An eye-popping yet intimate portrait of visionary Australian architect and ethnographic draftsman Robert Powell who became an acclaimed fine artist painter during his four decades living in the Himalayan cultures of Nepal and south Asia. This celebration of Powell’s life work in stunning 4K+ detail is a visual delight.
 

Employing high resolution scans of his paintings (up to 10k) and 2D motion graphics the film brings to life the mind-altering works of Robert Powell while tracing the stages of his creative journey from grad student activist to young architect, to ethnographic draftsman to visionary artist extraordinaire.
 

Robert used a naturalist’s eye for microscopic detail and an anthropologist’s deep knowledge of cultural iconography to create eerily realistic images in ink, watercolors, and acrylic designed to strip away the preconceptions of scientific rationalism and conventional religion, uncovering—powerfully and often shockingly—the spiritual but always profoundly human meanings hidden in his sacred subjects.
 

Immersing himself in the ancient artisan cultures of the Himalayas, Powell developed not just a unique style but arguably an entirely new genre, as applied to his ability to breathe life into the sacred buildings and landscapes of the region— and to those of other Asian cultures.

Enchanted Matter follows the completion of Robert Powell’s artistic journey as he relocates to the idyllic island of Koh Samui off southern Thailand. Robert returns to Architecture and combines his extraordinary skill set to design the world-renowned wellness retreat of Kamalaya and a dream home built harmoniously within the island’s stunning rock formations and native tropical forest. It has been said that Kamalaya may be, “his greatest work of art.”

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Enchanted Matter is edited by Kathryn Himoff known for her work on the biopic’s, Georgia O’Keeffe which received nine Emmy and three Golden Globe nominations and Pollock the story of world renowned artist Jackson Pollock directed by Ed Harris.

 

The last feature doc collaboration between Tom Piozet (Producer-Director) and Kathryn Himoff (Editor) Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion won the SBIFF Audience Award and screened prominently at Toronto (TIFF) before going on to win awards on six continents. After a wide theatrical release, it became one of the original streaming titles on Netflix, and remained in their top thirty documentaries for five years.