Transcendent Merchandising

I was eager to experiment with mixed media tools and to visualize some rational ideas I had on my mind. I embarked on a painting project with the intention of modernizing the figure of Siddhartha Gautama, widely known as the Buddha. My reflections led me to contemplate the idea that, in our present age, the creation of a new religion would require gaining influence through various communities using the power of social media. I questioned the idea of exerting influence on others within the framework of the current capitalist system, recognizing the potential for historic figures, especially those with religious beliefs, to face heightened scrutiny and judgment from society based on their spending habits and ideologies.

Hence, I reasoned that if Buddha were to exist in today’s world, he might inevitably find the need to present himself as a marketable product, leveraging his ideas as commodities in order to reach a wider audience.

In this image, I aimed to intertwine the personal pursuit of spiritual development with the reality of a consumer-driven society, where everything has become a product for sale. The artwork incorporates a combination of mixed media materials, including cardstock, oil pastels, construction paper, graphite, and marker, to express this conceptual fusion.