Statement
In early 2019 I stumbled upon a remarkable, and very old, Shingon Buddhist shrine in a museum in Paris. The centerpiece of the shrine is a flame-wrapped serpent (Kurikara), a manifestation of the great protector-king Fudo Myo-o. The artistic imagery and technical skill of that masterpiece artwork has been on my mind ever since. Years later, the echoes of that encounter find their way into 'Axis Mundi', a continuation of my journey exploring a changing sense of the sacred in a natural world facing so much change.
Axis Mundi - the cosmic pillar that holds together the realms of the world, both heavenly and earthly; a point of connection between the physical and spiritual worlds. The flames found throughout Buddhist artwork, symbolic of both purification and transformation, are a fitting, if sobering, reminder of a modern world beginning to burn in the heat of a changing climate. As temperatures rise across the planet, habitats for wildlife like this magnificent reptile are often compressed or even eliminated altogether, threatening the long-term future of many valuable species.
Bio
Charles currently lives and creates art in Olympia, Washington. Prior to establishing his art career, Charles was a research scientist. Museums, shrines, and wild places are favorite destinations.