Thursday, March 10, 2011

Three Heads Six Arms: when buddha shines his light

When you look into Buddha's eyes... what do you see? The above image is my winning image this early part of the year:

  • 2nd place in Livermore Camera Club (LVCC) last month's competition

  • 4th place for the monthly competition in Northern California Council of Camera Clubs (N4C) for Color Pictorial category. Competition-wise, I entitled My Buddha as "When Buddha Shines His Light", but it is popularly known especially to San Franciscans as the Three Heads Six Hands. It is the giant Buddha that sits in front of the San Francisco City Hall on loan since May 2010 through early Spring of 2011 (by the time you read this blog, The Three Head Six Hands is now gone reunited with the artist in Shanghai China). The city hall usually lits in yellow but because of the celebration week of San Francisco Giants championship for the 2010 World Series, the city shines in Orange that night! When I look into the Buddha's eyes, it allows me an unprecedented look into a world that lights up the journey of my Life! Chinese artist Zhang Huan Zhang hand-picked the city of San Francisco to debut his 2008 copper sculpture of Buddha - Three Heads Six Arms. It is the largest work that the artist has yet made, and weighs in at an astounding 15 tons and stands nearly 26 feet tall at its highest point. Zhang chose San Francisco because of the long-standing history being honored between Shanghai-San Francisco Sister City 30th Celebration last May 10, 2010. Inspired by the Chinese mythological character Nezha, Zhang replaced two of the three Buddha heads with human heads. Among the sculpture’s three heads is his self-portrait. The Three Heads Six Arms is now on display at the Joseph L. Alioto Performing Arts Piazza, which is located across the street from San Francisco City Hall. Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth, so virtue appears from good deeds, and wisdom appears from a pure and peaceful mind. To walk safely through the maze of human life, one needs the light of wisdom and the guidance of virtue. ~ Buddha [click the image to enlarge]