We’re thrilled to be having a pop-up exhibition at the Hancock Solar Gallery, DHYĀNA, is a collection of new installation works by Siri Padmani Kaur and several large-scale drawings by Jordan Faye Block. Join us for the Opening Reception Friday February 28, 7–10pm. The exhibition runs through March 14, 2020, the gallery hours for this exhibition are Monday – Friday 10am – 6pm and Saturday 11am–5pm, Jordan will not be on site during these hours, if you wish to see her please schedule an appointment.

ABOUT DHYĀNA & the work of SIRI PADMANI KAUR & JORDAN FAYE BLOCK

Excited to have this work on view in the Hancock Solar Gallery for this month of February into early March. There are several earlier large-scale drawings (from 2018) and 5 more recent installations (2019-20).

Dhyåna: (Sanskrit: ध्यान) meaning “contemplation, reflection” and “profound, abstract meditation”. The root of the word is Dhi, which in the earliest layer of text of the Vedas refers to “imaginative vision” and is associated with goddess Saraswati who had powers of knowledge, wisdom, and poetic eloquence.

My work is informed by meditation and the energy which surrounds me. I live a daily practice of yoga and meditation, upon which my studio practice is based. There are many things that influence the work I create. My environment is one of these things, what I see; the light, the colors, the sounds, the air, and even the people that I encounter, all shape the nature of my energy and therefore my work.

I view the making of these small paintings (oil pastel on panel) as an act of meditation. The placement of these panels onto the grid is another act of meditation and finally the installation of the grid itself is its own meditative action.

I practice Hatha and Kundalini kriyas as part of my art making ritual. When finished with this type of movement and meditation, I often see colors and feel energies more intensely. I then translate these feelings and colors onto small 4 x 4 inch, 6 x 6 inch, and 8 x 8 inch panels using oil pastels, which are ultimately placed on a larger grid made of mason twine that I’ve pinned to a wall.

The energy that is moving within me during my yogic practice is transferred to the works that I create. I make my work post yoga, either in my home studio, or at my larger yoga | art space.

Kundalini is often called the yoga of awareness. It is about making light, moving energy, and finding oneself in a place of quiet contemplation. The making of art and the practice of yoga to me are completely intertwined. I view them as one and the same.

In Kundalini we practice kriyas, which are a set of actions that cause intelligence in one’s body. The longer that one practices a specific kriya, the more the energy of one’s state shifts. If you practice everyday for 40 days there will be a significant shift (in one’s mind and body), 60 days an even greater shift, and so on. I hope you enjoy this exhibition, much of the work is the reflection of the last year of making and meditating.

– Siri Padmani Kaur