Buddha’s Smile will divulge nine iterations and cultural interpretations of Buddha from throughout Asia. From the tranquil smile of an enlightened icon to the widely recognisable laughing Buddha, the works span more than a thousand years.
The showcase will bear displays of contemporary art to prehistoric antiquities and will include textiles, paintings, prints, devotional objects, sculptures and scripts.
NGV director, Tony Ellwood, renders it as a crucially enlightening exhibition. “Buddha’s Smile offers a renewed perspective on the symbolic and diverse incarnations of Buddhist art throughout Asian history. This exhibition elucidates the various historical narratives of Buddhist philosophies in a contemporary presentation.”
