Obon (The Returning of the Spirits)

"Obon" (The returning of the spirits) is an ongoing installation artwork created with thousands of leaves of The Bodhi Tree (Ficus Religiosa), the tree under which The Buddha gained enlightenment. The leaves have been modified by bleaching and drying to create lace-like "skeleton" leaves. I then hand paint the leaves with a mixture of phosphorescence and resin and float the leaves on a body of water. The phosphorescence absorbs light throughout the day and at night emits a soft glow for up to five hours. This piece is inspired by the ancient Japanese festival of Obon, a ceremony to honor and commemorate the departed. Obon is an ancient event, which occurs every 15th day of the 7th month of the Lunar Calendar (mid-August). It is believed that during this 3 day ceremony the spirits of one’s departed family members and ancestors return to the home and are reunited with their loved ones. Lanterns are hung inside the house to welcome the spirits inside and on the evening of the last day of the ceremony, lanterns are floated on rivers to guide the spirits back to the netherworld. There is a beautiful, non-denominational notion of respect, interconnectivity, history, and memory that is celebrated with the festival of Obon.