Karuna Art

The work presented in this section is an art with a particular purpose. It is Karuna Art –– art meant to reduce and eventually alleviate suffering. The word is old, very old, dating back to our Egyptian beginnings; but in present-day usage it finds its home in Buddhist literature. In its oldest forms, Karuna is associated with feelings of pity for those who are suffering usually from despair, hopelessness and/or heartbreak. I use it in this context with a slight twist, a commitment to illuminate the path of inter-dependence that binds suffering with ignorance.

The books to follow could easily fall under the current social justice rubric –– works intent on addressing cultural appropriation. But I’ve chosen to move beyond that pigeonhole to a more timeless stance that takes into account the sufferings of the multitude.