I was inspired to create this painting following an idea for a talk on the Hellenistic influence on Buddhist art by Elizabeth. Elizabeth is one of the IQBC volunteers and guest facilitator of the 26th Conscious Connection of the IQBC.
Before Buddhism made contact with other cultures through the Silk Road, especially Hellenistic cultures, the Buddha himself was not depicted. Instead, an empty chair symbolized the Buddha or the eight-spoked wheel of teaching, the dharmacharya, which stands for the eightfold path, the ethics of Buddhism. The depiction of the Buddha first appeared with Hellenism.
2024, oil on canvas, 30 x 40 cm