Nate Cassie American, b. 1970
Parinirvana, 2026
Oil stick on linen stretched on panel
34 x 40 in
86.4 x 101.6 cm
86.4 x 101.6 cm
Inspired by traditional Buddhist imagery and the personal experience of watching a lover at rest, Cassie explores the relationship among life, transience, and transcendence. Parinirvana is the final nirvana a...
Inspired by traditional Buddhist imagery and the personal experience of watching a lover at rest, Cassie explores the relationship among life, transience, and transcendence. Parinirvana is the final nirvana a Buddha attains at death, signifying complete release from samsara (wandering) and the end of the cycle of rebirth. While traditional depictions of Parinirvana feature a reclining figure surrounded by disciples and a landscape reminiscent of the curved body, Cassie instead offers an intimate exploration of the landscape itself. Exploring the natural and spiritual world, the work represents the “spaces in between,” capturing the curved horizon and expansive firmament while suggesting the contours of “shoulders, hips, and limbs, dissolving the boundary between the human form and the natural world.”
