This colorful exhibition presents artwork by Steven Leuthold that fuses the physical dimension of yoga with its origins and function as a spiritual practice. It is on display in the Huron Mountain Gallery until the end of November. The opening reception will be held Thursday, October 12th at 6pm. An artist talk for this gallery will take place at 6:30pm.

Paintings in this exhibit combine yoga postures (asanas) with colorful geometric abstractions; other present meditative symbols and still others represent the system of energy centers (chakras) that is a core of yogic theory. Leuthold is from the US, not India, so the exhibition also reflects upon the question, ‘what happens when a spiritual tradition that originates in a specific location is transposed into a different cultural context and expressed in a distinct artistic language’? The exhibition includes work from early in Leuthold’s career, some works from India, as well as recently completed paintings.

“As a professor of art history at NMU, I have taught several courses on Asian Art. During a sabbatical in winter 2023, I took the opportunity to travel to India and Nepal to deepen my understanding of the art of those countries. While there, I collected paintings by Indian and Nepali artists, some of which express yogic principles. I have included these in the exhibit along with introductory explanations of their significance.”

The goal of the exhibition is to invite viewers to experience yoga and meditation visually. Many viewers may think of yoga only as a set of physical exercises; the artwork combines the physical dimension of yoga with its origins and function as a spiritual practice. While some of these works have been displayed individually in NMU faculty exhibits, this is the debut of this series in its current form.