Crystal Gandrud

Crystal Gandrud dropped out of pre-med and joined the circus, which eventually led to a Conservatory Classical Theatre degree and an advanced degree in Experimental Fiction. In 2018, she co-founded Lionheart Press with Susan Piver, a small press exploring Buddhism for everyday mystics. In 2022, she founded The Owl Circus to explore the nexus of art and alchemy Since 2009 she has ongoingly collaborated with visual artist Nuala Clarke, including many works shown on three continents. A feminine-centric commentary on the slogans of Atișa, Radiating Outward, Incrementally: A Manual, by Clarke and Gandrud, was released in 2024. She has been a practicing Vajrayana Buddhist in the Kagyü-Nyingma tradition for 25 years.