Kanzeon and Dolphin (AP)

Kanzeon (Kannon, the Bodhisattva of Compassion) riding or accompanied by a dolphin — one of Mayumi Oda's most characteristic subjects, the Buddhist deity of mercy united with the intelligent marine mammal that has become an emblem of ecological sensitivity and the interconnection of human and animal life. Oda's Kanzeon figures are distinguished from traditional iconographic treatments by their explicitly feminine character and their physical exuberance: rather than the serene, asexual dignity of classical Buddhist sculpture, her Kanzeon is a vital, embodied, thoroughly female divinity whose compassion is expressed through the joy and energy of her physical form. The Artist's Proof (AP) designation indicates a small number of prints made outside the main edition.