Yi Wan Gyo

Yi Wan Gyo bases his works on Buddhist enlightenment and Daoist philosophy, embracing Asian concepts of vital energy and a mind without distracting thoughts as the foundation of his creative works. His series Nirvana pursues aesthetics of contemplation, healing, and cosmic unity grounded in vital energy, emptiness, and the dao (the way). The monochrome compositions, rendered through a nuanced color gradient and an expanse of negative space, embody Asian spirituality. The limited tonal range and softened contours are completed in viewers’ imagination, evoking serenity and brightness. Here, black represents the origin, the mother that gives birth to all things, while shades of gray and ethereal light symbolize spiritual freedom and the transcendental realm, or nirvana. Echoing Laozi’s triadic concept of the faint, the rare, and the subtle, the subtlety emerges as an intangible dimension, unseen and unheard yet deeply felt. In that moment, the photographs allow an experience of liberation and tranquility beyond suffering and attachment, recalling the humanity that is often lost in the modern civilization and inviting viewers to contemplate on spiritual healing and restoration.