Luohan Sewing Masks

Luóhàn are Buddhist deities, described in the label for A Group of Luohan nearby. Here, a luóhàn sits on a large rock under a pine tree, carefully threading a needle. There is a traditional subject in East Asian art in which luóhàn are shown performing everyday chores—making sandals, washing laundry, stitching robes—expressing the idea that enlightenment is not only experienced in meditation but permeates all aspects of life.

The painting is done in a classic Chinese style, and in the traditional, arc-shaped folding fan format. However, look closely at the luóhàn’s lap: he is preparing to sew a cloth face mask. Painting this work in 2020, Mansheng Wang, like many people at the beginning of the pandemic, made his own cloth masks to stop the spread of COVID-19 and to save medical-grade masks for frontline workers. He felt that making and wearing masks at that time, reflecting compassion for others, seemed like the kind of thing a luóhàn might do.