In the Diamond Sūtra, existence and emptiness are fundamental Buddhist notions. Buddha states that, “All conditioned phenomena are like a dream, an illusion, a bubble, a shadow, like dew or a flash of lightning. Thus, we shall perceive them.” By looking towards these Buddhist notions, I apply the concept of “illusory visual” to investigate both existence and emptiness in my artwork.

Our vision allows us to see only glimpses of movement, which our mind puts together as one continuous image. The repetitive lines in my paintings emphasize the existence of movement. Emptiness is the process of images gradually changing in the viewer’s mind. The artwork becomes visually active when the viewer moves through the gallery space. Perception is altered when colors begin to shift and mix as the viewer moves slowly and experiences the paintings from side to side, resulting in a transformation, from one existence or perception to another—altered reality. The more obliquely the viewer experiences the artwork the greater the emergence of bright fluorescent color–as if to congratulate the viewer for their participation in this existence! A dialogue develops between the artwork and the viewer through movement and optics, resulting in a unique experience for each person and exemplifying the duality, complexity, and contradiction of our perceived existence.