Why this Buddhist Monk statue defies traditional depictions of religious figures

"It looks like someone you might know, someone you might talk to."

"It looks like someone you might know, someone you might talk to."

Curator Denise Leidy on a life-size sculpture of an arhat (or luohan, as they are known in China).

Throughout 2013, The Met invited curators from across the Museum to each talk about one artwork that changed the way they see the world.

Photography by Bruce J. Schwarz

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Contributors

Denise Patry Leidy
Curator, Department of Asian Art

Futuristic sculpture of a fragmented, abstract human form in stone against a neoclassical arch. The tone is dynamic and modern amidst classical architecture.
How do Lee Bul’s sculptures hold space for critical remembrance to show how the past shapes our present?
Anne Anlin Cheng
May 16
Close-up of a Queen of Clubs playing card with a cut-out section. Behind it, a faded, ghostly face is visible, creating a surreal, mysterious mood.
The artist’s work challenges the social and political context of mass incarceration.
Lisa Sutcliffe
April 28
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Arhat (Luohan), Stoneware with three-color glaze, China
China
ca. 1000