Art Exhibitions

Having lost her father at a young age during war, Helena’s passion is bringing families together and teaching left and right brain education.

From beginning life under the Pol Pot regime in Cambodia, from which she escaped with her family when she was 6 years old, sadly losing her father along the way, Helena is on a mission to reunite and bring together families and humanity in order to create harmony through love, awareness, connection and consciousness.

Coming from a war-torn country, education was a prized achievement, and she was the first in her family to attain a university degree, in Pharmacy, so she could help support people’s health.

Following her time as a pharmacist, Helena and her husband have run several successful businesses, the current being a multiple award-winning children’s education business encompassing left brain and right brain functions, embracing IQ (intelligence quotient) and EQ (emotional quotient), skills-based learning in a fun environment, originally inspired by Helena’s watching her uncle’s efficient use of the abacus for mental mathematics calculation skills.

Helena experienced several pivotal moments that made her question ‘Why am I here?’, and ‘What’s my purpose’? These prompted her to devote time to her family without overworking, and run her business that fulfills her pose of connecting families and children, and providing innovative education for families, especially mothers.

Naturally curious, Helena continues to read, learn and innovate. She is interested in health and wellness, spiritual healing. Helena aims to leave behind skills and knowledge in the form of brain stimulation programs and methodologies in teaching kids ‘how’ to learn.

She regularly returns to Cambodia, raising funds to deliver rice to orphanages, where she aims to ultimately help the education for children, including autistic children. Helena is described by her loved ones as compassionate and caring, with a willingness to give and share unconditionally, possessing a leadership aura and wisdom. 

Nirmal carries on the family tradition of practising and teaching Odissi classical Indian dance and music.

Nirmal Jena teaches and presents his distinct family lineage of Odissi Indian classical dance and music, offering a deep and engaging learning experience to those curious about the world and its creative power. 

After founding the Odissi Dance Company with his wife Chitrita, to promote their unique Odissi Indian classical dance and music, they established the Arts and Life Education Gurukul, an Australian charity whose core program is ‘Odissi: Dance for Humanity’, offering free and comprehensive training in Odissi dance and music, as well as life skills, to young people faced with financial hardship.

Odissi dance developed in the eastern Indian State of Odisha, along the Bay of Bengal. Its distinctive technique is based on the certain dance positions which are preserved in the reliefs found in temple architecture throughout Odisha.

The Jena style of Odissi dance is known for its authenticity and for powerfully integrating the body, mind and soul in the training process. It boldly challenges social barriers related to gender, age, ethnicity, class and religion. Nirmal's Odissi can be learnt as an everyday practice to build resilience as well as for performance.

Nirmal also loves Indian music, philosophy and history, gardening, woodwork and recycling, and is described by loved ones as a very supporting, gentle and unconditionally loving family member who inspires others with his resilience even after experiencing trauma early in life.

He is passionate about creativity, humanity and diversity, and is grateful to have had the opportunity to immerse himself in his art and evolve it into an original and universal practice of Odissi dance and music.

Man of many talents and interests, Bob combines his love of permaculture and art to create a world of wonder.

Fascinating artist and filmmaker Bob revels in exploration, immersing himself in the arts, wilderness, philosophy and what’s happening in the world around him. An avid reader with a voracious appetite for knowledge, Bob is affectionately known by some as ‘Google’, for his in-depth insights into an endless range of topics.

With a strong sense of fairness and justice, Bob travelled to West Papua to create the documentary film ‘One People One Soul’. He taught editing at the Australian Film and Television School (AFTRS), and won best editor award for factual editing at the Australian Screen Editors Association.

Having studied visual arts at Meadowbank TAFE, Bob has a passion for abstract art, figurative art, the human figure, and the beauty in the ordinary objects of life. A natural storyteller, Bob has woven stories for television for over 30 years, and now from his NSW farm he tells visual stories through his evocative works of art in charcoal, pastel, ink and mixed media. 

Gregarious, curious and hilarious, Bob has a deep sense of appreciation for people, and generously shares his time and delectable dinners with loved ones, nurturing his relationships.

Permaculture, music, sculpture, nature and whimsey all hold a dear place in Bob’s heart and guide his creations.

Opera singer Maria teaches singing to enable her students to express their unique personalities and allow their light to shine.

Russian-born singing teacher Maria draws on her professional training and experience as a mezzo-soprano opera singer, combined with her infectious joy, generosity and creativity, to guide students in finding their true voice.

With her unique approach, Maria's goal is to bring out the true spirit of each performer in every song. As a vocal coach, Maria helps her students unlock their voices through technical skills and also through connecting with their inner selves, bringing them freedom, confidence and joy.

She deeply believes that singing is not just about mastering technique but about opening up one’s personality and giving it the power to shine.

Having performed and taught in Russia, Australia, France, and the UK, she has developed a teaching philosophy that focuses on discovering the unique voice of each individual and using that as a tool for personal empowerment. Singing is a powerful form of expression, and Maria works closely with her students to help them connect to their inner selves, not just as singers but as individuals.

Her goal is to guide each student to a place where they feel confident, free, and powerful, using their voice as a reflection of their personality. In doing so, she encourages students to explore their full potential, both vocally and personally, giving them the tools to express their emotions, ideas, and unique artistic identity.

Maria helps her students build vocal coordination, confidence, and expressiveness no matter their style. Whether it’s pop, jazz, or classical, her method is about unlocking the soul behind the voice and empowering the person to shine through their music.

Maria also enjoys knitting and painting, helps people to believe in their potential and supports them in any situation, and naturally teaches others to be together, to appreciate life, and to cherish every moment we are given.

Her legacy is to leave students who love to sing and who bring joy, warmth, and kindness to the people around them.

With a passion for the performing arts, the Olympics, and homecrafts, Sylvia beautifully nurtured her family and her potted plants.

Born in Wales to Welsh and Irish parents, Sylvia arrived in Australia in 1961 where she met her husband Serge. A loving mother and primary school teacher, Sylvia was a family-oriented lady with a passion for homecrafts such as sewing and knitting, and tending to her garden, especially her potted plants.

She loved singing, music and performance arts, as well as the Olympic games and playing tennis. She had a passion for history, and for traveling in her younger years before dedicating herself to family life.

Sylvia travelled from Wales to ski in Norway, attended the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, and went on a 6-week cruise to Australia in 1962 via the Suez Canal. She and Serge loved visiting their favourite NSW coastal towns such as Port Stevens in Nelson Bay, as well as the Blue Mountains.

Sylvia was wonderfully nurturing of people and relationships, as well as conserving things such as natural history magazines. Her family describe her as a gentle, caring, devoted lady who was encouraging, loyal, tolerant, generous and sincere. Her legacy is the primacy of family, the family home and her love of family heritage.

Seaman, engineer and science teacher, Serge was deeply curious of the natural world and human beings.

Born in China to Russian parents, Serge arrived in Australia in 1953, where he met his wife Sylvia with whom he started a loving family. With a varied career as a seaman, electrical engineer, building company director, and secondary school science teacher, Serge was a deep thinker, academic, industrious and disciplined.

He had a passion for science, including human biology, physics and astronomy, and was deeply curious of the natural world and individuals. He was also interested in art, music and athletics, as well as gardening, in particular landscaping.

Serge travelled the world as a merchant navy seaman, mainly Asia and the Americas, including Shanghai, the Philippines, the Panama Canal, Chicago and New York. He and Sylvia loved visiting their favourite NSW coastal towns such as Port Stevens in Nelson Bay, as well as the Blue Mountains.

He is described by his family as being extremely hospitable, honest, generous and conscientious. Like Sylvia, he loved travelling when young, before dedicating himself to providing for his family. Serge was a peacemaker, and worked hard to improve his corner of the world.

Krishna’s top priorities are parenting and creating his original music - a fusion of blues, rock, funk, soul, jazz and reggae, and soulful vocals.

Aria-nominated musician Krishna has an eclectic taste in music that comes out in his own original work, which is predominantly a blend of rock, blues, funk, soul, jazz and reggae, being a blues guitarist at his roots, with a beautiful, soulful voice.

He has relished career highlights such as national tours in rock act Juice with INXS, Radiohead, Hoodoo Gurus and The Tea Party, and outdoors festivals such as the Big Day Out. Krishna’s musical influences include artists Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Stevie Wonder and The Beatles, with his guitar inspired by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix.

His dedication and perseverance through the hardships of being a musician today inspires others to keep creating, motivating them by example to get out there and be brave to do what they want to do.

A sensitive soul with a big heart, Krishna is a committed and caring family member, who lights others up with his encouragement, playfulness and cheeky humour.

Krishna is meticulous in mixing and producing his own music, and continuously releases his endlessly evolving and reflective original music.

He loves socialising, taking delight in cooking and entertaining his family and friends, going for walks in nature and swimming in the sea, enjoying the serenity.

At 93, John is continuing to learn and explore consciousness and the nature of reality, recently taking up yoga at age 92.

At 93 years of age, John has an insatiable thirst and passion for exploration. He is constantly seeking unusual opportunities and experiences, and recently took up yoga at the age of 92.

He highly values the qualities of trust and courage in a crazy world. He sees unlimited possibilities of creating our own delights, improvising as we go along, making up our experience just for the fun of it.

John seeks out the experience of serenity, peace, silence, and most of all stillness, and deeply appreciates the natural world, which inspires his stillness meditations. He prizes co-operating and collaborating with nature and its breathtaking beauty.

A deeply emotional, sensitive and contemplative man, he highly regards the qualities of curiosity and caring, and asks the big questions, such as ‘What’s the universe made of?’ and ‘What are we doing here?’ He aims for balance, as an outcome of practising patience, persistence and perseverance.

John is very loving, supportive and encouraging to those around him, always willing to lend a helping hand or give a kind-hearted compliment. He is engaging and co-operative, and enjoys being of service.

John is seen by others as a wise man, a sage, who delights in sharing his wisdom gleaned from lived experience and intuition.

A Doctor of Philosophy, with a PhD in Chemistry and Biochemistry, who taught at several major universities in the United States, John’s current favourite book is ‘Letting Go – The Pathway to Surrender’, by David Hawkins, which has deeply transformed his perspective and experience of life, and opened him up to his spiritual essence.

John is kind, compassionate, caring, with a big heart, and open to continue exploring new ideas every day.

Mother of 12 children, Molly made ends meet following the great depression and WWII, always ready to welcome and feed unexpected guests.

Only child, and mother of 12 children, Molly had a great love of babies and animals, especially dogs. While still single, she loved working as a volunteer nursing aid in a children’s home, visiting the Norland Nursing College and Nursery, drove a car, and went surfing with George before they married and started their huge family.

She had a deep affinity for wildlife and nature in all forms, as seen in their suburban family home and vegetable garden which sported many dogs, cats, tumbling pigeons, a snake, and a sheep to keep the grass down.

They even had a galah which asked people entering the dining room ‘Wanna cuppa tea?’, and enticed the cat, saying ‘Come on Puss, come on Puss, Puss, Puss’. Molly was very passionate about looking after animals, belonging to the Animal Welfare League, where she would go to regular meetings.

Coming out of the depression into the second world war, she knew how to make food stretch, especially after her husband passed at a young age, leaving her to care for their children on her own. Nevertheless, she was very welcoming and generous with feeding anyone who dropped in - her dining room table constantly laden with food and there were endless offerings of tea.

She loved playing carpet bowls, watching humorous television shows, and meeting friends and doing crafts together - she was a good and prolific knitter, making cosy bonnets, jackets and even underwear for family members. 

With a passion for reading and fascination of local history, she belonged to several local historical societies. Her two big trips were by ship to New Zealand, Gabo Island and Tasmania.

She also enjoyed learning First Aid with the St John Ambulance Association, and competed with the Norland team for trophies.

Molly is described by family as a beautiful, lovely woman, with amazing strength, who had a wonderful family despite the hardships, and inspired her children to be curious about all aspects of life.