Violence represents a disproportionate part of our lives. When we learn about history in school we are taught primarily about conflicts. The media feeds us deaths and murder everyday. Even our politicians preach a war against terror. With such violent ideas and images surrounding us, is it really surprising that we find ourselves so eager to commit violent acts for what we perceive to be justice?
I would like to see the world functioning in a more peaceful manner. In my collage I have attempted to communicate the suffering inherent to war, but at the same time show how the human spirit can be elevated through peace. The collage is modeled after a tanka, which is a Tibetan Buddhist painting that teaches Buddhist philosophy. Tankas often depict levels of human consciousness; with the bottom representing the darker realms of ethics while the top depicts the good. In my collage the bottom represents the abject despair of war while the top show’s humanity’s attempts to achieve a higher consciousness through peace. I can help bring about the realization of a more peaceful world through expression in my art.