J’en Rêve

Writing Heart Sutra on tofu, 2005

Black ink on fresh tofu and iris
50 cm x 20cm
New York, USA
Courtesy of the artist
J’en Rêve
Fondation Cartier, Paris, France.
June 24 – October 9, 2005

Curators:
Hervé Chandès, Hélène Kelmachter, and Leanne Sacramone.

Notes:
This piece marks the beginning of the Mantra Series where I wrote a Buddhist scripture about the nature of impermanence and emptiness from memory onto ephemeral objects.

The image was from my proposal for Fondation Cartier’s young artist’s exhibition showcasing young artists who have never been exhibited and are recommended by experienced artists who have worked closely with the Fondation.

For the exhibition, fresh tofu, flower, and mushrooms are written repetitively with the scripture and installed in a small room. While the human flesh-like tofu is decaying, the flower is projected in still frame onto a glass of water, and the mushrooms are growing in the decaying soil. The text of the scripture transforms through various stages of growth and decay as it materializes from thought.