A Together in Art Pocket Exhibition curated by Melanie Eastburn
From the muddiest waters, the lotus blooms pure and bright.
I always smile when I see the lovers Radha and Krishna covered in petals, a goddess nursing the elephant-headed infant Ganesha, boys frolicking in a lotus pond, or Krishna prancing by the Yamuna river.
Also comforting is the historical Buddha on a lotus throne calling the Earth to witness his enlightenment, while the medicine Buddha holds a healing sprig in his alms bowl.
Symbolising purity, transformation and new beginnings, the lotus can brighten dark times.
Melanie Eastburn is senior curator of Asian art at the Art Gallery of New South Wales