SHRINE OF HARMONY

 

Shrine of Harmony, acrylic on canvas, 2023. 24" X 16"

The twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac symbolize the earthly branches. In order, they are the Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. Each of the twelve Chinese zodiac signs has a unique character that differentiates them from one another. Every individual is different to every other individual, as they attach themselves to factors (like race, religion, hobbies, etc.) which make these individuals appear similar although these things are shallow. Although some of the signs are conflicting with others (e.g. rat and horse, ox and goat, etc.) and may struggle to feel in sync with each other, building mutual respect and tolerance as well as accepting and appreciating differences in each other are vital for stability. Despite said differences, everyone is equal in their basic wish for peace and happiness.

The painting is inspired by visits to Thean Hou Temple in Kuala Lumpur, where statues of the twelve animals can be seen in a small garden.

Statues of some of the Chinese zodiac animals in a garden near Thean Hou Temple, Kuala Lumpur. Picture credit: Dinesh Dinsh

The dragon in the painting is inspired by Shenron, a mascot from the Dragon Ball franchise. The tigers are placed in a manner similar to the Fu Dog guardian statues, with the one on the left of the entrance holding a ball while the one on the right handling a cub. One of the dogs is based on a beagle dog owned by the artist's neighbor. The pig at the lower left is a Mangalica pig, a Hungarian breed known for its curly coat of hair and producing high-quality pork. Some of the animals portray dark and light-colored pairings, which is a reference to the Yin-Yang symbol (which is also seen above the entrance). The Chinese characters above the entrance, 宫生肖 (Shēngxiào gōng) translates to "Zodiac Temple".

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

COSMIC CONQUERORS [SOLD]

Image
  Cosmic Conquerors , acrylic on canvas, 2023. 30" X 20" In the early days of rocket science, no one knew what spaceflight was like, which is why engineers flew animals into space to test the survivability of spaceflight and learn how to launch and land living beings safely and to better understand how spaceflight might affect human bodies. These efforts paved the way to the subsequent human exploration of space.  Animal space explorers The first animals to reach space were fruit flies, which were launched on Feb. 20, 1947 by the United States. The flies were placed aboard captured German V-2 rockets in an experiment to study radiation exposure at high altitudes. In 3 minutes and 10 seconds of flight, the fruit flies reached an altitude of 68 miles before parachuting back to Earth. The flies miraculously survived the spaceflight. The first animal to orbit the Earth was a dog named Laika, launched aboard Sputnik 2 by the Soviet Union on November 3, 1957. However, Laika died of
Read more

NINE DRAGONS: CELESTIAL PROWESS

Image
  Nine Dragons: Celestial Prowess , acrylic on canvas, 2023. 20" X 20" The artist welcomes the Year of the Dragon with this painting which depicts nine dragons facing an orb of fire.  The painting is loosely based on another painting of nine dragons , which was designed such that there is a central dragon at the center `blowing' Qi. The dragon at the center approaches the flaming orb, and the dragons to the right and left twist towards the center, with each exhibiting different gestures. The dragon captures the essence of the sun and the moon, and the number nine represents the endless positive energy of heaven and earth. The artist includes background elements like clouds, waves, fire and cliffs, with the intent to include the five elements (earth, fire, water, wood, metal) aspect into the painting.  earth - cliffs fire - flaming orb water - waves wood - green color metal - gold color
Read more