Alan Caomin Xie | Seven Dreams of the Lotus Sutra

SANDLER HUDSON GALLERY

ALAN CAOMIN XIE

GRAPHITE AND SILVER LEAF ON PAPER| 72 x 90 INCHES | $18,000.00

ALAN CAOMIN XIE | THE PARABLE OF THE PEARL IN THE TOPKNOT, 2019 |

Seven Dreams of the Lotus Sutra

STATEMENT

Sandler Hudson Gallery is pleased to announce its current exhibition, Seven Dreams of the Lotus Sutra by Alan Caomin Xie. Xie, originally from Shanghai China, is an Atlanta-based artist who has been living and working in the United States since 1999.

Seven Dreams of the Lotus Sutra is inspired by the seven parables of the Lotus Sutra; The Parable of the Burning house, The Parable of the Lost Son, The Parable of Medicinal Herbs, The Parable of the Phantom City, The Parable of the Jewel in the Robe, The Parable of the Pearl in the Topknot, and The Parable of the Medicine King.

APRIL 29 - JUNE 10, 2023

ALAN CAOMIN XIE has been widely exhibited nationally and internationally. His exhibitions include The Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition, 2006, at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, Washington, DC; Altered Traditions, 2007, at Ethan Cohen Fine Arts in New York; Electronic Media Painting, 2008, at Shanghai Duolun Museum of Modern Art in Shanghai, China; solo exhibition Samsara, 2011, at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia, Atlanta, Georgia; Map of Infinitude, 2015, Solo Exhibition at Savannah College of Art & Design Art Museum, Savannah, Georgia; Group exhibition Abstract China, 2016, Shanghai Ming Yuan Art Museum, Shanghai, China; Of Origins and Belonging, the High Museum of Art, Atlanta, Georgia.

ALAN CAOMIN XIE | THE PARABLE OF THE

PHANTOM CITY, 2020 | GRAPHITE AND SILVER LEAF ON PAPER | 72 x 90 INCHES | $18,000.00

ALAN CAOMIN XIE | THE PARABLE OF THE

BURNING HOUSE, 2019 | GRAPHITE AND SILVER LEAF ON PAPER | 72 x 90 INCHES | $18,000.00

ALAN CAOMIN XIE | THE PARABLE OF THE

MEDICINAL HERBS, 2020 | GRAPHITE AND SILVER LEAF ON PAPER | 72 x 90 INCHES |

$18,000.00

ALAN CAOMIN XIE | THE PARABLE OF THE

LOST SON, 2021 | GRAPHITE AND SILVER

LEAF ON PAPER | 72 x 90 INCHES | $18,000.00

| GRAPHITE AND SILVER LEAF ON PAPER | 46 x 34 INCHES | $6,000.00

ALAN CAOMIN XIE | THE SWIRL, 2023

2021 | GRAPHITE AND SILVER LEAF ON PA-

PER | 23 x 28 INCHES | $4,000.00

ALAN CAOMIN XIE | THE DEER KING JAKATA

EXPLORING THE ARTISTIC PROCESS

Xie states, “ These paintings are the offspring of depression and dreams. They were born between 2020 and 2022, a time when I had ample reason to indulge in depression and daydreaming. For me, painting is akin to sleepwalking.” Executed in graphite and silver leaf on paper; Xie responds to the forgiving, erasable quality of the graphite (in Chinese the term graphite translates to “stone-like ink”) and the elusive quality of silver leaf.

ALAN CAOMIN XIE | THE PARABLE OF THE I SKILLED PHYSICIAN, 2020 | GRAPHITE AND SILVER LEAF ON PAPER | 72 x 90 INCHES | $18,000.00

ALAN CAOMIN XIE | THE PARABLE OF THE

JEWEL IN THE ROBE, 2020 | GRAPHITE AND SILVER LEAF ON PAPER | 72 x 90 INCHES |

$18,000.00

| GRAPHITE AND SILVER LEAF ON PAPER | 27 x 27 INCHES | $4,000.00

ALAN CAOMIN XIE | FROG, 2021

| GRAPHITE AND SILVER LEAF ON PAPER | 27 x 30 INCHES | $4,000.00

ALAN CAOMIN XIE | YING LONG, 2021

| GRAPHITE AND SILVER LEAF ON PAPER | 28 x 30 INCHES | $4,000.00

ALAN CAOMIN XIE | TRANSPARENT MOUNTAIN, 2020

The Parable of the Burning House

A wise, elderly man returns from his journey to his spacious mansion, only to discover that it is on fire and his numerous sons are trapped inside. He informs them of the situation and urges them to escape, but they are preoccupied with their toys. To coax them out, the father promises various carts awaiting them outside. Upon hearing this, the children eagerly rush outside and ask for their carts. However, the father doesn’t have the carts he initially promised. Instead, he presents each child with a magnificent, enormous cart, far surpassing any grandeur they could have imagined, pulled by white oxen. The Buddha explains that the father in the story is himself; the house is samsara, which is subject to decay and death and is on fire with the passions; the children are disciples; the promised carts are the various apparent rewards consequent upon following Buddhist teachings and practices; and the ox carts are true liberation.

The Parable of Lost Son

A boy leaves home, wandering and taking poorly paid jobs. At fifty, he unknowingly encounters his father, now a millionaire, in a city. The father recognizes him and tries to capture him, but the son is terrified. The father then offers him a job cleaning the latrine at his mansion, which the son accepts, feeling it suits his self-worth. Over time, the father, occasionally disguised, works alongside the son and gradually promotes him. On his deathbed, the father reveals the truth and leaves his estate to his son. The parable’s symbols include the father as Buddha, the son as a disciple, wandering as samsara, menial jobs as Buddhist teachings and practices, and the inheritance as Buddha Nature.

Just as the monsoon rain nourishes plants of varying sizes, allowing them to thrive according to their distinct characteristics, the Buddhist teachings, akin to a monsoon cloud, are bestowed upon all beings without bias, enabling them to prosper according to their individual abilities.

The Seven Parables of Lotus Sutra

The Parable of the Phantom City

A knowledgeable guide leads a group through a wildness toward a treasure, but they become weary and disheartened. The guide magically creates a city for them to rest and refresh. Once revitalized, the city vanishes, and the guide reveals its purpose. The treasure is close, and with one more effort, they’ll find it. The guide represents the Buddha, the group symbolizes disciples, the phantom city is Buddhism, and the treasure is the Buddha Nature.

The Parable of the Jewel in the Robe

A poor man visits a rich friend, gets drunk, and passes out. The rich man, who has to leavon business, gives his poor man a priceless gem, which he sews into the lining of his friend’s robe. When the poor man comes to, he resumes his life as a vagrant, unaware of the treasure he received during his blackout. Later, he meets the rich man again, who shows him where the gem is concealed, and the poor man realizes his wealth. In the story, the rich man is the Buddha; the poor man is a sattva, drunk with passions; and the jewel is the truth about Buddha Nature.

The Parable of the Pearl in the Topknot

A powerful king rewards his victorious soldiers with extravagant gifts, except for the pearl in his topknot, which represents his personal symbol. Eventually, after numerous victories, he bestows the pearl upon the entire army. In this parable, the king is the Buddha, the soldiers are disciples battling passions, the gifts symbolize the initial Buddhist teachings, and the pearl signifies the supreme teaching of the Lotus Sutra.

Parable of the Medicine King

The sons of the Medicine King, a wise physician, take drugs from his cabinet and fall ill. He prepares antidotes, which mildly ill children accept and recover, while seriously ill children refuse. The physician leaves instructions, fakes his death, and in their grief, the children take the medicine and heal. When he returns, they greet him affectionately. The physician represents the Buddha, mildly ill children symbolize disciples, seriously ill children stand for non-practitioners, drugs denote passions, antidotes correspond to Buddhist teachings, and recovery signifies liberation.