I don’t think I’ve ever explicitly stated that these four sculptures belong to the same series, The Enduring Promise (I had trouble deciding on the title for a while). So I thought I’d write a short piece about it.
Buddhist statues are usually serene, designed to inspire us to look beyond our messy realm. Even the fierce ones often feel distant (magnificent and unreachable). But what if I tried sculpting these divine figures through the lens of human emotions… the very emotions that give philosophy and wisdom their depth?
That was the core idea behind my first series. I wanted to bridge the gap between the divine/abstract ideal and human feeling, to re-imagine how these iconic figures might appear if their vows carried a living, emotional weight.
- Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara: Empathy made visible.
- Fudo Myōō (Acala): Righteous fury made achingly tangible.
- Jizo Bosatsu (Kṣitigarbha): Sorrow held tenderly in hope.
- Maitreya: The promise that awaits even in desolation.
My next series, Devourers and Witnesses, will dive into the shadows. It will explore moral ambiguity and darkness, featuring figures like the tempter Mara and the transformed demoness Kishimojin…what happens when compassion reaches its limits.
Stay tuned.
