God of Wealth: What a Deity Statue can Represent to a Family

God of Wealth and Fortune

My parents came to America from Vietnam to search for their American Dream. Just like most immigrants who come to this country, they all strive to be financially successful. Both of my parents work day and nights, even if that means not being able to attend our graduations or important school events. Their love for us is what motivated them to continue to endure many obstacles, in hopes that my siblings and I would not have to go through the similar struggles they had faced in their country. It is common for Asian families to display a statue of this god and worship him within their homes. As the god of wealth, it is believed within Asian culture that by worshipping he would embrace you with his wealth and fortune. The god stands there surrounded by his gold and wealth and his lavish and decorative traditional clothing shows us how mighty and powerful he is. The lucky bamboo is perfectly placed alongside the deity. His smile is a reminder that money could give us happiness and fortune that we all had longed for. However, money would not make up for the time lost that my parents could have spent with us. The money would not heal the distances created between my parents and I. Neither would it solve the struggles my parents had already endure in order for us to at least be financially comfortable. It is my siblings and my duties to show our gratitude by becoming the source of wealth for our parents. The statue will be a reminder for us to become the provider for my parents, who have yet to be blessed by the god of wealth.

Shrine of the Red Hot Sister

by Powell Art | May 15, 2018 | Shrines, TermiteTV projects | 0 Comments

Red sandcastles and children Close up (Dave's Story) This is the shrine dedicated to Dave's red hot sisters who have enabled him to be the 'Prince of Princes". This sister's wisdom, humility and beauty have guided and empowered him to take on the world. Though his heart is gentle he has learned to push forward in the world with smiles and charm. (Câu chuyện của Dave) Đây là ngôi đền dành riêng cho các chị em nóng bỏng của Dave, người đã giúp anh trở thành "Hoàng tử của Hoàng...

Mother Nature

by Powell Art | May 20, 2018 | Shrines | 0 Comments

The world is surrounded with nature, she is an unstoppable force that is far beyond our human control. Her power is to protect and take care of her children with her love. The beads that the mother holds in her hands are the seeds of which she uses to plant. She has the ability to create and grow more plants to nurture the earth. Without her love and mysterious power to continue nurturing this planet, it would be impossible to maintain balance that are crucial to our survival. She...

Chinese Warrior

by Powell Art | May 14, 2018 | Shrines | 0 Comments

According to local legends, all Datuks were once humans who had a standing in society either for their position or special attributes. They could have been an important leader, a renowned healer, a silat warrior, a pious man or even a shaman. Upon their death, locals and their followers would sometimes offer prayers at their gravestones, in line with the concept of keramat. Local Malay culture prior to the arrival of a more conservative brand of Islam practised the paying of respects to...

Life is like a Bike

by Powell Art | June 8, 2018 | Shrines | 0 Comments

The white faded bike is a representation of life Albert Einstein had said “Life is like riding a bike. To keep your balance you must keep moving”. It is important to stroll through the various experiences you will or had in life and to not dwell on the past. If you were to put the brakes on your bike, it would be impossible to keep your momentum. As we continue to move forward, we try to find our own path while balancing the different types of responsibilities that weigh on our...

A Statue that Differs from the Expectations of Light and Dark Colors

by Powell Art | August 1, 2018 | Shrines | 0 Comments

The dark face of deity’s contrast with the white surroundings. As a result, the statue draws in the attention to the details and intricate designs of the deity. The color black not only contrast with the white surroundings but also with the typical connotations that are associated with those colors. White is seen as the color of purity and holiness whereas, the color black is seen as sinister and dangerous. Whereas this somber statue shows no sign of a menacing atmosphere. The...

Santa and the Two Vases

by Powell Art | May 16, 2018 | Shrines, TermiteTV projects | 0 Comments

Santa arrives with his sack. This is a shrine about vessels and joy. A vessel is mother. It is place we go to be nurtured and replenished. We generally are rewarded with gifts and joy from both Santa's sack and mother's vessels. Ông già Noel và hai chiếc bình ông già Noel phía sau tấm quà của ông già Noel, ông già Noel đến với bao của ông. Đây là một ngôi đền về tàu thuyền và niềm vui. Một con tàu là mẹ. Đó là nơi chúng ta được nuôi dưỡng và bổ sung. Chúng tôi thường được thưởng...

The Faded Statue of a Woman: Inevitable Changes that Happens to Everyone

by Powell Art | July 19, 2018 | Shrines | 0 Comments

The statue of the older woman looks as if she blends in with the surrounding. As the years of her youth slowly goes by, she loses her vibrancy in her appearance and in her mind. The responsibility of becoming an adult had worn her out. The older a person becomes, the less amount of freedom they truly have. It is a result of being tied down to responsibilities such as work, family, and earning money. Children would not have to care for these things because they have their parents...

The Quiet Child: An Unspoken Voice of a Child

by Powell Art | July 10, 2018 | Shrines | 0 Comments

Childhood is a one of a kind experience that everybody goes through. A more innocent time where one is allowed to be naive and explore the world for their first time. The little girl tilts her head slightly, not only as a sign of confusion but also to see the world in a perspective that she has never seen before. Her eyes widen towards the camera. Because like the camera, both the camera and the child stores information and data in their frail little memories, waiting to combust...

Three Buddha Statues That Reflects Three Different Problems

by Powell Art | July 20, 2018 | Shrines | 0 Comments

The similarity between these three statues is that they are illustrating Buddha. These statues all have a different color and concept to their own interpretation on how to portray Buddha. The color chosen for these statue reminds me of my siblings and I. My brother reminds of the red one due to his easily triggered personality. One of his faults lies in trusting in his anger as a solution to his problems. As he slowly matures he has been learning to let things go. The clam face on the red...

Shrine of the Blonde, the Cock, and the Electric Service

by Powell Art | June 10, 2018 | Shrines | 0 Comments

Our sense of power comes from being served. We fantasize of service from the female, the blonde maid with bountiful fruit at all levels of her presence, and the male cock, with his warrior like speech and sexuality. We are constantly measuring our power. Yet outside of the internal struggle for power and dominance sits the fawns waiting to be nurtured from the emerald glow of the vase and mother nature.

The Bride in the Red Dress

by Powell Art | July 11, 2018 | Shrines | 0 Comments

The bride is in an extravagant traditional Chinese wedding dress for women. In western and modern culture, white has been the traditional color for the brides to wear. However, red symbolizes good luck in Asian culture, which is why the brides would wear the bright color. Marriage is an important aspect of growing up, and it is also commonly expected of a couple before they officially start a family together. The idea to proclaim your love for one each other in front of your...

Shrine of the Five Eyes

by Powell Art | May 16, 2018 | Shrines, TermiteTV projects | 0 Comments

The Shrine of the Five eyes contains the eyes of the eagle, the butterfly, and the never blinking mono eye. The eagle sees the world from soaring above it and zooming down to examine the smallest of prey. The butterfly flutters through the world at close range. She is a deliverer of love and fertility as she moves from flower to flower exchanging pollen as gifts. The unblinking mono eye looks at the world from one vantage point. It transmits its vision through electric optic...

Progress Awaits: The LGBTQ community

by Powell Art | July 9, 2018 | Shrines, Uncategorized | 0 Comments

The LGBTQ community has been struggling to make steady progress throughout the years with the growing acceptance within the American society. However, for the progress of the acceptance of the LGBTQ, there need to be changes. These changes lie within our perspectives and approach for the normalcy of the community. In order to create changes, we must think and follow different paths or roads that have not been thought of or have been created before. The vibrant and colorful wheels of the bike...

Curious frogs

by Powell Art | June 8, 2018 | Shrines | 0 Comments

The frogs are looking up at the boy with curiosity. Before the world was populated with humans, there were animals that roamed this planet. However, ever since the creation of humans, the planet is no longer in the flourishing and nurturing state like it was in before. It is important to care for the planet in order to co-exist with the animals and nature. People can be self-centered because they do not think about the future generation. It is a normal tendency for humans to think...