Art for Peace by Sri Chinmoy at Lakelands Library

Art for Peace by Sri Chinmoy. A selection of Soul Bird drawings and abstract works dedicated to peace.

Birds and flight have inspired humanity throughout history as a symbol of freedom and peace. One person who was no exception, was Indian artist Sri Chinmoy. He painted over 16 million birds and a selection of his works are on display at Ellenbrook Arts from June 17th – July 17 th. None of the art is for sale as it aims to promote world harmony, hope and friendship. Interspersed amongst the artwork are comments on the exhibition from humanitarian leaders, including Nelson Mandela, Mikhail Gorbachev and Desmond Tutu.

The artist, Sri Chinmoy (1931-2007) who was also an athlete, poet and musician, chose birds as his main artistic motif because of the inspiration they gave him. “The uncaged bird,” he said, “is crying for freedom. The uncaged bird is striving for peace.” Also on exhibition are some of Sri Chinmoy’s Jharna Kala works. Jharna Kala is Bengali for “Fountain-Art” and was a term Sri Chinmoy coined to describe the outpouring creative capacity that everyone has within.

Sri Chinmoy’s art has previously been exhibited at Parliament House, Canberra, at the Carrousel du Louvre, Paris, the foyer of the United Nations Headquarters in New York and the Commonwealth Institute in London. Entry to the exhibition is free

Perth local Vidagdha Bennet who is helping organise the exhibition said “It is great to have Sri Chinmoys birds in Perth. Everyone who sees them always goes away uplifted and many humanitarians have shown their support for the exhibition.”

Ellenbrook Arts

34 Main Street

Gallery Opening Hours

Wednesday-Saturday 10am-5pm

Sunday 1pm-5pm