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FACE TO FACE | EASTERN HORIZON 31
When Art Meets the Dharma
By Chong Foong Ming
Foong Ming visited the Nine Floors Temple Masterpiece from Foong Ming – Masterpiece from Foong Ming - a
– the iconic building of Mogao Grottoes in
Dunhuang. Offering Bodhisattva partial depiction of a Tang Dynasty
Bodhisattva found in the 25th
Foong Ming studied in a Chinese The 465th cave of Mogao Grottoes cave of Yulin Grottoes (榆林窟) in
Independent School. Later, she is unique in its tantric style, Dunhuang.
graduated from Malaysian showing elaborate pieces related to
Institute of Art, majoring in Anuttarayoga tantras (Unexcelled or The foundation layer of Dunhuang
Interior Design. She started Unsurpassable yoga tantras). It was murals is laid directly on the
learning to paint at a very young built during the Western Xia or Yuan conglomerate rocks. After the stone
age, and over the years she has period. walls were carved, a layer of coarse
managed to learn from several mud mixed with wheat straw was
teachers. This painting depicts an Offering applied. When it was half-dried,
Bodhisattva on the right side of another layer of fine mud mixed
Ratnasaṃbhava Buddha, holding a with wheat straw or hemp fibre was
Zhi Yi of Eastern Horizon first lotus. The painting style is refined applied, and then a final layer of
met Sister Foong Ming during his and colourful, and the appearance powdered paste was applied on top,
university time, where they were is distinct from that of the Central which was as thin as an eggshell.
working very closely together Plains, which clearly suggests the To mimic this sense of depth, when
to organise the exhibition influence by tantric art from India painting this image on paper, the
about Buddhism and peace at and Nepal. texture of the mud wall is usually
the University of Nottingham simulated by applying a mud layer
Malaysia, Semenyih. This is a and then a white powdered layer
conversation between them, and on paper that has been treated with
Sister Foong Ming shared with alum water.
us her experience in Buddhist art
and her aspiration in using art
to propagate the Dharma.
