Prostrating Figure on the Mani Wheel   (mixed media, c1995)

In Tibet and its surrounding regions, the Buddhists exercise two completely opposite styles of praying– one with the physically hardest way with prostration– the other with the most easy-going rotation of a prayer wheel which contains a sacred transcript.

One person does both, though not necessarily at the same time. It is technically difficult to pray in these ways simultaneously for apparent reasons… but why not? My idea to combine mutually extraneous styles of prayer has found a shape in kineto-mechanical contrivance– or simply a gadget, if you prefer.

This piece is one of my “Pseudo-Tibetan Articles” (fake Tibetan tools).