Many people know Guan Yu from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
In the classic tale, he is often depicted as a towering warrior with a red face, a long flowing beard, and the famous Green Dragon Crescent Blade.

When portraying Buddhist deities in my Baby Series, I usually incorporate recognizable elements—such as their attributes, hairstyles, clothing, or gestures—so that viewers can easily identify which deity the baby represents.
However, when it comes to a historical figure who was later deified, this approach becomes much more challenging.

At first, I tried painting an ordinary baby riding a horse, but nothing about him clearly suggested “Guan Yu.”
I even considered giving the baby a small, playful fake beard, but it felt unnatural.
Furthermore, in my Buddhist artworks, I have a personal rule: I do not depict weapons.
This means I could not include Guan Yu’s most iconic feature, the Green Dragon Crescent Blade—removing one of the strongest visual cues of his identity.

After much reflection and many sketches, I decided to express Guan Yu’s presence not through weaponry or facial features, but through regal Chinese armor and the dignified image of him riding a horse—an appearance strongly associated with his legendary persona.

Known for his unwavering loyalty and righteousness, Guan Yu became a revered figure long after his lifetime.
Over the centuries, his virtue elevated him to the status of Guandi, the God of War and the patron deity of loyalty, protection, and prosperous business in Chinese folk belief.