The Rama Exhibition

JOURNEY INTO THE VALLEY OF THE ENDANGERED ONES

The main chamber of wildlife thangka paintings, native trees in baskets, and wildlife prayer wheels, will be laid out as (LED) candle lit and spot lighted chapels in an intimate Cathedral of Life. Each of the 36 mixed media thangka paintings (7-feet by-5-feet) will be beautifully adorned with tassels and upcycled fabric border, and fabric side panels. The dramatic lighting, bioacoustical soundscape, stories of the remarkable qualities of the endangered ones, and victories in their preservation, will open the mind and hearts of those who take the time to receive the hidden messages in the thangkas.

The painting structure design was inspired by Calley’s love of manuscript illumination and Tibetan thangka paintings, hanging on bamboo or wooden rods. Used as traveling teaching and meditation tools for awakening, Tibetan thangkas are sacred, symbolic scroll paintings that are visually and mentally stimulating in order to lift up consciousness. Just as in traditional thangkas and manuscript illuminations, these paintings seek to emanate the energy of the endangered animal or ecosystem and invoke a strong feeling of love, caring, and protection.

The Earth will appear in every painting. The finely painted borders are inspired by the native plant communities, patterns from indigenous peoples associated with each animal’s region, or ecosystem challenges.

We are a part of this Earth and it is part of us.

— Chief Seattle, 1854