ARTIST'S STATEMENT: “In many different cultures, the lotus is regarded as a symbol of purity, enlightenment, self-regeneration and rebirth. Its characteristics are a perfect metaphor of the human condition: the lotus produces the most beautiful flower even though it is rooted in the foulest waters. The birth of the lotus in the mud to its life as a beautiful bloom is a transformation of poverty into royalty. My wish is that human life and spirit could be like that.”