How could I practice Buddhism in a city that is filled with concrete, metal and asphalt; with just a spattering of green they call city parks that close at dusk. Buddhist monks “dwell” in forests for months and years at a time to meditate and find enlightenment. I meditate in NYC, this is my forest, my urban jungle where I found inspiration. This is the story of a 10 year journey ending in a mural project (“Finding Inspiration in the Urbanscape” by Rafaela Santos (Spray paint on metal), Commissioned By: Ven. Dhammadipa Date: May, 2013 Location: Temple of Enlightenment, 3070 Albany Crescent, BX, New York).
About the presenterRafaela Santos
Rafaela Santos earned a BA in Urban Legal Studies and a Master’s level in Sociology at City College of New York and is a self-trained artist residing the Bronx, New York. A poet, an artist, and a sociologist and teaches meditation, crochet, salsa, and expressive urban art. She is currently employed as a Project Coordinator for a federally funded program in the Bronx. On July 9, 2014 Rafaela hosted the 3rd Annual Art Exhibit at the program with all of the works created by the clients.
Her current project Blur is a series of oil paintings depicting a visual of the urban environment at mesmerizing speeds. Daily visual impressions take on a blurred quality and the urbanite seeks to remember an experience yet is unable to do so unless the scene is slowed down or interrupted by a random event.
For example, the painting titled “The Platform” shows how the daily act of taking the subway/metro becomes a distorted chaotic event.