Gera Kwong Ka-lai, a receptionist at a Hong Kong security company, had never picked up a paintbrush or shown any interest in creative arts – until she discovered she had cancer.

In Hindu and Buddhist traditions, mandalas are an object of meditation that aid focus and help with a person’s spiritual growth, the geometric designs – mostly circular – made up of repetitive colours, shapes and patterns.

The intricate designs of the Tibetan sand mandalas can take days or even weeks to complete.