Emi Kusano

Buddhist Term

English Meaning

Covetousness

The Altar of Bonnō

Bonnō is the Buddhist concept that embodies the blind passions that drive our actions and emotions. The pervasive material desires driven by these passions are the subject of this generative AI series, displayed in the form of various overindulgences that tempt daily actions right up to the altars of worship. 

Feeding from an amalgam of Japanese culture, western influence, and Buddhist traditions and symbolism – the sheer density of material defilements expressed in these works are a widespread phenomena of contemporary life throughout the world. Their hold on our field of view conveys the troubling complexities that seek to impede the attainment of spiritual harmony. worship. 

This series is a study of fictional lives in a retro-future world, imagined by Kusano using artificial intelligence image-making processes, real photography, and digital painting.