 

The Liberation newsletter has been a precious vehicle for prisoners to share their artwork, poetry and prose and stories with other prisoners worldwide, and attest to their resilience and determination, hopes and aspiration to truly change their lives, for the better.

The art in this exhibition is for sale. Funds raised from the Liberation Exhibition will support Liberation Prison Project to continue to provide services to the men and women in prison who seek our help. 

Liberation Prison Project is a social services program of the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition [FPMT].
 

The Dalai Lama's Journey
Photographic Exhibition

In 2011, on behalf of Dalai Lama in Australia, I was honoured to tour and coordinate a photographic exhibition profiling the life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama – a biography of his journey from his early years in Tibet, through his exile, arrival in India and the years since then.

The exhibition included photographs of His Holiness from when he was first identified as the 14th incarnation of the Dalai Lama and never before seen photos of him fleeing into exile in 1959.

The Exhibition toured around Australia and was shown in Libraries, Town Halls, Community Centres, Galleries, Universities, Museums and Community Festivals.

It offered people the opportunity to get to know the Dalai Lama better, to introduce the key milestones of his life, his commitments, core values and achievements – to celebrate his life in recognition of his priceless example to us all serving to remind us all of our human potential.

For more information about the Dalai Lama's Australian visits please see: www.dalailamainaustralia.org

Contact:
TIBET INFORMATION OFFICE
Web: http://tibetoffice.com.au
Email: rep.au@tibet.net
Phone: 02 6285 4046

Binding of the Noble Sanghata Sutra

In 2009, I was given the opportunity to bind three copies of The Noble Sanghata Sutra which were presented to Lama Zopa Rinpoche. 

The copies of the sutra had been handwritten or traced by people the world over on behalf of the Liberation Prison Project. 

The edge of each individual page was first soaked in saffron before being hand painted with gold coloured paint, the covers were made from beautiful Japanese papers and finally bound with ribbon.