Penjing is the ancient Chinese art of creating landscape scenes in miniature, reflecting an appreciation for the natural world which is deeply embedded in Chinese tradition. Dating back over two thousand years, this art uses carefully shaped living plants, sometimes with rocks and figurines to create a narrative and form an arrangement as a world within a world.
 
Similarly, the Memorial Healing Garden at the Oregon State Penitentiary is an arrangement of plants and stones and water to create a living world within the stark harsh world of imprisonment. This beloved garden is a special place for healing and moving forward, with motivation, cultivation, restoration and growth.
 
Join First Saturday PDX as penjing master Mark Vossbrink shares the power of qi involved in a garden – positive energy which ties into meditation and enlightenment in a Buddhist way.   Plants manipulate and attract energy; in a prison, the garden fosters that positive energy in that space. 
 
As one of our most popular speakers, Mark will also revisit a living piece created for us in 2019,  demonstrating how deliberate cultivation has contributed to its development.  Come experience the hidden energy and transformative power of penjing. Registration information can be found here.