The Light Shines Through the Universe

Tuan Andrew Nguyen (b. 1976, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam) lives in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

The Light that Shines Through the Universe is a 30-foot-tall sandstone homage to the Bamiyan Buddhas, two 6th-century monumental statues in central Afghanistan that were destroyed in 2001 by the Taliban. Nguyen symbolically casts the Buddha’s hands, missing from the original monuments long before their final destruction, from brass artillery shells. They are arranged in mudras—or ritual gestures—that express fearlessness in compassion. The work’s title is a direct reference to the nickname used by local communities for the larger of the two Buddhas: “Salsal,” which means “the light shines through the universe.” This broken, rebuilt, resilient figure suggests the use of memory and the concept of reincarnation as a tool for renewal and healing.

Please note that the maquette is made out of gray sandstone and the final Plinth proposal would be made from yellow sandstone, as represented in the rendering.