Mandalas

The term mandala has become a generic way of describing any circular geometric pattern, but it is important for us to understand where this word comes from and exactly what it represents. Originating in the Himalayan region, early in the 11th century, the word mandala takes its origins in Sanskrit and can be translated into “circle”. Sanskrit being synonymous with Hindu spiritual faith the word circle or what we call a mandala is in fact considered geometric representation of the Universe.

Early versions of the Mandala can be found in the Hindu faith where we would see geometric shapes representing deities. Buddhism took this concept one step further and today if you speak to someone in the Buddhist faith they will tell you that these paintings are in essence a 3 dimensional celestial palace with rooms that contain deities. Lets call this a mind map, a map to help us further our spiritual journey.

The Swiss analytical psychologist C G Jung, whose study of the unconscious led to a series of geometric shapes as drawings of "consciousness" and his familiarity with the Indian philosophical scripture led him to adopt the word mandala to describe these shapes. This is perhaps why the human psyche has always been fascinated by these complex, colorful images.

Our collection will focus almost entirely on Buddhist Mandalas, a Mandala by Buddhist standards will respect certain basic rules of composition and geometric proportion, although each painting you see is unique in its own way, we will try and cover some of these basic iconographic rules.