A DEITY OF DOCUMENTATION PORTRAIT
Acrylic on Wood Board 18”x24”
“What we choose to preserve, question, and imagine becomes the foundation for the future.”
Set within the expansive Daydream Universe—a realm where creativity manifests as living landscapes—this painting centers on a mythical owl-like deity seated atop a turtle-shaped stone stele. Inspired by East Asian traditions, the stele references historical monuments used to honor ancestors and record sacred knowledge. The deity’s robe unfolds as a layered tapestry: celestial cycles crown its form, while researchers in lab coats, rendered in the style of Christian iconography, emerge as angelic figures. These beings embody the virtues of inquiry, creation, and dissemination—echoing bodhisattvas and arhats from Buddhist lore.
The stele’s border draws from Hindu deity compositions, blending motifs from Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity into a unified symbolic frame. Its inscription reads: “What we choose to preserve, question, and imagine becomes the foundation for every future we build.” Yet the stele also resembles a mirror, suggesting that history is not merely inherited—it is authored by each of us.
Flanking the deity are temple chambers inhabited by elephant-angels, posed in gestures of knowledge and surrounded by lotus-adorned pillars. Above, a crab-like devotee with a human face rings bells to announce the deity’s presence, while lotus flowers bloom in a top-down view at the painting’s corners.
Two ornate pots sit beside the stele, patterned with Indian pottery linework and sprouting bonsai trees shaped in the Vietnamese landscape tradition. These vessels are adorned with Indian floral motifs, symbolizing cultural continuity and reverence. Encircling the deity is the History Dragon Spirit—two-headed to represent past and future—while peacock-elephants guard the base, echoing protective motifs found in Asian art.
Throughout the composition, green and yellow spirit-creatures appear, each uniquely patterned to evoke the diversity of life. Pagodas nestled among bonsai branches reference Vietnamese sacred sites and serve as dwellings for the researchers.
The deity holds both scroll and book, reading aloud a text that speaks of discovering a new culture. Beneath, the turtle carries a paintbrush—an emblem of documentation and a nod to the Vietnamese legend of the sacred turtle who gifted a king a divine weapon. Atop the deity’s head rests a Vietnamese conical hat, inscribed with a cubist rendering of the universe, encircled by the Ouroboros—symbol of eternal life, death, and renewal.
In the background, serpents formed from Japanese wave patterns dissolve into clouds and ghostly figures, representing the rhythms of nature and the boundless flow of imagination. The painting’s aesthetic merges cartoon-like linework with half-tone textures, reflecting the artist’s roots in screen-printing and digital culture.
Through this intricate layering of symbols, traditions, and visual storytelling, The Knowledge Deity Encounter becomes a meditation on history, imagination, and the sacred pursuit of learning in a rapidly evolving world.
Documentation Deity Portrait in Daydream Universe Gallery. Located in the Lotus Dreamscape exhibition within the observation courtyard.
Detail shot of painting stone stele. The lotus is a reoccurring theme within this dreamscape. Here it also set within the borders of the stele front facing instead of the usual side profile. The dots inside are lotus seeds representing creation and rebirth.
The stele’s border blends motifs from Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity into a unified symbolic frame. In this detail shot, a elephant peacock devotee is sitting in a knowledge pose inside a temple. The lotus flower suggests they have reached enlightenment. Throughout the composition, green and yellow spirit-creatures appear, each uniquely patterned to evoke the diversity of life. Pagodas nestled among bonsai branches reference Vietnamese sacred sites and serve as dwellings for the researchers. Indian floral patterns can also be seen within the clay bonsai flowerpot.
A Kīrtimukha, or “Face of Glory,” is a protective visage adorning sacred art and temple arches. This face can be seen atop ringing bells to signify the arrival of this deity. Atop the deity’s head rests a conical hat, inscribed with a cubist rendering of the universe. Above encircled is an Ouroboros symbolizing birth, death, and renewal.
Encircling the deity is the History Dragon Spirit, a two-headed creature to represent past and future. Details of the lotus pond stele border can be seen as well as faded inscriptions on the stone. The top part of the robe design shows a representation of the vase >Daydream Universe<.
The deity’s robe unfolds as a layered tapestry. Knowledge seekers in lab coats, rendered in the style of Christian like iconography, emerge as angelic figures wielding powers from books. These beings embody the virtues of inquiry, creation, and dissemination; echoing bodhisattvas and arhats from Buddhist lore. The deity also holds both scroll and book, reading a text that speaks of discovering a new culture.
The turtle carries a paintbrush as an emblem of documentation and creative stewardship. This is a reference to the Vietnamese legend of the sacred turtle Kim Quy who emerged from the lake to bestow a divine sword. When peace was restored, the turtle reclaimed the weapon, returning it to the depths as a reminder that power, like wisdom, is only ever held in trust. In this portrait, the stone stele itself resembles a mirror, reflecting the idea that history is not merely inherited but continually authored by each of us. The turtle extends the paintbrush toward the viewer, inviting reflection what do we choose to preserve, document, and share?
In the background, serpents formed from Japanese wave patterns dissolve into clouds and ghostly figures, representing the rhythms of nature and the boundless flow of creativity. Through this intricate layering of symbols, traditions, and visual storytelling, The Knowledge Deity Encounter becomes a meditation on history, imagination, and the sacred pursuit of learning in a rapidly evolving world.
A lotus sprouts in under the turtle, a reference to Hindu deity portraiture. The painting’s aesthetic merges cartoon-like line work with half-tone textures, reflecting the artist’s roots in screen-printing and digital culture.
Special Thanks
To start, we would like give a special thank our sound design partner Leon who has helped us bring the sounds from the Daydream Universe alive. You have opened our eyes to the limitless possibilities and power that audio can have on us.
We would also like specially thank Isaiah Trevino for helping bring our Daydream Universe concepts into a tangible environment.
Finally, as a team, we want to thank YOU, dear viewer. Your passion is what inspires us and continuously fuels this project. Our goal is to create a space where we can all explore the infinite universes that exist within us.