Born, Live, and Die for Others

As a junior high school student, I once wondered why life is born at all. The answer came, years later, from a book by Setouchi Jakucho, a Japanese Buddhist nun: “You were born for other people.”

It seems that all living things, plants and animals alike, are born, in the end, to be eaten by something else. The universe may work the same way: when a star dies, its fragments become part of another star. Life and death on Earth may echo the same pattern found in the cosmos.

This painting centers on soft pink magnolia blossoms floating against a deep blue cosmos, with petals falling around them, expressing the connection between life, death, and the universe. I used pale pastel tones, and when it was finished, it had a quiet, Japanese-painting feel to it, as if a gentle breeze were passing through. The fine dots across the surface add a subtle, delicate sense of movement.

I painted this hoping that, whenever your eyes rest on it, morning or night, the soundless fall of petals might ease both body and mind, just a little.

Details

• Original pastel painting on canvas
• Painted in 2023
• Size: 65.2 W x 53 H x 2 D cm (25.7 W x 20.9 H x 0.8 D in)
• Unframed, with a picture-hanging string attached on the back, ready to hang
• Certificate of Authenticity included

Care
As this is a pastel painting, the color may rub off if the surface is touched. It can be displayed as is, but I recommend framing it under glass to protect it.