hindu god Archives -

March 3rd, 2023

I’ve just returned from my buying trip, which included my final stop in Indonesia where I found myself captivated by the rows of moss-covered stone statues amidst the thick air left behind by the previous night’s rain. I couldn’t help but fall in love with these beautiful sculptures every time I laid eyes on them, and my weakness for their allure led me to purchase not one but two 40-foot containers full of them. These exquisite stone statues are set to arrive just in time for the spring gardening season in April-May.

Nyoman and I have been collaborating since 2004. His exceptional talent is immediately apparent in the delicate and fluid lines he carves into his Buddha statues, as exemplified by the plump and content Buddha he’s currently holding. The expression on the statue’s face is unlike anything else you’ll find in the Indonesian market, and to top it off, the Buddha is even holding a cup of coffee!

As an art enthusiast, I’m always on the lookout for artists who possess the ability to create something truly distinctive with a style that’s unmistakably their own.

For 19 years, I’ve had the pleasure of working with Wayan Sabur and his son. Whenever I step into their workshop, I’m always greeted by Wayan’s warm and welcoming smile, which reflects his joyous outlook on life. He takes each day as it comes and truly enjoys every moment.

Despite the different perception of time in Indonesia, I’ve often commissioned custom orders with Wayan, only to return the next year to find them partially completed.

One of his remarkable creations is a stunning Buddha standing on a blooming lotus. The intricate carving of the Buddha’s robes is exceptional, resembling the undulating waves of the ocean more than traditional cloth. This design is so unique that I always purchase every statue he creates in this style.

Artists like Wayan used to be more common in Indonesia, but their time is dwindling. Thankfully, his son is ready to continue his father’s legacy by carrying on his designs and artistry into the next generation.

What do you think of these doors? Teak wood doors. Should Lotus Sculpture start importing them?

What do you think of this teak wood root decorative piece? It will be polished and cleaned up. It is unique in that it is just fine outdoors as well as indoors. It is monstrous too with a size of 8 feet by 8 feet. It is one of those unique pieces that you just do not see anymore.

I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Echo for around 15 years. He works at a stone workshop and is a true character, as evidenced by his mischievous grin and playful demeanor, as seen in the photo of him holding his dentures.

Echo is like a large feline in his approach to work – he only works when he needs money and takes days off to rest and relax when his pockets are full. His lifestyle has earned him the nickname “Sultan Echo” since he lives like a sultan, sleeping when he’s satisfied and only working when he has to.

Personally, I love his approach to life. What a fantastic way to live – enjoying the fruits of your labor and only working when necessary!

Borobudur & Prambanan Temples of Yogyakarta, Indonesia

February 23rd, 2023

I have been wanting to go to the famous Buddhist temple of Borobudur and the Hindu temple of Prambanan since my backpacking days. I have seen the temples in Bagan, Burma, and Angkor Wat in Cambodia and this was the last piece to the 3 sacred, must-see, sights of South East Asia. Needless to say, I was not disappointed!

Wandering around Prambanan I was like a kid in a candy store. I started off in the furthest, least impressive temple. It is my philosophy when seeing temples to always start at the least impressive first and build your way to the most impressive. This way you don’t start off with amazing and then just get disappointed with seeing everything else. (I think the reverse is true with food. I always start with the best and work my way to the worst). I love the feeling of an abandoned ruin. Walking alone up the steps and through the narrow temple doors you feel like you are the first person to step foot into the temple for the past 500 years, Marco Polo made a discovery for the world. It is an amazing feeling that only lasts until some tourist in sneakers comes into your picture frame when you are looking for that perfect shot! But the feeling is there…you are an explorer!

A magnetic Ganesha statue I fell in love with inside one of the temples of Prambanan

I am a huge Pink Floyd fan. They have a famous live recording of them playing in the ruins of Pompei, Italy. Walking around Prambanan that first day I had the soundtrack to this playing in my mind…..I could literally hear Richard Wright belting out the crescendo in the epic song, Echoes as I climbed over the rocks and surveyed the temple!

Sunrise bathing Borobudur temple in its misty, pink glow. After 25 years of wanting to go, I finally laid eyes on it!

The next day I woke up at 4 am to catch the sunrise peak over the horizon and bask in its light on the Buddhist temple of Borobudur. It was amazing! The whole complex is set up like a mandala (a Buddhist depiction of the universe) with a huge stupa in the middle with 18 huge stupas surrounding it. The stupas were enormous and impressive, each containing a Buddha statue inside the stupa. There were 4 levels to the temple, each containing a story from either the Buddha’s life or the Ramayana epic. The carvings were all absolute masterpieces.

It is an amazing thing when you get to experience something that you have been waiting for for over 25 years! It is good to know that there is still some adventure out there, you just have to get out there and discover it!

Thailand

February 17th, 2023

Jew is an artist who creates stunning Buddha statues with intricate patinas that boast an impressive level of texture and depth. I ordered a set of his statues four months ago and they are currently in the process of being colored and patinaed. I have yet to find an artist who can match the quality of Jew’s work

Three years ago, when I was in Bangkok, I had the pleasure of meeting Aon for the first time. He was only 17 and was helping out his family. Fast forward to today and Aon is 20. He was beaming with pride when he showed me the Ganesha statue he had made entirely by himself, from the wax model to the casting and coloring. This is an impressive feat considering it’s usually a group effort. Seeing Aon carry on the tradition of statue-making was encouraging and gave me hope for the future of the industry. It’s often discouraging to hear news of the older masters passing away without any new students to take their place, but Aon is a glimmer of light in the darkness.

It’s fantastic to observe, female artisans in the statue-making process! Many women are involved in the painting and decorating of traditional Thai Buddhas.

During my shopping trip, I stumbled upon these stunning photos of revered Thai monks. I couldn’t resist purchasing them to add a unique touch to my warehouse. It’s always so exciting to find such lovely, unexpected items!

I have had the great fortune to be friends with Jew and Jin for 16 years. It’s been wonderful to watch our relationship grow and develop over the years, just like a flower blooming in the spring. Our friendship has been a blessing, and I’m so grateful for the long-lasting bond we’ve been able to share.

My trip to Thailand ended with a half day of sightseeing. In my 30 years of visiting Bangkok, I was still surprised by the number of sights to take in. While I have often admired Wat Arun from the river, I had never taken the opportunity to visit it until my recent trip. If you’re ever in Bangkok, I highly recommend a short ferry ride across the river from the Grand Palace to Wat Arun. It’s well worth it!

Update – South India

On my buying trip to India in February I made it a point to visit the people who we donated rice to during the covid lockdown. I wanted to meet them, hear their stories, and see first hand if we touched their lives in any way.

I was uncharacteristically nervous on the drive there.

Please click here to follow my journey throughout Asia on our Instagram page. I recently traveled through North and South India and Nepal.

My first stop was the young woman who was pregnant during COVID last year and did not have a place to live. Here she is with her husband and daughter, now 9 months old. Her daughter is a beautiful, happy and healthy young girl. As we were leaving she told me “thank you” in English and I could see in her eyes that she truly meant it. The “thank you” touched me deeply.

Next, we visited the family with two blind sons. Only one was there at the time. The mother was a wonderful woman who was all smiles and chatting to me in Tamil. She showed me her house and how they all slept on the floor together in one cinderblock room with a corrugated roof and a fan. She told me that when she got the rice, she immediately started a fire to start cooking it because they literally had no food to eat. She was so thankful for what we had done for her family.

We visited a village that could not have been any more marginalized by society. They lived on the outskirts of town with no water or electricity. No government aid gets to them and they are purely subsistence living. On the drive getting there I was amazed at how my friend, Balan was even able to find these people. When I was there Balan told me how some of the villagers were amazed that the rice was whole grain rice. They were used to only eating cracked rice, basically, they could only afford the low-quality rice that had some defects to it.

It was an incredibly rewarding and difficult day for me. It was rewarding to connect with the actual people we donated rice to, look into their eyes and feel how appreciative they were of our help. It was difficult because you can see how large the issues are with poverty in India and the world. As much as I would love to solve the issue, it is not something that one person can come in to correct. It would take a massive effort to change society.

Balan and I were brainstorming over things we can do in the future and hope to bring another donation opportunity to everyone again soon.

Thank you again to everyone who donated to help make this happen.

~Kyle Tortora, Founder, Lotus Sculpture

Click to watch the video of my experiences visiting the people we donated rice to during the covid lockdown.

Nepal – The Birthplace of Buddha

*I met the same sadhus who I met with my mother 16 years ago when I first visited Nepal at Pashupatinath Temple*

It has been 16 years since I first visited Nepal. Lotus Sculpture has never imported any statues from Nepal so this past week was like a buying trip 20 years ago, exploring Kathmandu valley and searching for new artisans with exceptional statues.
Happily, we found them!

Please click here to follow my journey throughout Asia on our Instagram page. I recently traveled through North and South India and Nepal.

*Here is Mr. Shakya holding a gold-plated* statue of Indra in a loving embrace with Shakti. I loved this man! he had a youthful charm to him that was infectious.

The moment that I laid my eyes on this stunning Nataraj statue I knew I would have to bring Him home with me. I have never before seen a dancing Shiva in this style. It is a perfect statue in casting, form, and painting.

From the moment I met Siddartha I knew I had met a lifelong friend. He has a calm grace and inner peace that emanates from him. And he has some amazing statues like this amazing Vajrasatva (coming to Lotus Sculpture soon)!

Going from shop to shop finding some hidden treasures like this copper double dorje brings out the inner Indiana Jones in me.

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Batsa is a young 29-year-old artist shown creating a wax mold of Vajrayogini. He uses yak bone to shape it. The saliva keeps them from sticking together which differs from how stipathis (wax modelers) of South India create their wax molds. He spends all day drawing and creating wax molds. I loved him. He is a dedicated, true artist!

Learn about all Lotus Sculpture’s artists

I knew I was going to find amazing statues, but when I saw some amazing prayer wheels I had to learn where and how they are made. The mantra “Om Mani Padme Om” is pounded into copper sheets and then made into a prayer wheel and filled with prayers. I know you will be as excited about them as I am!

Mahesh is a Master craftsman! All of his statues are made at another level of artistry. I can not wait to show them to you!

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We are going to have a big selection of masterpieces coming from Nepal! As big a selection as Indra’s arms are wide.

Vajrasatva is jeweled with rubies, red coral, and emeralds. Stunning carving!

“Being in Nepal was like experiencing my first buying trip as a young man 22 years ago. With every step I took on the streets of Kathmandu, I was in search of something new for Lotus Sculpture, a new artisan or a new art form. Every day was exhilarating!”

~Kyle Tortora, Founder, Lotus Sculpture

*One sees colorful Prayer flags fluttering everywhere*

*Refreshing the temple outdoor deities with a coat of paint.*

Here are the ghats or steps where bodies are cremated at the Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu dedicated to Lord Shiva. It was a very heavy difficult day for me. There were children begging, old sadhus laying on the ground in awful health conditions that aren’t appropriate to share, and then seeing bodies burning on funeral pyres really affected me. The Buddha said that “all life is suffering.” It was easy to understand why he uttered those words so long ago. It was also very easy to see the impermanence of all life in those moments as both life and death were on display in front of me.