Back to the Source

This is a Diptych. Tim Ratliff asks a Buddhist monk what happens when we die. The monk responds, “You return to the ocean. A happy return, like coming home.” The line draws from a long-standing metaphor in Buddhist and Eastern philosophy, where individual life is likened to a drop of water, and death to its return to the sea. It reflects the idea that the self is never truly separate—only temporarily distinct—and that death is not an end but a return to a larger, continuous whole. Rather than offering doctrine, the monk speaks in image and symbol. His words align with traditions that view consciousness or being as part of an unbroken cycle, where dissolution is not loss but reintegration. This perspective doesn’t center on punishment, reward, or judgment—it emphasizes release, continuity, and unity. The scene uses this framework not to preach, but to portray how some cultures and philosophies approach mortality: with calm, with familiarity, and with the belief that to die is not to vanish but to return to where we came from. The phrase “a happy return” encapsulates that worldview without needing to explain it

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ARTIST STATEMENT
My name is Astrid Dahl of Thai and Norwegian blood, and have lived in Asia (Bangkok, Singapore, Malaysia, Bali)including Papua New Guinea, Spain and London but mostly in Australia.
My work is essentially landscapes with moments of irregularity that occur within my random process. Chance, improvisation and intuition play a big part in my art process. I embrace the poetry of life and pay heed to the spiritual aspects. Each work evolves of its own accord as meaning; spirit and paint combine in its dance of creative expression. At times the painting relinquishes my control over it and begins its own journey of discovery from past lives, present and future projections.
My techniques are gained from constantly experimenting with a variety of mixed media. Some of these mediums include, acrylics, acrylic inks, texture gel, liquid acrylics, gold and silver leaf and oil paint which is the final layer.
Each art work is an extension of my thoughts about my inner and outer worlds, calling for different ways of interpreting and responding. Therefore I am not stuck in one style or idea, moving like a butterfly this way and that, alighting just for a short time then moving on to the next…………….
I have been painting and exhibiting for the last 60 years and have art works in many galleries, corporations and people’s living spaces all around the world. Some of these include, Madang (PNG) Singapore, London, Norway, Canada, Bali (Indonesia), Hong Kong, Spain, The Netherlands, China (Shanghai), Australia and USA.
I hope there is a dialogue between my art works and you (the viewer), each expressing different viewpoints but continuing a meaningful, visual conversation.
Astrid Dahl - Born in the Year of the Monkey - The artist - plays, dreams, celebrates, explores, mourns, and constantly interprets and re-interprets the essence of life.