Kurtis Brand
“We have the tendency to always seek flowers instead of being content with the moment. It’s the nature of delusion, desire, and opinions that hold us back from truly understanding ourselves.”
Kurtis’ Bio
About
Kurtis Brand is a multi-disciplinary contemplative artist who incorporates themes of emptiness, meditation and Buddhism into his work. He started on the path of the Dharma almost 20 years ago, after going through a major life change and stumbling across a Buddhist Meditation center in his neighborhood in Baltimore. He soon set out across the United States in a Winnebago, working remotely and seeking a meditation teacher. Five years passed before he found a 100-year-old Japanese Zen master in Los Angeles, with whom Kurtis studied for two years. Since then, he has studied under other masters in Ithaca, N.Y., and at the Detroit Zen Center.
Mission
Through mindful, transcendent art, Kurtis aims to help seekers achieve a healthy and calm mindset. Kurtis believes that “Contemplative practice is essential to help our culture evolve into the potential of kindness, love, compassion, and empathy.” Outside of his art, Kurtis wants to dispel the notions of perceived success and accomplishments presented in our society, as is in line with the Buddhist principle that there is nothing to be attained.
Practice
For Kurtis, every aspect of his life is part of his practice, from doing dishes to playing with his children. He meditates at 5 a.m. every morning for at least an hour, and he aims to attend a 7-day Sesshin retreat twice a year. His art practice is connected to meditation, and he approaches his art process as if it were a monastic practice, creating pieces with mindfulness, clarity, and relaxed focus.
“Enso,” the idea of togetherness & “Samu,” the idea of work practice.
Inspiration
Artists: Agnes Martin, Hakuin, Jackson Pollock, the minimalists of the 60’s and 70’s, Mark Rothko, Ad Reinhardt
Music: Indian Mantra music, Native American Flute music, Sound baths, Tibetan bowl music
Books: The Zen Teaching of Bodhidharma, The Age of Empathy: Nature’s Lessons for a Kinder Society, Wabi Sabi: The Japanese Art of Impermanence, True Perception: The Path of Dharma Art
More Info:
Instagram @kurtisbrand