Buddhist Artwork

Nirvana (Electronic Drawing Board) - Thus is Nirvana: A peaceful island in the roaring seas. A warming light not shed by fire. A shelter above those solid walls. A tranquil eye inside the storm.
Avalokitesvara Tangkha (Electronic Drawing Board) - This is the first of a series of four Tangkhas about the four great Bodhisattvas. As they have "gone forth" and are beyond form, I am depicting them not by a human physical shape, but only by their respective mounts and attributes, so as to capture the ideals that each Bodhisattva stands for. Also known as Guan Yin in China, Avalokitesvara is known as the Bodhisattva of Mercy and Compassion. Chinese art often depicts her as a beautiful woman dressed in white, carrying a lotus flower and/or a vase. She is either floating in the air or standing on the back of a fish or a dragon.
Samanthabadhra Tangkha (Electronic Drawing Board) - Samantabhadra is the Bodhisattva of Virtue. He is said to have ridden on a white elephant up Mount Emei, one of the five sacred mountains in China. As the patron of the Lotus Sutra, Samantabhadra, like Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, carries a Sacred Jewel.
Manjusri Tangkha (Electronic Drawing Board) - Manjusri Bodhisattva is associated with a lion (often green, as here) and a flaming sword with which he cuts through ignorance. He is the Bodhisattva of Wisdom and protector of learning.
Ksitigarbha Tangkha (Electronic Drawing Board) - Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva made a vow that he would only reach Buddhahood when he has succeeded to liberate all beings from the hell realms. He is often depicted with a monk's staff and the "Jewel of Wishes". Though he is often portrayed standing, he occasionally has a lion as a mount.
Lotus Mandala (Water Color) - The Buddha nature is inherent in every sentient being, and the Buddha's compassion reaches out to all beings in all worlds. Here, the lotus flower symbolizes the Buddha, with the petals each depicting a different environment and its inhabitants: the oceans, skies, earth and the plant kingdom. The swirl at the center of the flower can be seen as a connection to all other worlds and realms that exist besides ours. NOTE: Use the white arrows on the left and right of the picture to navigate through the gallery. If you see only white, just wait a few seconds until the image has loaded :-)
Mandala of the Jungle of Skandhas (Electronic Drawing Board) - This week's reading for my MA in Buddhist Studies described the skandhas as a jungle, and I very much like this metaphor. I tried to depict it in this Mandala: The vines of the jungle binding the little figurines symbolize their attachment to the skandhas as “Self” – which is why they unfortunately keep being re-born in just that jungle! ;-) The Buddha sits in the middle; I intentionally painted him not as cutting off or "fighting" the vines, but completely detached – he just does not interact with them at all, because on awakening to the truth of non-Self, they have no power over him. The Buddha’s lovingkindness sheds a warm light on the jungle, symbolizing hope for the beings still entangled to one day liberate themselves, too. The five red discs each represent one of the skandhas.
Mandala of Scripture (Water Color) - Buddhist scriptures have long been passed on only orally, by way of chanting, and the ancient Indians believed that sound in itself carries meaning. Therefore a scripture needs a chanter to unfold its teaching; in chanting, we become one with the scripture, and the scripture comes to live, as shown in the center of the Mandala, where the writing gradually transforms into the bird's tail. Having thus manifested itself, the bird transcends the boundaries of the Mandala - reminding us to be open-minded and free in our thinking.
Mount Meru Mandala (Water Color + Electronic Drawing Board) - Buddhist cosmology is very complex. It is said that in every world system is a Mount Meru, encircled by eight seas and nine mountains. Four continents lie in the outermost sea, each with its own distinct shape and mystical tree. Our human world is the triangle shaped continent in the south and it is only there that enlightenment is possible. Roaming the innermost sea are the jealous gods (asuras) who are trying to re-conquer Mount Meru, from which they had been banished. The foot of the mountain is guarded by the Four Heavenly Kings and as one goes up there are various realms of devas along the way. On the top of Mount Meru in the Lotus Palace resides the King of the Gods, and the Flower Garland Sutra tells about how the Buddha gave Dharma talks to all divine beings there.
Mandala of 1000 Hands (Water Color + Electronic Drawing Board) - Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva is often depicted with 1000 hands. But what are those countless hands, actually? Could it be our own? Avalokitesvara, in reaching the state of No-Self, can in my opinion be seen in the same way that scientists postulate light to exist both as a particle and a wave: He is still Avalokitesvara, but at the same time he is also all sentient beings. And that is how he is able to see and hear all suffering, coming to aid with countless hands - because it is our own ears, eyes and hands. The Mandala depicts various acts of kindness between humans, human and animals, and between animals (based on a true story!). The river of life connects different spheres, including the realm of form and the realm of formless devas.
Heart Sutra Mandala (Water Color + Electronic Drawing Board) - The Heart Sutra speaks of "form" and "no-form", which made me reflect on how this applies to the level of action. When meditating on it, this picture arose. Let's imagine that at every instant in time we are standing in the center of a circle. From this position, we could go in any direction, we are completely free. That is the state of "no-form". However, living in the physical world, we are forced to make decisions every single instant: eat this (and not that), say this (and not that), go here (and not there). Therefore we step out from the center, choose one direction and by this inevitably give up all the others. Now our action has taken "form". But, from there we can again proceed in any direction; which means that we are yet again standing in the center of a circle. So had we actually ever left it...? The Mandala depicts hands and feet coming out of the center, but no body, to illustrate that even though our actions take form, they still have inherent in them also the potential of no-form. The middle circle depicts six fish, each of them dragging one of the six sense-spheres towards the hand and feet (forcing us to react to our environment and take action). The two large fish at the outer rim dive in and out of the ocean, illustrating how form and formless states are not separate, but one.
Green Tara (Acrylic Color) - Green Tara is sometimes called "the great mother of all beings"; she loves nature and everything that lives in it. In Tibetan Buddhism, she is sometimes referred to as a manifestation of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. I painted her in a natural surrounding, with her usually golden ornaments made of naturally growing plants and flowers instead, to illustrate her deep connection to nature.
Facing Difficulties (Chalk on black Paper) - A few years ago, whenever I felt troubled, I would start seeing this monk in daydreams. He is sitting in a stone cave, it's cool and humid, occasionally water is dripping down. The monk is in great distress, and suddenly a fierce tiger appears in front of him. It took me a while to realize that the tiger is a manifestation of the monk's inner turmoil. The monk does not open his eyes. He continues his meditation, and suddenly I hear his voice shouting: "Silence!" At which the tiger gives one last great roar, then settles down beside the monk and goes to sleep. Because it (and the monk) have understood that even the heaviest iron chains are subject to impermanence and therefore not able to bind him. In this moment, my own turmoil ceased as well.
Attaining No-Self (Water Color) - This is closely related to the Heart Sutra: The meditating monk is seated in a realm of form, evident from the different colours and things growing in the background. Yet, if you look closely, the outer lines of the monks clothing already start to fade as he gradually merges with the cosmos. Deepening the meditation, as he moves up, the different colors start to become less different and eventually there are no more things growing from the background. At the top, on reaching the lotus flower, the monk has overcome the realm of form and reached formlessness, in which state he is no longer different from any being and becomes aware of his existence as "No-Self". But if you look very closely, a hint of the monk's outline is still present in the lotus bud; because, as the Heart Sutra teaches, "form is no-form, and no-form is form".
White Steatite Turtle - Feel the stone in your hand. Take your time to observe it from every angle. What do you see in it? What beautiful creature is hidden in the stone, only waiting for you to remove the encrusting to bring it to light? It is just in this same way that the "Buddha nature" lies hidden in all sentient beings.
108 Bead Malas - A mala (prayer beads) is used for chanting and typically is made up of 108 beads. I like to make malas using different types of wood and stones, and each has its own "energy" to it :-)
Mala with 27 Beads - There are also smaller malas with 27 beads, which are convenient if you want to wear it around the wrist. Yes, you guessed right: It is always a multiple of 9 :-)
Raku Pottery - Buddhism knows four elements: Earth, Water, Wind, Fire. I feel that making pottery connects me to all four in a very profound way. This set was made during a workshop on Japanese Raku pottery, where aereation (wind) during burning is used to produce beautiful patterns of cracks in the lacquering.
Raku Pottery 2 - Another set from the same workshop, this time using a copper solution before burning to produce a beautiful metallic blue.
Fish Asana 1: Equilibrium - This series (water color + electronic drawing board) is based on a sketch I made in 2009, and since then the motif of the two fish has never quite left me. I see the fish as manifestations of all that which we perceive as "polar" in the world, and it is this polarity that acts like two magnets pulling and pushing away, setting in motion our world of "form". While practicing Yoga one day, I suddenly felt that we all carry two such fish in us, and it is them that make us perceive everything in a polar way: "good"/"bad", "pleasant"/"unpleasant", etc. This made me come up with the following series of pictures, in which I lead the two fish through eight stances of "yoga", each symbolizing a different concept. At the end of this process, both fish merge, the polarity of the form realm is surpassed, and it is in this moment that we will achieve enlightenment. First Asana: The two fish form a scale, which symbolizises inner equilibrium (peace of mind), but also reminds us that we need to experience both success and defeat on our path of life.
Fish Asana 2: No Beginning No End - Both fish form a circle, which is without beginning or end; and in the same way, we must be aware that "past", "present" and "future" are illusions that the sense-spheres bring about.
Fish Asana 3: Origin - The fish are emerging from the same source, illustrating that everything in this world is interconnected.
Fish Asana 4: Love - The two fish form a heart; but even though their fins touch, they are not grasping each other. Because true love is selfless, and if we find true love, it will not bind us, but make us free.
Fish Asana 5: Attachment - The big fish encircling the small fish looks like a loving protective gesture, and probably it is. Attachment is not always negative! But both fish should be careful to have their attachment not turn into a prison; the big fish must still be able to let go, and the small fish must be brave enough to swim out.
Fish Asana 6: Motion - The two fish form the Yin-Yang-symbol, which indicates polarity, the drive that sets us and our world in motion. As a practicioner, we should be mindful of our actions and reflect on what is the "drive" behind what we do.
Fish Asana 8: Synchrony - No matter what we do, we must be aware that we are always in synchrony with the workings of the cosmos, the Dharma, and the fruits of the karmic seeds we have sown.
Fish Asana 7: Tranquility - The fish look like being frozen in time and this should remind us to "step back" from time to time, take a good breath and look at our situation from the third-person-perspective.
Fish Yoga: Awakening - On attaining true understanding of the aforementioned eight concepts, both fish overcome the forces of polarity and merge into a lotus flower. It is at this instant that the practitioner attains enlightenment.
Blue Elephant Mandala (Water Color) - The picture of this blue elephant holding a red lotus in its trunk came to me in a daydream several times, until I could not help but paint it. What message does it have for me? I do not yet know.

Lotus Mandala (Water Color) - The Buddha nature is inherent in every sentient being, and the Buddha's compassion reaches out to all beings in all worlds. Here, the lotus flower symbolizes the Buddha, with the petals each depicting a different environment and its inhabitants: the oceans, skies, earth and the plant kingdom. The swirl at the center of the flower can be seen as a connection to all other worlds and realms that exist besides ours. NOTE: Use the white arrows on the left and right of the picture to navigate through the gallery. If you see only white, just wait a few seconds until the image has loaded :-)
Mandala of the Jungle of Skandhas (Electronic Drawing Board) - This week's reading for my MA in Buddhist Studies described the skandhas as a jungle, and I very much like this metaphor. I tried to depict it in this Mandala: The vines of the jungle binding the little figurines symbolize their attachment to the skandhas as “Self” – which is why they unfortunately keep being re-born in just that jungle! ;-) The Buddha sits in the middle; I intentionally painted him not as cutting off or "fighting" the vines, but completely detached – he just does not interact with them at all, because on awakening to the truth of non-Self, they have no power over him. The Buddha’s lovingkindness sheds a warm light on the jungle, symbolizing hope for the beings still entangled to one day liberate themselves, too. The five red discs each represent one of the skandhas.
Mandala of Scripture (Water Color) - Buddhist scriptures have long been passed on only orally, by way of chanting, and the ancient Indians believed that sound in itself carries meaning. Therefore a scripture needs a chanter to unfold its teaching; in chanting, we become one with the scripture, and the scripture comes to live, as shown in the center of the Mandala, where the writing gradually transforms into the bird's tail. Having thus manifested itself, the bird transcends the boundaries of the Mandala - reminding us to be open-minded and free in our thinking.
Mount Meru Mandala (Water Color + Electronic Drawing Board) - Buddhist cosmology is very complex. It is said that in every world system is a Mount Meru, encircled by eight seas and nine mountains. Four continents lie in the outermost sea, each with its own distinct shape and mystical tree. Our human world is the triangle shaped continent in the south and it is only there that enlightenment is possible. Roaming the innermost sea are the jealous gods (asuras) who are trying to re-conquer Mount Meru, from which they had been banished. The foot of the mountain is guarded by the Four Heavenly Kings and as one goes up there are various realms of devas along the way. On the top of Mount Meru in the Lotus Palace resides the King of the Gods, and the Flower Garland Sutra tells about how the Buddha gave Dharma talks to all divine beings there.
Mandala of 1000 Hands (Water Color + Electronic Drawing Board) - Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva is often depicted with 1000 hands. But what are those countless hands, actually? Could it be our own? Avalokitesvara, in reaching the state of No-Self, can in my opinion be seen in the same way that scientists postulate light to exist both as a particle and a wave: He is still Avalokitesvara, but at the same time he is also all sentient beings. And that is how he is able to see and hear all suffering, coming to aid with countless hands - because it is our own ears, eyes and hands. The Mandala depicts various acts of kindness between humans, human and animals, and between animals (based on a true story!). The river of life connects different spheres, including the realm of form and the realm of formless devas.
Heart Sutra Mandala (Water Color + Electronic Drawing Board) - The Heart Sutra speaks of "form" and "no-form", which made me reflect on how this applies to the level of action. When meditating on it, this picture arose. Let's imagine that at every instant in time we are standing in the center of a circle. From this position, we could go in any direction, we are completely free. That is the state of "no-form". However, living in the physical world, we are forced to make decisions every single instant: eat this (and not that), say this (and not that), go here (and not there). Therefore we step out from the center, choose one direction and by this inevitably give up all the others. Now our action has taken "form". But, from there we can again proceed in any direction; which means that we are yet again standing in the center of a circle. So had we actually ever left it...? The Mandala depicts hands and feet coming out of the center, but no body, to illustrate that even though our actions take form, they still have inherent in them also the potential of no-form. The middle circle depicts six fish, each of them dragging one of the six sense-spheres towards the hand and feet (forcing us to react to our environment and take action). The two large fish at the outer rim dive in and out of the ocean, illustrating how form and formless states are not separate, but one.
Blue Elephant Mandala (Water Color) - The picture of this blue elephant holding a red lotus in its trunk came to me in a daydream several times, until I could not help but paint it. What message does it have for me? I do not yet know.

Nirvana (Electronic Drawing Board) - Thus is Nirvana: A peaceful island in the roaring seas. A warming light not shed by fire. A shelter above those solid walls. A tranquil eye inside the storm.
Avalokitesvara Tangkha (Electronic Drawing Board) - This is the first of a series of four Tangkhas about the four great Bodhisattvas. As they have "gone forth" and are beyond form, I am depicting them not by a human physical shape, but only by their respective mounts and attributes, so as to capture the ideals that each Bodhisattva stands for. Also known as Guan Yin in China, Avalokitesvara is known as the Bodhisattva of Mercy and Compassion. Chinese art often depicts her as a beautiful woman dressed in white, carrying a lotus flower and/or a vase. She is either floating in the air or standing on the back of a fish or a dragon.
Samanthabadhra Tangkha (Electronic Drawing Board) - Samantabhadra is the Bodhisattva of Virtue. He is said to have ridden on a white elephant up Mount Emei, one of the five sacred mountains in China. As the patron of the Lotus Sutra, Samantabhadra, like Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, carries a Sacred Jewel.
Manjusri Tangkha (Electronic Drawing Board) - Manjusri Bodhisattva is associated with a lion (often green, as here) and a flaming sword with which he cuts through ignorance. He is the Bodhisattva of Wisdom and protector of learning.
Ksitigarbha Tangkha (Electronic Drawing Board) - Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva made a vow that he would only reach Buddhahood when he has succeeded to liberate all beings from the hell realms. He is often depicted with a monk's staff and the "Jewel of Wishes". Though he is often portrayed standing, he occasionally has a lion as a mount.
Green Tara (Acrylic Color) - Green Tara is sometimes called "the great mother of all beings"; she loves nature and everything that lives in it. In Tibetan Buddhism, she is sometimes referred to as a manifestation of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. I painted her in a natural surrounding, with her usually golden ornaments made of naturally growing plants and flowers instead, to illustrate her deep connection to nature.
Facing Difficulties (Chalk on black Paper) - A few years ago, whenever I felt troubled, I would start seeing this monk in daydreams. He is sitting in a stone cave, it's cool and humid, occasionally water is dripping down. The monk is in great distress, and suddenly a fierce tiger appears in front of him. It took me a while to realize that the tiger is a manifestation of the monk's inner turmoil. The monk does not open his eyes. He continues his meditation, and suddenly I hear his voice shouting: "Silence!" At which the tiger gives one last great roar, then settles down beside the monk and goes to sleep. Because it (and the monk) have understood that even the heaviest iron chains are subject to impermanence and therefore not able to bind him. In this moment, my own turmoil ceased as well.
Attaining No-Self (Water Color) - This is closely related to the Heart Sutra: The meditating monk is seated in a realm of form, evident from the different colours and things growing in the background. Yet, if you look closely, the outer lines of the monks clothing already start to fade as he gradually merges with the cosmos. Deepening the meditation, as he moves up, the different colors start to become less different and eventually there are no more things growing from the background. At the top, on reaching the lotus flower, the monk has overcome the realm of form and reached formlessness, in which state he is no longer different from any being and becomes aware of his existence as "No-Self". But if you look very closely, a hint of the monk's outline is still present in the lotus bud; because, as the Heart Sutra teaches, "form is no-form, and no-form is form".

Fish Asana 1: Equilibrium - This series (water color + electronic drawing board) is based on a sketch I made in 2009, and since then the motif of the two fish has never quite left me. I see the fish as manifestations of all that which we perceive as "polar" in the world, and it is this polarity that acts like two magnets pulling and pushing away, setting in motion our world of "form". While practicing Yoga one day, I suddenly felt that we all carry two such fish in us, and it is them that make us perceive everything in a polar way: "good"/"bad", "pleasant"/"unpleasant", etc. This made me come up with the following series of pictures, in which I lead the two fish through eight stances of "yoga", each symbolizing a different concept. At the end of this process, both fish merge, the polarity of the form realm is surpassed, and it is in this moment that we will achieve enlightenment. First Asana: The two fish form a scale, which symbolizises inner equilibrium (peace of mind), but also reminds us that we need to experience both success and defeat on our path of life.
Fish Asana 2: No Beginning No End - Both fish form a circle, which is without beginning or end; and in the same way, we must be aware that "past", "present" and "future" are illusions that the sense-spheres bring about.
Fish Asana 3: Origin - The fish are emerging from the same source, illustrating that everything in this world is interconnected.
Fish Asana 4: Love - The two fish form a heart; but even though their fins touch, they are not grasping each other. Because true love is selfless, and if we find true love, it will not bind us, but make us free.
Fish Asana 5: Attachment - The big fish encircling the small fish looks like a loving protective gesture, and probably it is. Attachment is not always negative! But both fish should be careful to have their attachment not turn into a prison; the big fish must still be able to let go, and the small fish must be brave enough to swim out.
Fish Asana 6: Motion - The two fish form the Yin-Yang-symbol, which indicates polarity, the drive that sets us and our world in motion. As a practicioner, we should be mindful of our actions and reflect on what is the "drive" behind what we do.
Fish Asana 8: Synchrony - No matter what we do, we must be aware that we are always in synchrony with the workings of the cosmos, the Dharma, and the fruits of the karmic seeds we have sown.
Fish Asana 7: Tranquility - The fish look like being frozen in time and this should remind us to "step back" from time to time, take a good breath and look at our situation from the third-person-perspective.
Fish Yoga: Awakening - On attaining true understanding of the aforementioned eight concepts, both fish overcome the forces of polarity and merge into a lotus flower. It is at this instant that the practitioner attains enlightenment.

White Steatite Turtle - Feel the stone in your hand. Take your time to observe it from every angle. What do you see in it? What beautiful creature is hidden in the stone, only waiting for you to remove the encrusting to bring it to light? It is just in this same way that the "Buddha nature" lies hidden in all sentient beings.
108 Bead Malas - A mala (prayer beads) is used for chanting and typically is made up of 108 beads. I like to make malas using different types of wood and stones, and each has its own "energy" to it :-)
Mala with 27 Beads - There are also smaller malas with 27 beads, which are convenient if you want to wear it around the wrist. Yes, you guessed right: It is always a multiple of 9 :-)
Raku Pottery - Buddhism knows four elements: Earth, Water, Wind, Fire. I feel that making pottery connects me to all four in a very profound way. This set was made during a workshop on Japanese Raku pottery, where aereation (wind) during burning is used to produce beautiful patterns of cracks in the lacquering.
Raku Pottery 2 - Another set from the same workshop, this time using a copper solution before burning to produce a beautiful metallic blue.