Electroplated carbon steel, steel, bronze, gold, cotton, wood
45 x 5 x 5 inches
2020
This sculpture is a kind of phurba, a buddhist ritual object with a fierce, wrathful, piercing energy used to signify stability, which is used to kill demons and ignorance within ceremonial practices. The handle references a vajra, a ritual object symbolizing a diamond, indestructibility, a thunderbolt, irresistible force, the nature of reality, and enlightenment. These symbols combined with the phrase "The Inherent Dignity of Every Person" is meant to evoke a kind of unstoppable, unquestionable compassion and strengthened bond between all people. It represents a ritual object to vanquish those who might question the inherent dignity of every person, while also acting as a literal weapon which could be used in an emergency if such a person were to threaten your safety.
