Three Butterflies and an Empty Cage
2006
Symbols of the resurrection are plentiful in Christian art. This is my attempt to create a metaphor for the resurrection using the visual vocabulary of Chinese culture to articulate this most important aspect of the Christian faith*. The three butterflies can alternately represent the trinity or the three days Christ was "caged" in the tomb before resurrection day.
* Butterflies in Chinese culture represent happiness and faithfulness, whereas western Christian tradition sees the butterfly emerging from the cocoon as a symbol of the resurrection. The butterfly usage here could represent the joy we have knowing that God loved us so much that he came back from the dead to save us.
