On a colorful background similar to color bars in a television test pattern, Nam June Paik drew a Thousand-armed Avalokiteshvara. Whereas Paik depicted the hands of the figure like a trident in other similar works, this distinctive work shows the hands with round fingers. The specific Avalokiteshvara having a thousand hands is said to have an eye on each palm, thus having a thousand eyes, which symbolizes the endless power of mercy and salvation. Paik drew the Buddhist being who can save people from fire and brimstone over the color bars, which is one of his frequently used motifs. Next to the figure, Paik wrote the Buddhist being’s name as “Ga Na Da Ra” in Korean, which is the first four basic letters one learns in the Korean language. One may feel the artist’s agony and torment from his disabilities in writing and speaking after a stroke.
