When 13-year-old Josh Menheere first noticed graffiti around the surf town where he grew up in Queensland, Australia, and learned techniques from his cousin who was dating a graffiti artist, he didn’t know that one day his own street art would spread spiritual consciousness and positively influence other kids’ lives.
Then, at age 17, an uncle introduced him and his family to Hare Krishna devotees Gunarnava Das and his wife Vishalini Dasi, Prabhupada disciples who ran the Govinda’s restaurant in Coolum.
At the time, Josh and his mother had a fractious relationship, and so she approached Gunarnava, a professional counselor, to help her son.
“Gunarnava Prabhu asked me to assist him on his art project about young people’s values and beliefs,” Josh, now Muchukunda Das, recalls. “He would ask me questions about my own, as well as about my interests in music and skating, and we’d take prasad together. Because he showed so much interest in me, I wanted to ask questions in return. So I asked him about Krishna consciousness. The answers he gave me were so immediately satisfying, that I didn’t need to doubt or ask any further.”
Josh began identifying as a Hare Krishna. By now an established street artist, he changed his graffiti “tag” from his skatecrew’s “JMJ” to the word “Veda,” which he felt better reflected his new ethos.
By his eighteenth birthday, in 2008, Josh had moved into the working men’s ashram at Atma Yoga in Brisbane, an outreach center run by disciples of Devamrita Swami. Serving at the local Govinda’s to pay his rent, he continued doing graffiti in his distinctive pop-art style, which was evolving into even more spiritual subjects such as Lord Krishna and Jagannath’s smiling face.
Read more: https://iskconnews.org/devotee-graffiti-artist-brings-positive-influence-to-youths-lives,7253/
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