The 6th Art Salon hosted by Fo Guang Yuan Art Gallery in Flat Bush has begun.
On the recent opening day, an artist get-together was held to invite participating artists to return to Fo Guang Shan North Island for the opening ceremony.
The Curator of Fo Guang Yuan Art Gallery New Zealand, Abbess Manshin, led the organising team to participate in the ceremony.
The guests included Howick ward councillors Sharon Stewart and Maurice Williamson, Howick Local Board member Adele White, New Zealand Police Senior Sergeant Anson Lin, director of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Auckland Kendra Chen, and more than 200 artists and their relatives and friends.
This year, there are 90 local artists, with more than 400 artworks exhibited in the Art Salon.
There is a vast variety of artworks in the exhibition, which include but not limited to oil painting, watercolour painting, glass arts, photography, sculptures, weaving and embroidery.
Abbess Manshin delivered a speech to express her gratitude to the artists for returning to the Temple and coming together to celebrate the aesthetic of arts. Many artists have participated in the exhibition since the first Art Salon in 2016.
Fo Guang Yuan Art Gallery is a gift from the Founder of Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Order, Venerable Master Hsing Yun, to the world.
The art gallery team has been working day and night to set up the exhibition.
Stewart pointed out that the temple is the pride of the community.
She urged everyone to bring along families and friends to come along. She hopes the public will purchase these local artworks.
Williamson, who participated in the Art Salon for the first time, shared, “It’s great to see the joy on everyone’s faces, I look forward to seeing the artworks on display and getting in touch with talented New Zealand artists.”
The manager of Howick Historic Village, Lexie Palmer-Gapper, a historian, said that art and education are the basic building blocks of a culture.
“All artworks are creations made with lots of dedication, which is why these masterpieces often have special meaning and worth reminiscing,” Palmer-Gapper said.
