Basia J. Lipska has been involved in the yoga industry since 2000. She has instructed, trained, supervised yoga-related projects appearing in the media as a promoter of yoga and healthy living standards. The transformative power of yoga, its notion of psychosomatic knots as well as its therapeutic practice became the driving force of her creative interests which range from painting and graphic design to fashion, culminating in an MFA in design. Basia has been involved in the expansion and development of studios and organizations in Japan, Poland and Norway. She presently teaches classes in both Oslo and Warsaw and offers retreats internationally. View a collection of Basia´s yoga-inspired designs and projects and see footage of the filming of her yoga dvd in Monika Kotecka´s Nokia Audience Award-Winning short film, Chasing the Dream.
Art Background
2006 Academy of Fine Arts, Wroclaw, Poland. M.F.A.
1994 Concordia University, Montreal, Canada. B.F.A.
1993 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, CREPUQ Scholarship.
Exhibits
2009 Art International Exhibit. Penang, Malaysia (Digital Images & Drawings of Yoga Postures)
2008 Olympic Fine Arts Exhibit. Beijing, China (Digital Images & Drawings of Yoga Postures)
2008 Beijing International Art Biennale. Beijing, China (Digital Images & Drawings of Yoga Postures)
2007 “Samskara” Gallery K, Tokyo, Japan. (Ink Drawings, Floor Installation of reproduced sutras)
2006 “Magic Carpet” Gallery K, Tokyo, Japan. (Floor Installation of painted yoga mats & drawings)
2005 “Labyrinth: danced” Museum Tokyo Space, Tokyo, Japan. (Painted mandala floor installation & performance)
2001 “Sacred Graffiti” permanent exhibit. Museum Tokyo Space, Tokyo, Japan. (Mural of reproduced holy scripts)
Performance
Coda, Oslo International Dance Festival. October 2009
Knots solo photo exhibit & yoga demonstration. Yoga Jam Studio, Montreal, Canada 2006. Press: Featured in WL magazine, vol 2, Montreal 08/2006 Article: “Vogue meets Ashtanga”2006 .www.ashtanganews.com
Yogafest Tokyo. Yoga choreography & performance. Tokyo, Japan. September 2004,2005
Slow Flow yoga choreography & performance. Slow-Flow Studio, Shibuya, Japan. 2005.
Kanzoin Buddhist temple yoga demonstration. Tokyo, Japan. 2006
Louis Vuitton Epi-Soft Campaign, yoga choreography & performance. Louis Vuitton Boutique, Tokyo. June 2002.
IlluminatiI Healing Arts Festival monthly yoga demonstrations. Museum Tokyo, Japan. 2001-2002.
Yoga is a path that I trudge upon daily, as do others worldwide. Access to the many postures lies not in the physique but in attaining the key to untangle the corresponding knot of the mind. Hence to me, this practice is a symbolic study of the dialectics of knots. I train to do and undo; to like what I dislike; to be detached from the things I love; to be comfortable in uncomfortable situations - In essence, to resolve opposition. I tackle entering unlikely and challenging situations as to be adept at undoing myself into a state of emancipation. This daily repetitive movement is a practice of observation, a study of the weaving of opposites as to produce a tapestry showing the way to transcend the dualistic nature of life. After many years of practice, this tapestry of knots is my personal map of an art of opposites. Yoga became a lifestyle for me, an art of living. And I, the artist creating my existence, painting my destiny onto the tabula rasa provided – the yoga practice mat.
