Art

Sri Chinmoy calls his artwork Jharna-Kala, which is Bengali for "fountain-art." The name reflects the spontaneous fountain of creativity he experiences through meditation, expressed and revealed through an extraordinary output of paintings in a wide array of media and forms.

Sri Chinmoy painted and drew rapidly and spontaneously in a meditative way. His mystical, often abstract works of art, varying from miniatures to murals, include a multiplicity of styles and techniques.

.Sri Chinmoy began his artistic journey in November 1974 in Ottawa, Canada. In his lifetime he created over 140,000 paintings. They have exhibited in galleries and prominent locations around the world, such as UN building in New York and the parliament buildings of the United States, Australia, New Zealand and the Ukraine.

In December 1991, Sri Chinmoy began drawing birds, representing the soul's freedom. Since then he has drawn millions of an ongoing series entitled "Dream-Freedom Peace-Birds", or soul-birds as they are often called. From 1991 to 2007, Sri Chinmoy drew millions of these soul-birds, sometimes as individual drawings, sometimes in groups ranging from a few birds together to thousands of birds on a single page.

"Usually when I draw, I try to be in a contemplative mood. I try to keep my mind as empty, vacant and tranquil as possible. The outer mind is like the surface of the sea. On the surface, the sea is full of waves and surges; it is all restlessness. But when we dive deep below, the same sea is all peace, calmness and quiet, and there we find the source of creativity."

Sri Chinmoy

Resources on Sri Chinmoy's Art

• Sri Chinmoy Art - includes selections of work pre 1996. Also includes writings on art and great artists
• Jharna Kala Art Gallery at Sri Chinmoy Centre
• Videos of Sri Chinmoy's Art