FRACTURED MANDALA SERIES
FRACTURED MANDALA 1* : Acrylic on wood panel, 20" x 20."
Indra’s Net is an ancient image that originated in Hindu traditions and was later developed in Mahayana Buddhism as a metaphor for the interdependence of all beings.
Inspired by the ancient mandala “Indra’s Net,” these metaphoric structures stretch across the universe as a pattern of jewels which reflects every other jewel. These mandalas are built from countless distinct elements that gain their significance through interconnection. The spiral geometry invites viewers to consider our relationships with each another, the natural world, and the patterns of life.
For the Fractured Mandala series, glimpses of gold leaf emerging through layers of color is inspired in part by the Japanese tradition of kintsugi, in which broken ceramics are openly repaired with gold as a celebration of transformation, healing, and resilience.
FRACTURED MANDALA: KINTSUGI 1
60"x36": Acrylic on wood panel, gold leaf, lapis lazuli pigment.
Photoreference permission from Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo for the Papua New Guinea Matschie’s tree kangaroo. Woodland Park Zoo and Papua New Guinea communities have been partnering as the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program (TKCP) for 30 years to save one of the last intact cloud forests of the world. A flagship conservation program of the Zoo, TKCP works with local communities in Papua New Guinea to save endangered Matschie’s tree kangaroos through education, health and livelihoods programming that benefits local communities.
How does a fractured world rediscover its underlying connectedness?
This work is part of Anne’s long-standing investigation into coherence, connection, and the hidden patterns and structures that sustain living systems. A tree kangaroo shelters her joey in poised vigilance while she is precariously balanced on a world beset by ecological instability, habitat loss, and climate disruption. The pair emerge from the luminous geometry of the ancient image of Indra’s Net. Indra's Net is composed of interconnected jewels which reflect every other jewel, expressing the interdependence of all existence. Here, the supporting network is fracturing and is apparently shaken and pulled apart by forces of entropy; yet there is also evidence of hope, resilience and healing.
Gold leaf functions throughout Anne's work as a structural symbol rather than a decorative highlight. Inspired in part by the philosophy embodied in Japanese kintsugi, delicate strands of gold extend across the broken geometry, reconnecting separated forms. The healed areas display the connecting gold bridges openly. We are invited in to observe the active and ongoing process of repair and annealing in the underlying pattern.
Anne’s paintings explore reoccurring symbolic architectural and geometrical images that continue to reveal new relationships through each painting. The fractured mandala series in particular is an evolving study of observation and perception.