The Stupa in my work of art

 

     

work in progress - Stupa close-up image

I'll come back soon with the finished artwork here.

 From the deserts of Central Asia in the west to the islands of Japan in the east, and from the icy regions of Tibet in the north to the sun-drenched tropical island of Sri Lanka in the south, we will find one type of architectural monument, the specific Buddhist monument, STUPA.

 In every type of landscape and on every land form, the basic form of the Stupa retains this five elemental character:

1. A square base symbolizes the element earth, the perfect symbol to denote the terrestrial world.
2. A hemispherical dome symbolizes water, section of a Stupa is an allusion to the primordial, creative waters.
3. A conical spire signifies the element of fire; it represents wisdom which burns away all ignorance.
4. A crescent moon denotes the element of air, witch has the capacity to expand.
5. A circular disc signifies the element of space, it represents the principle which has no end or beginning.
 Finally, surmounting the stupa is a jewel like shape,it  hence expresses a higher state of reality than that characterized by all the five elements.

  

 The identification of the highest point in the Stupa with the highest point in Buddha's image leads us to ponder as to whether a more deeper correspondence can be established between the Stupa and Buddha's physical body.
 In the traditional view, a building needs to satisfy both the physical and metaphysical needs of man. As an expression of artistic intent, it will elaborate upon the manner in which phenomenal world relates to the spiritual one.

Geisha - work in progress

And if there is some particular thing of interest during the passage of times, the most mysterious character in the Japanese culture, that is the GEISHA.

Geisha, a very sophisticated, refined, and beautiful young lady. Geisha, as its name says (芸 (gei) meaning "art" and 者 (sha) meaning "person" or "doer") she is called by us, Europeans: "artist," "performing artist," or "artisan.

In their apprentice period, geishas are called maiko, and they are trained to perform in different Japanese artistic skills, such as classical music, dance, tea ceremony, calligraphy and ink painting - as some examples.

The make up is another very important artistic skill that geisha have to learn and practice, being it one of those elements that complete her image. A detail considered very sensual is also the typical nape make-up (as you can see it in my artwork), that geisha have to make by herself with the help of mirrors.

I wanted to create a character without identity, depersonalized, but which, with just a few details, to reveal an entire story of the culture it represents so well.

Konohana Sakuya Hime - Fuji Goddess

Konohana Sakuya Hime - Fuji Goddess (木花之開耶姫 konohananosakuyahime), in Japanese mythology, is the blossom-princess and symbol of delicate earthly life. She is the daughter of the mountain god Ohoyamatsumi. She is often considered an avatar of Japanese life, especially since her symbol is the Sakura, (Cherry Blossom.)
Shrines have been built, at Mount Fuji, for the goddess Konohana Sakuya Hime. It is believed that she will keep Mount Fuji from erupting, but shrines to her at Kirishima  have been repeatedly destroyed by volcanic eruptions.

Mount Fuji (Fuji-san) is the highest mountain in Japan, rising to 12,388 feet. Visible from Tokyo on a clear day, the beautiful cone-shaped mountain is located west of the city, surrounded by lakes in a national park.

"The mountain that most represents Japan in the eyes of the world is, of course, Mount Fuji. No peak more beautifully embodies the spirit of a nation. The elegant simplicity of its lines, sweeping up into the graceful shape of an inverted fan painted with delicate patterns of pure white snow, symbolizes the quest for beauty and perfection that has shaped so much of Japanese culture, both secular and sacred. Suspended between heaven and earth, neither rock nor cloud, the volcano appears as a cone of crystallized sky, floating above a vast landscape of fields, villages, lakes and sea.... The very perfection of its form, startling in its incredible simplicity, suggests the mystery of the infinite."

Here, the Mount Fuji seen like a sacred destination.

Obi

 

Being it a source of the impressionism, it should be also transformed into a new european approach of art...to be continued!