Bodhisattva Series

OK Bodhisattva
Tara Sasiadek
Oil on Canvas
24” x 36”

I made this painting while thinking about my family history of cancer, and the likelihood that it would effect me as a woman. Taking inspiration from the Buddhist idea of the compassionate and enlightened soul, or Bodhisattva, who remains behind to lead others on, I painted a figure meant to represent myself as a survivor, bolstered by those who had gone before me. Instead of a traditional hand signal, the figure flashes the western “OK” sign.
When I did in fact develop and survive cancer, this work developed into a series of paintings as tribute to the women in my family who have passed on, and the lessons they left behind.

Eve: Bodhisattva of Compassion
Oil on Canvas
30 x 40 in.
2008
My cousin Eve was the happiest woman I ever knew, taking life as it came without complaint until she died at a tragically young age.



Katherine: Bodhisattva of Creation
Oil on Canvas
30 x 40 in.
2008
My aunt Kathy was an artist and a healer who had a huge impact on me. Diagnosed with breast cancer and given little time to live, she survived years beyond the time she was warned she would have, painting and experimenting with natural remedies.



Sophia: Bodhisattva of Wisdom
Oil on Canvas
24 x 35 in.
2008
My paternal grandmother lived a long and well-spent life until succumbing to brain cancer. She frequently dispensed the following indisputable wisdom: “All things in moderation.”