yOUR Way
Welcome to a place dedicated to Art & Movement
The
Arts
Centre
Tamarin Arts Centre is a venue for artists to come together to share ideas and create works of art in a special and creative environment on the island of Mauritius. We envision The Tamarin Arts Centre becoming a catalyst for new ideas & creativity - a vibrant working space for local artists, art groups and members of the local community; a home for art events, art classes and lectures; a welcoming environment for tourists and visiting artists from abroad. Our mission at Tamarin Arts Centre is to create a place where the local arts community can thrive and share their ideas and teachings. We also provide an environment within which the body can move, incorporating various dance and fitness programs, appealing to a wider audience.
We aim to most importantly :
Create
a flourishing artistic community based in Rivière Noire.
Widen
the audience for arts and creative expression in Mauritius
Introduce
interesting and innovative entertainment in all areas of the arts
Provide
education in the arts through classes & lectures
Make
a home for creative movement, art and dance
Set Up
an exhibition and gallery space to showcase the works of painters, sculptors, craftspeople, photographers, filmmakers and video installation artists
Tamarin Arts Centre is an inspiring journey into the world of art for the greater community of Mauritius where people from nearby and afar can be offered a vibrant space where they can be both entertained and educated.
ART GALLERY
& STUDIOS
ZoZo Banane
is a community arts project that will provide an exciting venue, for artists to come together in a creative atmosphere, share ideas and produce works of art. We will seek to provide a home for the burgeoning arts community in Tamarin Bay and Riviere Noire through the creation of a new arts centre.
ABOUT
The Tamarin Arts Centre
The Centre is located on the West coast of Mauritius. And is made up of five main buildings, all of which have been renovated from a site standing for 150 years adding to the ambience and appeal of an artist environment. The centre offers quiet seclusion with plenty of internal and external space, great natural lighting, high ceilings and easy parking. It is an ideal venue for studio space for local artists; a suitable venue for holding courses, classes and workshops in a variety of artistic disciplines. There is a pottery department, a yoga centre, a kids play centre, a CrossFit gym and Nomad, a restaurant serving international dishes. A warm and welcoming destination for those living in Mauritius, local and overseas artists and tourists.
THE FOUNDER
Leanda Brass
Leanda Brass discovered the buildings in Ramdanee Estates in 2011 and decided to transform the derelict site into an Art Centre. This took two long years and in the last few years a CrossFit gym and a restaurant have been thrown into the mix.
Leanda Brass arrived in Mauritius with two small babies in August 2011. Her intention was to stay for just 2 months, however one thing led to another and she is still very much part of the fabric of the Mauritian West Coast society. Brass an internationally acclaimed artist, worked on a number of high-profile commissions throughout her career, In 2005 she was formerly requested by The jersey heritage Trust, to work on the portrait of the The Queen of England in commemoration of her 80th Birthday. This resonating sound sculpture was originally displayed in Westminster Palace and now resides in Balmoral Castle.
In 2007 Brass produced the designs for the sound art installations for the New York Aquarium and one year later in 2008, she was asked to work with WRT design of New York, on The Philadelphia Arboretum.
Leanda has a unique technique of recording multiple vocals, based on seed syllables taken from Sanskrit, Sufism, Kaballah and other ancient prayer to produce inspiring and esoteric works of art. She has collaborated with many exceptional voice artists. In 1997 Brass partnered up with Liza Binford to co-create some outstanding pieces of work such as the Sonic Bath.
She was asked by Masbro Japan to work on the ‘Sonic Bath’ - a crystal glass bath cast in one piece, resonating the yogic mantras in a layered format. Her true interest is to create compositions based on healing sounds taken from ancient cultures and religions. Brass has travelled extensively across the world to more than 65 countries to research and gather these sacred mantras.
Leanda has made various television appearances and radio interviews, discussing sound sculpture and the merit of sound as a healing force. Leanda was one of the first artists in the world to successfully resonate sound through her glass and porcelain sculptures to produce beautiful resonating works of art. These have been exhibited across Asia, Europe, Africa and The Americas and are today held mostly in private collections.
Brass has worked on designing and creating Artist Studios in various countries; building thriving artistic communities and inspiring local artists by organising exhibitions and performances.
Qualifications:
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BEd (Hons) in Sculpture & the Arts, Queens College, Bristol
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Ceramic Sculpture, San Francisco Art2-Year Post-Graduate in Performance Art & Institute
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Internships with Oshio Ishi-Tokyo, Ismond Rosen-London, Tom Bass-Sydney
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1-year Apprenticeship in Italy-Pietra Santa with Maureen Wall & Neil Barab, 1 year
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Apprenticeship in New York with Irv Tepper
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Designed, built and set up Studios in London-The Arts Co-Operative
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Set up Art studios in Brazil-Poco di Panella
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Set up studios Orgiva, Spain
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Designed built and set up studios in Mauritius-Tamarin Arts Centre
Leanda links together the art of sound with the healing arts and combines these two modalities to arrive at a fusion of Science and Art. This was successfully managed with the production of The Sound Pod in 2004 which allowed traumatized patients to express their fear and pain. The Sound Pod was purchased by The Nightingale Foundation for the NHS. The focus of her work over the past decade has been centred on running The Tamarin Arts Centre. Leanda is about to commence work on her new project RUA RETREAT
