Design Concept:

In 1996, Loretta H. Yang and Chang Yi visited the Buddhist grottoes near the desert oasis of Dunhuang in western China. When they saw the Thousand-armed, Thousand-eyed Guanyin fresco in Cave 3 at Mogao, which had been painted during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) and was slowly disappearing under the relentless weathering of the desert sandstorms, Yang vowed to recreate the image in glass to preserve the wisdom and compassion it had accumulated over the centuries for future generations. This glass relief represents a novel approach to the representation of one of the most cherished images of Far-eastern Buddhism. The sculpture retains the proportions of the original mural, and the layered glass technique creates the impression of Guanyin (Avalokitesvara in Sanskrit) emerging from the cave wall. The focus of this series is on perfect proportion and precise detail, presenting considerable technical challenges. The reverse side of the relief features an engraved Great Compassion Dharani, a popular incantation in Chinese Buddhism. The unique transparent nimbus represents the wisdom and compassion of Guanyin illuminating the world, exuding an air of boundless compassion that soothes troubled hearts. Several decades later, Yang plans to complete the series with a 450 cm tall Thousand-armed, Thousand-eyed Guanyin.