The Light That Shines... Tee

Inspired by The Light That Shines Through the Universe—an awe-inspiring, 27-foot-tall sculpture from Vietnamese-American artist Tuan Andrew Nguyen and the fifth High Line Plinth commission. 

Nguyen presents his Plinth commission as a monument to cultural loss and enduring spirit. The work’s title directly references the affectionate nickname local communities used for the larger of the Bamiyan Buddhas: “Salsal,” which translates to “the light shines through the universe.” The original 6th-century Bamiyan Buddhas of central Afghanistan were tragically destroyed in 2001 by the Taliban in an act of iconoclasm. The work is not an exact replica of Salsal, but rather an echo, intended to invoke the memory of these lost cultural treasures. For The Light That Shines Through the Universe, the artist reimagines the original hands, which were missing after centuries of attacks, long before the Buddhas’ eventual complete destruction. Cast from melted-down brass artillery shells from Afghanistan, each hand is positioned into a mudra, or ritual gesture—on the right, the Abhaya mudra, signifying “fearlessness”, and on the left, the Varada mudra, signifying “compassion.”

The statue is a reminder “that even in the midst of chaos and violence, we can remain compassionate and fearless. I imagine against the skyline these super polished brass hands, as they sparkle in the sun, will be something very spectacular,” Nguyen told The New York Times in an article announcing the sculpture’s selection as the fifth Plinth commission.

Learn more about the sculpture & High Line Art