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Searching for Peace in Poona: Cyril Mount and Madhuri Ewing

In 1978, at the age of 58, Cyril Mount (painter, arts educator, ex-soldier, peace activist, husband and father) set off for the ashram of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (Osho) in Poona, India, having become a devotee of the guru in the late sixties. Cyril had struggled to find inner peace and was especially troubled by the recurring trauma of his wartime experiences, leading to a severe mental breakdown in the early sixties. The intention for his 1978 journey to Poona was to meet Baghwan and ask him a question that had troubled him deeply.

The exhibition Searching for Peace in Poona, curated by Alison Darnbrough, opening this weekend at ArtsMill Gallery, tells the story of that journey with excerpts from the journals, sketches and paintings he made during his stay at the ashram and travelling in India. This is the first time the journals, sketches and watercolours have been shown in public.

Curator Alison Darnbrough became close friends with Cyril in 2010 following his donation of thirty of his war paintings to the Peace Studies department at the University of Bradford where Alison then worked.  At the time of his death in February 2013, Alison and Cyril were planning a trip back to India to the ashram at Poona. Following his death Cyril's son, Victor, sent Alison Cyril's journals and some paintings of India. It was then that Alison discovered the Poona journal; and the idea for an exhibition was formed.

Complementing the exhibition are the paintings, photographs and the recently–published The Poona Poems of Sanyyasin, artist, poet, metaphysical therapist and meditation teacher, Madhuri Z K Ewing. California-born Madhuri travelled to India in the seventies and for the next twenty-six years lived at the ashrams in Poona and Oregon. It is most likely that Madhuri and Cyril were there in Poona at the same time.

Madhuri Ewing

The exhibition continues at ArtsMill until 9 July and is open Wednesday to Sunday, 11am to 5pm and entry is free. The exhibition will also be shown in London and Brighton and finally in Poona.

Click here for details of events during the Exhibition