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Line, color and spirit.
What is it about Buddhist imagery that draws us
so irresistibly? Irrespective of spiritual allegiances, we consistently
gravitate to the aesthetics of its simple lines and compelling
presence.
In 2000, Wagner traveled to Thailand: a country soaked
in Buddhism since the third century BCE. More than 27,000 temples
house extraordinary treasures—perhaps the most revered of
these Bangkok’s famous Emerald Buddha, carved from a single
chunk of jade.
Tradition encourages Thai men to take temporary
monastic ordination when they reach the age of 20. Shaven, yellow-robed
young men roam the streets every morning with their begging bowls,
accepting food from laypeople in search of spiritual merit.
Wagner took it all in. In this gallery, she gives
it all back. Whether for their sacred resonance or purely for
their elegance, these images promise to ennoble and uplift any
space privileged to proclaim them.
“Over
the course of the centuries, you see Thai artisans continue
their artistic traditions, different styles producing the same
serene faces. I’ve tried to do that, too. At the entrance
to a Chiang Mai temple, I saw a plaque that said: ‘Live
to Learn to Live.’ That saying encompasses it all for
me.”
Monk
and Buddha Paintings Gallery
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