Bachan Kaur: Visual Artist, Sacred Musician, Teacher of Yoga and Meditation

“I love people – the mystery and the magic of consciousness,” says Roberts Creek artist Bachan Kaur. A recent arrival to the Coast (with her husband, eco-home builder Rama Singh), Kaur’s exhibition at The Gumboot Café is a reflection on love in all its diversity. Ranging from abstract surrealism through representational portraits, the work is as diverse as the subject, and as nuanced as its creator.

Born in Guelph, Ontario and named Madeleine by her Dutch-born mother, she immigrated to Vancouver with her family in 1999 and began a much longer journey in search of self. Her discovery of Kundalini Yoga provided a pivot on which her life is now balanced, moving her away from her original interest in organic farming and studies towards a degree in Agricultural Sciences and directing her into UBC’s Fine Arts program. Yogic meditation became the core inspiration for much of her painting, and all of her music.

The profound changes yoga and meditation made in her life were reflected in her new name, Bachan Kaur (meaning Princess of Promise), given her by spiritual teacher Yogi Bhaian.

Meditating and exploring “the light within people,” Bachan Kaur is fascinated by the connectivity of life and how people relate to their surroundings. When her sister was in labour with her first, long-awaited child, one of Bachan’s paintings was chosen as her “focal point.” The surrealistic image of a tiny heart swimming in a swirling mist of sea-green hung on the wall of the birthing room, holding her attention through endless hours of contractions through this past New Year’s Eve – as the extended family sat around her bed, encouraging each episode by blowing through New Year noisemakers. Bachan provided balance in the midst of this raucous jubilation by quietly playing guitar and singing her own compositions – gentle trancelike chants designed to calm and uplift. When Bachan’s nephew was born (the first boy born on New Year’s Day at St. Mary’s) he was named Ocean – perhaps suggested by the sea-green painting.

The chanting integral to yogic meditation first awoke Bachan’s love of devotional music. She found great joy in working with multi-faith groups in choral arrangements, and envisions eventually bringing together an “Amazing Aquarian Gospel Choir” creating unique and inspiring devotional choral music that blends many faiths together through the power of sound. Her two self-produced mantra/ meditation CDs are available for listening and purchase through her website (huemanbeing.com – a play on “hue” as in painting, and human being, as in her favourite subject.)

Bachan mentioned the connectivity of life also applied to her relationship with husband Rama Singh. Meeting at a Kundalini Yoga festival in New Mexico, they discovered both were originally from Guelph – and had lived on the same street – and in the same house – and in fact, had slept in the same bedroom (many years apart). They were married in August 2006 and in 2007 discovered their spiritual home in Roberts Creek, where they are part of a community developing a sacred healing and meditation centre. Painting, writing music, teaching Kundalini Yoga and building eco-homes, they say “we are so very grateful to be living in the embrace of nature which supports our work.”