In memory of Alan Kozlowski

On Thursday, September 17, 2020, Alan Kozlowski, an acclaimed and devout Artist who created in harmony with the moment, passed away at the age of 72.

Alan was born on September 11, 1948 in Oakland, California, USA. The world music culture of 1960s San Francisco set the life course for Alan, interweaving travel with photography, visual arts, cinematography, and of course music, with his “main artistic focus centering around mentor, teacher, and dear friend, Ravi Shankar.” ^[2]

Alan’s life and work brought him success in the film industry, artistic awards, pioneering creative and technological advancements, loving friendships, and honoring the intimate relationship an artist has with their art. In his website biography, he is described as always being “on the path of discovery … through his continual travel, deep exploration, extensive relationships, vivid imagination and unending curiosity”. ^[3]

Lama Tsultrim Allione talks of her friendship with Alan:
“Sad news of my friend Alan Kozlowski’s passing away this morning. I haven’t known him many years, but we were quite close in these last years and he made the beautiful photographs of the Tara statues in the Tara Mandala temple that we use on our Facebook posts and in many ways. He drove all the way from California in his decked out Sprinter to photograph them and then drove all the way back. And did it all as an offering to Tara Mandala.” ^[4]

The photos Alan took of the Tara statues at Tara Mandala are a powerful expression of his connection with Tibetan Buddhism, and how it impacted his relationship with creativity. In perhaps his last interview, published on September 11, 2020, in a beautiful sprawling 26-page feature article from the Montecito Journal (Santa Barbara, CA), Alan says:

“I was initiated by a Tibetan Lama who taught me the practice of immersing in the moment, where you let go of all manipulation of the outer world and just be 100 percent present with what is there … by immersion you are able to capture what is emanating from subject matter, as opposed to what you think should be.” ^[5]

We hope you enjoy this video tribute below, featuring some of Alan’s photos of the Twenty-One Tara statues at Tara Mandala.

~ With Blessings,
Tara Mandala