Guanyin 1900 - 1959

Zhou Xun rendered this image of Guanyin in ink on paper, during the Qing dynasty. Note the serene Guanyin, the embodiment of compassion, with her flowing robes and beaded jewelry, standing on a lotus pedestal. This echoes the serene Buddhas from the Gandhara period. But consider too, the rosary in her hands, a string of beads used for prayer, a motif that crosses cultures from ancient Egypt to medieval Christianity, each knot a symbolic gesture to invoke the divine, a rhythmic movement of contemplation. The lotus on which Guanyin stands is a symbol of purity and spiritual awakening, a motif resonating with the subconscious yearning for enlightenment, for transcendence over the material world. Each is imbued with a sense of otherworldly calm. These symbols, laden with cultural memory, reveal the cyclical progression of imagery, reappearing and evolving across different eras, bearing witness to the enduring power of human expression.