EKAVIRA VAJRABHAIRAVA
Tibet
Early 17th century
Distemper on cloth
42½ by 30¼ in. (108 x 77 cm.)
FEATURED ARTWORK
A towering blue deity surrounded by flames, lineage masters, and protective deities dominates this early seventeenth-century Tibetan painting. Depicted in his Ekavira (“Solitary Hero”) form, Vajrabhairava appears with multiple faces, arms, and legs, embodying the transformative power of enlightened wisdom in Tibetan Buddhist practice. Despite its extraordinary complexity, the composition remains remarkably clear, drawing the viewer's eye again and again to the immense central figure. Look closer, and the painting unfolds into a vast assembly of teachers, meditational deities, and protective figures surrounding the central deity, each contributing to a complex vision of Tibetan Buddhist practice.
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