February 4

Photo by Pulak Viscardi

 

Sri Chinmoy observes some of his artworks that have been displayed for the public.

 

December 4

 

Photo by Bhashwar Hart

 

Sri Chinmoy at his Jharna-Kala gallery in New York, a stack of art paper on his lap, produces drawing after drawing.

 

April 4

Description

Medium: Blue fine felt-tip pen
Material: Thick paper
Dimensions: 27.5 cm x 21.5 cm

Provenance

Date: April 4, 1999
Origin: Jamaica, New York, NY, USA
Collection: Sri Chinmoy Centre (Geelong, Australia)

 

Photo by Adarini Inkei

 

Sri Chinmoy signs a Jharna-Kala for Jeff Goldblum after lifting him at Aspiration-Ground in Jamaica, Queens, New York.

 

March 31

Photo by Sarama Minoli

 

A Jharna-Kala Gallery, displaying thousands of Sri Chinmoy’s artworks, opens at 154 Wooster Street in New York’s Soho art district.

Just before the gallery opening at 7:00 p.m., Sri Chinmoy meditates briefly and offers this soulful prayer:

“My Lord Supreme, to You I offer my eternal gratitude for having painted in and through me out of Your infinite Bounty over 10,000 paintings in 100 fleeting days. My Lord Supreme, You have played the role of aspiration in and through me; now You want to play the role of inspiration in and through all of my brothers and sisters of the world. As I have placed the aspiration-tree at Your Feet, even so my sisters and brothers are going to place the inspiration-seed at Your Feet.”


Published in AUM — Vol. 2, No. 4, April 27, 1975.

 

January 24

ART-GARDENS

Aphorisms on Art by Sri Chinmoy

 

1.

A new art will give you new pleasure. New pleasure is another name for self-transcendence.

2.

Because you are a sincere seeker-artist, God will give you the capacity to avoid frustrating and contradictory paths. He will lead you along a single path, the path of aspiration-trees with inspiration-flowers.

3.

For a God-manifesting artist, there will always be a world of inner sunshine.

4.

Do not be curious; do not be anxious. Lo, a new art world is dawning to glorify and satisfy you.

5.

If you are an earth-bound artist, then you have to turn toward the Truth-Beauty. If you are a Heaven-free artist, then the Truth. Beauty will turn towards you.

6.

A spiritual artist sees stark frustration as a signal to try harder than ever.

7.

A human artist wants to radiate his artwork through his imagination. A divine artist wishes to radiate his artwork with what he inwardly and really is.

8.

Do not listen to your mind. Do not tolerate your mind. Lo, you will overnight become the master-artist of your life.

9.

O artist, I tell you a supreme secret: Your outer success may temporarily be enjoyable, but your inner progress will everlastingly be profitable.

10.

O artist, because you live in the divided thought-world, your mind-power is useless and your heart-power is hopeless.

11.

The divine artist who, at every moment, offers the beauty and purity of his artwork to his Inner Pilot knows that his inner joy can never have any equal.

12.

Because you have not corrected and simplified your difficult life, you are finding that it is an extremely difficult task to become a good artist.

13.

The artist who sees through himself before and after completing each of his pieces of art is going to be the artist unparalleled.

14.

Do you want to cancel your past mistakes? Then ask your mind to learn the art of unlearning, and ask your heart to learn the art of crying.

15.

If you want to see yourself extremely beautiful, then sit down on your inner mountain peak and start painting your life.

16.

Truth-consciousness is a form of divine art. This art frightens the desiring mind and inspires the aspiring heart.

17.

Each unnecessary thought is a colossal failure in the mental art. Therefore, ask your mind to house only necessary thoughts.

18.

An iota of impurity is a damaging reality in the psychic art. Therefore, ask your heart not to give shelter to impure feelings.

19.

The human art is to see the world and possess the world. The divine art is to love God the creation and sing the song of inseparable oneness with God the Creator.

20.

Each act is a piece of art. The supreme Artist, my Beloved Supreme, has already completed the supreme Art. Right before me, He has placed His Eternity's Lamp. But alas, I have not yet started my own art work, and I do not know when I shall start. My art work is to illumine my inner life, placing the Lamp inside the depth of my heart. My art work is to guide my outer life, carrying that Lamp with me.


Published in Jharna-Kala Art Quarterly, pages 7-8, Vol. 3, No. 3.

 

 

November 30

Photo by Sri Chinmoy

 

Photos by Bhashwar Hart

 

Before leaving the room at Wagner College in Staten Island, where he had just held a public concert and meditation, Sri Chinmoy draws a spontaneous Jharna-Kala in honour of two of his disciples — the ephemeral medium of chalk captured for posterity by the photographer.

 

 

February 26

 

Sri Chinmoy completes 10,000 paintings in 100 days in Jamaica, Queens, New York. The final 1,000 paintings are completed in 21 hours.

 

Photo by Bhashwar Hart

 

Sri Chinmoy painting at Progress-Promise function hall in Queens, New York.

 

 

Description

Medium: Acrylic paint
Material: Sketch paper
Dimensions: 20cm x 25cm

 

Provenance

Date: February 26, 1983
Original owner: Prabhir Bothwell
Collection: Sri Chinmoy Centre (Perth)