“Pure Lotus Pond of Serenity” was inspired by the lotus flowers said to bloom in the Pure Land of Amitābha.

The sutras describe:

“In that land there are ponds made of the seven precious jewels, filled with waters of eight virtues.
The bottom is covered with golden sand; stairs and paths on all four sides are made of gold, silver, beryl, and crystal.
Above stand pavilions adorned with gold, silver, beryl, crystal, mother-of-pearl, red pearls, and agate.
Within the ponds bloom lotus flowers as large as chariot wheels: the blue ones shine with blue light, the yellow with yellow light, the red with red light, the white with white light, all exuding subtle fragrance and purity.”

Taking inspiration from the passage that “the pond’s bottom is covered with golden sand,” the work was created by building up textured layers of color, embedding various foils and gold materials, and then carving out patterns. When touched by sunlight, the surface sparkles as if light were rising from beneath the water, evoking the image of the Pure Land’s radiant ponds adorned with lotus blossoms.

While the sutras speak of lotuses shining in blue, yellow, red, and white, this piece presents red, pink, yellow, and purple, expressing that pure realm through a contemporary sensibility. The octagonal panel symbolizes the Noble Eightfold Path, guiding the viewer toward a serene and luminous world.