The Calling of the Mountains

I felt a calling to create art that could serve as an altar piece—a window of truth. Something soothing, something that evokes inner reflection rather than outer perception.

My mind wandered to prayer walls and meditation corners, sacred spaces where one feels safe to sit and journey deep into the subconscious. Buddhist monks meditate before blank walls, symbolizing the path within. We touch our hearts, feel the ground beneath our feet, and bridge the outer and inner worlds.

The first creation in this collection was the Prayer Wall—a freestanding art piece, clay painted on natural cork. In modern homes, where vast windows open to wide horizons, we often lack a grounding wall to sit against. The Prayer Wall became an anchor for the mind, a silent guardian of introspection.

When I envisioned the forms and colors, I saw mountains—vast, light, and quiet. A presence that wasn’t loud yet held the depth and expansiveness needed to bear our endless contemplations.

After completing my first two pieces—a standing floor artwork and a wall-mounted version—doubt crept in. The voices in my head whispered: There is so much art depicting mountains. Is this the way?

Against all those doubts, I felt a strong pull to continue developing these creations, one piece after another. My second piece was a cotton tapestry wall hanging of Orion's Belt. For me, this was the gateway through which the mountains arrived. The celestial imagery brought a sense of vastness, a connection to something beyond, and I could feel the mountains quietly waiting to be painted.

Then, one day, I stumbled upon a short legend that connected all the dots. The legend of the flying mountains and their sacrifice for the greater good and the freedom to gather their wings and take flight. I saw these mountains as Bodhisattvas—enlightened beings who have put off entering paradise in order to help others attain enlightenment. Just as the mountains could have flown away, but chose to stay to keep us grounded and guide us toward peace, they became symbolic of selfless service and enduring wisdom.

Moved by the humble aesthetics of wabi-sabi, the raw and natural aesthetics are what brought my soul to this art that I have created. It is through these imperfect yet sacred forms that I find the beauty I was meant to create, the story that connects us, and helps us once again remember.