In Buddhism, the Triple Gem—Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha—represents the three foundational refuges that guide practitioners toward liberation. Through three distinct works, I explore each aspect of this sacred triad, translating ancient wisdom into contemporary visual experience that invites both contemplation and direct experience.
Buddha manifests as a continuous portrait of Guan Yin, the bodhisattva of compassion. Guan Yin, whose name means "one who hears the cries of the world," remains visible from every vantage point in this never-ending circular composition. Her omnipresence mirrors the accessibility of awakened compassion—always available regardless of our perspective or spiritual position. As the living embodiment of mercy and responsiveness to suffering, she serves as an eternal reminder that these qualities form the heart of Buddhist practice.
Sangha emerges through an endless circle of footprints cast by members of my Portland, Maine sangha alongside my own. These prints emphasize the path itself rather than individual practitioners, inviting viewers to consider their own journey. The footprints speak to impermanence—even the greatest beings leave only traces—while marking the continuity of practice across generations. Beneath each set of prints, what appears as specks of dirt reveals itself as zoomed-in images of stars, underscoring the profound truth that there is no solid ground we stand upon. This celestial detail transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary, suggesting that wonder serves as an antidote to habitual grasping, bringing curiosity and presence into our lived experience.
Both photographic series are printed with white ink on transparent plexiglass, a material choice that embodies the Buddhist concepts of interbeing and impermanence. The works intentionally dissolve into one another and their surroundings, erasing boundaries between art object and environment, self and other.
Dharma takes form as an anthotype concealed within a wooden box. Anthotypes fade when exposed to light—opening the box to view the work contributes to its inevitable destruction. This piece transforms intellectual understanding of impermanence into visceral experience. The viewer faces an impossible choice between preservation and revelation, embodying the Dharma's core teaching that everything exists in the present moment, nothing endures, and our attachment to permanence generates suffering.
Through these works, I create space for encountering Buddhist wisdom through direct, embodied experience rather than purely intellectual engagement. Each piece functions simultaneously as artistic object and meditation tool, expressing both the universal principles of the Dharma and my personal understanding of the profound stillness that emerges from sustained practice.
