Asariah Tellegen – Painter, Sculptor, Craft Designer and Writer

Asariah Tellegen has lived in Tasmania and Australia, working for many years as a painter and sculptor, using a variety of media.

Asariah's work features strongly in the current Clearview Gallery collection in Brisbane, as part of the 'Gallery Gig' Series of events with music recitals and Gallery viewings.  

Asariah is currently based in Norman Park, Brisbane, Queensland.

Contact: asariah_t(at)hotmail.com

Asariah's Backgoround

Asariah was born in Scotland in 1945. Her grandparents were Russian Jews who had fled the pogroms to settle in Glasgow.  From the first marks of colour on paper, and feel of plasticine molding under her hands Asariah loved making art. At the ripe old age of 9 she entered Glasgow School of Art for the first time, with Saturday morning classes in sculpture.  It was in her blood.  One of her Russian ancestors, a Chassidic Rabbi (thanks, I think it was he who helped me into Subud) was a sculptor.  
She left school at 16 for the lure of Art School. 

She didn't finish her studies there, with the death of her mother, but went to Israel where she lived for 3 years, again entering art school, this time in Jerusalem City.  The sound of bombing and gunshots moving closer frightened her into leaving Israel half way through her final year.  One week later the 6 day war broke out. 

She moved to London, living the last years of the 60's in the thick of it.  1969 she got pregnant and found Subud: two immense happenings that changed her life in all ways.  She moved to Tunbridge Wells, exploring art with her child.  5 years on she went to the Wolfsburg Subud Congress, met Luthfi Tellegen, married and moved to Australia.  Years of bringing up 4 more children and being happily married seemed enough.  But after the untimely death of her husband, art and writing emerged as a way for her to keep her identity, find space, and be a person whilst also being the sole parent of 5 incredible children. 

In the 90's Asariah took painting seriously and held many exhibitions; in Perth, Sydney,Canberra, Melbourne and Byron Bay.

Finally, the rather well travelled (gypsy) Asariah landed in Hobart, Tasmania and went back to University where she completed her degree, finally in 2003 as a Bachelor of Fine Arts; Sculpture Major. 
Three years ago Asariah moved up to Brisbane City where she happily potters about doing art, crafts, writing and being a grandma to 6.  Her last exhibition was last year near the Gold Coast where she had paintings in a group exhibition.  She is now exhibiting at the Clearview centre with other Subud members.

Asariah is also a writer.  She has had poetry published in Anthologies and Magazines and has written 2 books. The first is the story of the garden of Eden.  It is from the point of view of the 2 most fallen people in the story. It is Eve and Lucifer's love story, how it was for Eve growing up with Adam and falling in love with Lucifer.  The story takes away finger pointing blame and goes into how people see truth differently and  asks; what would the story be like without the strong concepts of good and evil? My story continues after death with Lucifer's account of his eternal love for Eve and how life on earth is perceived by the angels and characters in the heavens. 

The second book is about my severely disabled son's life.  He wasn't meant to survive birth but lived a mammoth 19 years.  The book's title says it all... A Life Worth Living.  It tells the story of Rachman's life, but also expresses, through the use of active imagination, Rachman's voice... and the message is clear that a soul may choose to come into this world in many different ways; perhaps as a profoundly disabled person, both for his/her own development and also to give.  Rachman was one of, if not the, biggest teacher in my life.