Join us on Sunday, 28 June at 5:00 PM, for an evocative evening of dialogue and discovery, set under the luminous full moon at Saraswati Mahavidhyalaya, Beaufort Street.
This thoughtfully curated symposium brings together three distinguished speakers - Dr. Anu Sutharshan, Mr. Christian de Vietri, and Ms. Subhashini Maniam - each offering a unique perspective on the interconnected worlds of geometry, mandala, music, and sculpture. Through their insights, the evening will unfold as a rich exploration of how form, sound, and structure converge to shape perception and deepen our lived experience.
Guided and convened by the host, the conversation will move beyond discourse into a space of reflection and experiential understanding - inviting audiences to engage not only intellectually, but intuitively. This symposium marks the beginning of SMV’s Education Series—a growing platform for inspiring presentations, conversations, and knowledge-sharing across artistic and cultural disciplines.
Location
263 Beaufort St, Perth WA 6000, Australia
Bookings
Free event - RSVP
Introducing Christian de Vietri | Secret of the Shilpis
What is the sacred source from which dance, music, poetry, sculpture, and architecture arise?
Internationally recognised artist Christian de Vietri brings together sculpture, sacred art, and spirituality through a practice deeply informed by the traditional knowledge systems of India. He is the creator of Spanda, the monumental sculpture at Elizabeth Quay in Perth, and has also created major public installations in New York, China, and other parts of the world. Drawing upon the wisdom of Kashmir Trika Śaivism and the principles of Śilpa Śāstra, he explores how ancient understandings of form, consciousness, and creativity continue to illuminate contemporary life.
In Secret of the Shilpis, Christian reflects on the teachings of the great rishi Mayan and the science of artistic creation, revealing the five arts not simply as creative disciplines, but as profound pathways for human transformation and awakening.
Introducing Dr. Anu Sutharshan | Sacred Patterns in Motion
How does the dancer’s body become a living expression of geometry, music, rhythm, and emotion?
In Sacred Patterns in Motion: Exploring Geometry and Raga in Bharatanatyam, Dr. Anu Sutharshan explores Bharatanatyam as a profound synthesis of form, raga, tala, and human expression. Drawing from the wisdom of the Natya Shastra, her presentation reflects on how lines, angles, triangles, circles, rhythm, and rasa come together through the dancer’s body.
Her research also brings a deeply meaningful contemporary lens, exploring Bharatanatyam as a therapeutic and developmental tool, particularly for individuals with Down syndrome.
Introducing Subhashini Maniam | Re-thinking Ragamala Miniatures
How can colour become sound? How can music become image? How can emotion take visual form?
Western Australia–based artist and educator Subhashini Maniam explores these questions through her research, Re-thinking Ragamala Miniatures: Exploring Colour, Music and Emotion in Contemporary Art Making.
Drawing from her training in Carnatic music and her background in Fine Arts and Contemporary Practice, Subhashini re-examines the classical Ragamala miniature tradition through a contemporary lens. Her work moves between tradition and experimentation, using colour, abstraction, symbolism, sound, and installation to create a renewed visual language for Ragamala today.
Introducing Dr. Sarasa Krishnan - Facilitator
Dr. Sarasa Krishnan has spent more than four decades exploring the deep connections between art, philosophy, culture, and consciousness. Trained in Kathak, Bharatanatyam, Odissi, and visual arts, her work moves across tradition, research, teaching, writing, and creative practice.
As Vice President and Head of Education at Saraswati Mahavidyalaya, and curator of the Samvāda Symposium Series, Dr. Krishnan brings together artists, scholars, and thinkers to open meaningful conversations about creativity, awareness, and the human experience.
Her work asks us to look beyond art as performance or expression alone, and to consider it as a pathway to connection, reflection, and transformation.