Morrison Polkinghorne is an Australian artist who recently returned from living in Cambodia for the past seven years. His grey and black toned paintings are made with lotus stems and artisanal ink, which he distills from petals.  His work uses this sacred flower as both theme and application. It is the perfect imagery for Cambodia, as it symbolizes the Lord Buddha’s spiritual awakening, emerging from the muddy dark depths into light and becoming a flash of beauty. 

“I envision my pieces ecologically, holistically and spiritually, with nature and culture as the inspiration. Lotus stems are my paintbrush, while its flowers create my tones.”