People drawing someone posing nude has something to do with Zen? It seems like antagonistic practices, since the monks must not show their body with their austere robes. But I see many converging points.

If you’ve never been to a live model session, what happens is one or more people posing, traditionally naked and other people drawing. The meeting styles can be very traditional classics to the most innovative, mixing performance, non-binary gender models, poses with movement and what else the creativity allow. The poses have varying times, ranging from one minute to longer periods, in general, 20 or 30 minutes.

The first point in common between the Zen and the living model is mindfulness. If you are drawing a model in front of you with a limited time for that, you cannot “space out”, it is either to be present or the pose is over. And for those who pose, you have to concentrate in not moving, to be present in your own body. This week I participated in a session with the model @desejonas who spoke about it, that when he is in the pose he enters a meditative state, totally focused on his posture.

It is in this present moment that the observer and the observed meet and the drawing is born. And who is the author of it? In Zen we speak of the emptiness of the three wheels, giver, receiver and gift are empty, one does not exist without the other, it is this interdependent co arising.

Another aspect in common is to have a group that practices together, in Buddhism it is the Sangha. Drawing together even through the computer screen brings a connection between those who participate.
And do what was proposed together, makes the distance overcome and brings a warmth of human connection.

Before the pandemicI used to go once and awhile to some groups, but since last year I started to be part of @nudesenhos, I participated in a session with the Argentine group @la.jam.tematica and this year I met and was delighted with the proposal of @riscoexperimental, who had a festival in March with incredible sessions and workshops and last month I participated in a very sensitive session with the collective @nuamodelovivo. It is worth looking at everyone on instagram and for those who are interested to join in some open session!

Models of the drawings: Amanda Malaguti (imagens 5 e 7), Bruna Sassi (1), Érika Domingues (8), Jonas Araújo (2 e 3), Marcela Corrêa Muller (4) e Thango (6)