SIGNATURE WORK
CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION 2024

At the beginning of my SW, I chose a research topic with deep cultural connotations: exploring the image of Guanyin in Buddhism and the historical process of its gender transformation. In this process, I was guided by my mentor. Not only did I deepen my understanding of the topic, but I also gradually mapped out a timeline, eventually focusing my research on the historical period of the Tang Dynasty.

This decision stemmed from the cultural pluralism and openness of the Tang Dynasty, a period that was particularly crucial for the evolution of the image of Guanyin in folk beliefs. With this in mind, I invested a great deal of time and energy in systematically collecting and thoroughly researching Guanyin statues from various temples and museums, paintings left behind by painters of all ages, and records in ancient literature.

In the analyzing stage, I combined artworks and literature from past times to dissect every detail of the transformation of Guanyin. These changes do not only lie in the external representation of gender but also deeply reflect the subtle changes in the social culture and religious beliefs of the Tang Dynasty.

Whenever I conduct in-depth analyses of found statues, paintings, and texts, I always strive to integrate this information objectively and focus on effectively integrating the results of the analyses into my SW projects.