Awakening of the Buddha 2015

Alexander Roitburd painted this ‘Awakening of the Buddha’ using oil on canvas, though we don’t know exactly when. There’s an intensity here, with this sleeping Buddha rendered in such a vibrant palette. The textures seem almost sculpted, built up layer by layer. I love the way the paint feels both deliberate and spontaneous. Look at the sun reflecting on the ocean, it's like a million tiny brushstrokes, each one a decision, a little world. The thickness of the paint, particularly in the robe, gives it a sculptural quality, it's almost as if the artist is not just depicting but building the form. And that blue, next to the gold, it’s so striking. It is as if Roitburd is in conversation with artists like Van Gogh, both using expressive colors and textures to convey emotion. Ultimately, this piece is about more than just representation, it’s a meditation on color, form, and the very act of painting itself.