Bodhisattva Painting

This painting is somewhat inspired by esoteric Buddhist thangkas in mannerism and subject matter. I have chosen a close friend as a model for the portrait painting. This is not arbitrary. This individual represents for me a modern-day embodiment of an enlightened being (a Bodhisattva). He has gone through a considerable amount of suffering as well as joyful ecstasy and has eventually found equanimity and balance in his life. This, for me, is a true definition of a buddha. He has not allowed the various hardships in his life to limit his expression of unconditional love and servitude toward his fellow man. I have chosen a specific set of colors to exemplify certain qualities. A black background is used to portray the emptiness and darkness within the universe. Out of this dark emptiness manifests light matter. As such, I have created a gold outline as an exterior frame. The gold color is traditionally linked with eternity and eternal life because of its longevity and rarity. Here, I have made use of this idea as well to portray an immortal character. The character in the painting is portrayed in shades of grey and white. This reminds us of cadavers and is used as a symbol for a life after death, an immortal state of being. The term “cadaver” comes from the Latin word “cadere” meaning to fall. Interestingly, the model in the work seems to me a fallen angel; a being of pure light who has made peace with his inner darkness/ shadow self. An earring and golden lines embellish the work for aesthetic purposes. The character’s eyes are golden and full of light to provoke the idea of a pure light being. As for the symbol “Է” on the forehead between the eyebrows, this can be likened to the halo used to portray saints and angelic beings in art history. “Է” is the 7th letter of the Armenian alphabet and signifies “is” or “is-ness”. I believe that it is this state of “is-ness” and total surrender to the ultimate reality that allows us certain access to our spiritual dimension, and thus rendering us saintly beings. Furthermore, in Hindu and Buddhist traditions, the halo is usually representative of the mystical Kundalini energy raised from the base of the spine (Root Chakra, 1st Chakra) to the crown of the head (Crown Chakra, 7th Chakra), thus allowing one to become Enlightened. I have hence merged both concepts to express the idea of enlightenment by placing the symbol “Է” between the character’s eyebrows, supposedly where the third eye is located.

Painting:Acrylic on Wood

Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork

Size:19.7 W x 27.6 H x 0.2 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.