Le Hien Minh
Untitled, Work in Progress, 2020
Courtesy of the artist
(20% of proceeds go to a local organization)
Location: District 4, Saigon, Vietnam
Artist’s description:
This cement female figure is a religious statue. It was made by local Saigon craftsmen from an area on the outskirts of the city, which specialize in making religious statues out of basic materials such as cement. Among other more recognizable religious statues, I was drawn to this particular one due to its anonymous quality as well as its imperfections for which it was relegated to a discarded group.
The tree is Bodhi tree. In Buddhism, it is believed that buddha gained enlightenment while meditating underneath a Bodhi tree. This tree often exists in temples or pagodas throughout Vietnam. At the same time, the Bodhi tree grows randomly in “lowly” areas such as: city sidewalks, on the walls of buildings, electric poles, sewer covers… I found this tree growing from the sidewalk near my home and transplanted it into the statue. For more than a year, the tree has grown slowly. Now it is about double its original size, with roots expanding to grab the statue.
lehienminh.com
Inquiries: eileen@neumeraki.com
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