Temple Guardian

Temple Guardian. Cast fiberglass, painted with acrylics. Created after the artist saw the temple guardians sculptures outside the temples of Japan during his fellowship. Considered a study in Japanese styles. He was inspired by the highly stylized look and the idea of a guardian demon that protects against malicious demons.

Full face mask. Painted with bronze, gold, red and white paints. Top of mask has dark brown/bronze painted pointy "hair" with gold horns, and scroll eyebrows. Eyes are painted with an orange iris and white around them. Wide nose with flared nostrils and cheeks are painted gold. The mouth is exaggerated wide and open with white teeth and a lower lip painted red that stretches from side to side. The bottom chin area has "hair" carved in a scroll design.