"Mandala" 2022

Mandala (2022) is a one-of-a-kind ambient wall work by New Zealand artist John Allen — a piece of rare material, rare construction, and rare feeling. At 450 mm in diameter, it is not large. But it is impossible to look away from.

The centre holds two types of glass, stacked and glowing: Helensite glass — made from silicate glass created by fusing volcanic dust and rock ash from the 1980 eruption of Mt St Helens in Washington State — and opal glass. The colours chosen for the surrounding painted surface, gold and turquoise, are carefully matched to the colours of the glass, so that the glowing centre blends seamlessly into the painted field around it. The effect is at once brilliant and subtle — the glass catches the light intensely, yet dissolves into the composition as though it has always been there.

The LED light is tucked behind the outer frame, directed inward, pooling at the centre. The four-layered kauri frame — reclaimed from an old Auckland villa once owned by the artist — encloses the composition like the rings of a mandala, drawing the eye inward with a sense of tremendous focus. You cannot look away. The glowing glass at the centre holds your attention completely — magical, positive, uplifting, and deeply of the spiritual realms.

A mandala, in its traditional sense, is a sacred diagram of the cosmos — a map of wholeness, used across cultures as an object of meditation and a symbol of unity. This piece carries that intention. Like Facets of Unity, it speaks to the idea that we are each part of something vast and whole — and that to look inward, with full attention, is to find that wholeness already present.

Mandala is an original artwork of extraordinary material and spiritual depth — a piece that transforms any room it inhabits.

Specifications:

• Title: Mandala (2022)
• Artist: John Allen
• Materials: Recycled NZ kauri (Auckland villa, 4 layers), Helensite glass (Mt St Helens volcanic ash), opal glass, paint, LED light, oil, wax
• Dimensions: 450 mm diameter
• Lighting: Integrated LED — plug-in, tucked beneath outer frame, directed inward
• Year: 2022
• Care: Indoor display recommended