It's my interpretation of Yama, the god of death in Vedic mythology.
Yama is also a part of the pantheon of wrathful deities in Tibetan Buddhism.
I took the body of a Ho-Tai (laughing fat buddha) on a zen candle base, & Photoshopped in a metal skull with menacing red eyes:
The black emptiness of death envelopes him...
Yama smiles grimly down on the deceased soul, whose karma is under his scrutiny.
His glowing, demonic eyes pierce through the infinite darkness.
He sits cold & unmoving, like a granite tomb, atop a sea of blood red.
Of course, the highest realization is that, Yama, like ALL anthropomorphic deities, is a ultimately a manifestation of the mind; a figment of the imagination.
For some reason, I got the idea to make this composite photo when looking at the skull. Although I'm really not obsessed with death, I have had a few truly near-death experiences. These events helped give me a deep understanding of my own mortality & the fragile miracle of being alive.
From this comes an appreciation for Life, which we must realize is always overshadowed by the possibility of an unexpected Death.
That is why every moment should be lived consciously with gratitude, and not taken for granted.
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