New Series: 'The Altar of Bonnō' to Drop Today 🔥 at 14:00 (EST) - presented by TENDER
Exploring Blind Passions Rooted in the Buddhist Concept of Bonnō: A Spiritual Journey Through Pervasive Material Desires...
In March of 2024, Adam (TENDER founder) and I discussed TENDER’s collaborative show with VERSE: ‘more.zip’ and their upcoming series called ‘In Spirit’. Upon hearing Adam’s passion for supporting artists in their creative process and helping them release their works to the world without being swayed by current trends, I felt very honored to be represented by him as an emerging artist in the NFT Art space. ‘The Altar of Bonnō’ is a series of artworks I created for this precious collaboration with Adam, inspired by the ‘altar making’ in Japanese subculture. Read the rest of the newsletter for the full context ⬇️
‘The Altar of Bonnō’ explores the Buddhist concept of bonnō (煩悩), or blind passions, and how they drive our actions and emotions. This series of 25 generative AI works delves into material desires and their impact on spiritual harmony, blending Japanese culture, Western influence, and Buddhist traditions.
What does Bonnō mean in the upcoming series?
Bonnō is the Buddhist concept that embodies the blind passions driving our actions and emotions. The pervasive material desires driven by these passions are the subject of this generative AI series, displayed as various overindulgences that tempt daily actions right up to the altars of worship.
Drawing from an amalgam of Japanese culture, Western influence, and Buddhist traditions and symbolism, the sheer density of material defilements expressed in these works is a widespread phenomenon of contemporary life throughout the world. Their hold on our field of view conveys the troubling complexities that seek to impede the attainment of spiritual harmony and worship.
Inspiration behind the Buddhist concept
Inspired by the ‘altar making’ in Japanese subculture, where fans display their beloved characters and items like religious altars, merging passion with nostalgia. This series creates a unique world where past and present desires intersect.
The motif of ‘altar making’ can also be found in my previous artworks such as ‘Neural Fad’ and ‘Pixelated Perception’, where repetition of items is stacked in the background of the person depicted in the images. The recurring theme of ‘altar making’ in my work connects back to the pervasive material desires driven by blind passions.
Cultural amalgamation of Japan and the West
Combining Japanese culture, Western influences, and Buddhist traditions, I drew from the chaotic streets of Tokyo and Andy Warhol’s pop art to create a unique visual narrative. These works reflect the pervasive material desires and their impact on contemporary life.
Details about the auction:
View ‘The Altar of Bonnō’ from here 🔥
Auction opens Jun 11 at 14:00 (EST)
Duration: 1 day ⏳
24-hour ranked auction with rebate
5-minute extensions enable for up to 30 minutes
25 artworks available in total
Buyers will be allocated a random artwork from the series
Available supply will be distributed to the top 25 bids
Winning bidders only pay the lowest winning bid amount
Blockchain: Ethereum