Art Critique On "Three Buddha Mothers: Vesta, Dea, Lola"

An Art Critique on the
“Three Buddha Mothers: Vesta, Dea, Lola”
Title: Three Buddha Mothers: Vesta, Dea, Lola

Artist: Agnes Arellano
Medium: Cold-Cast Marble
Dimension: 140 x 72 x 87 cm (Vesta); 85 x 74 x 58 cm (Dea); 134 x 86 x 84 cm (Lola)
Date: 1996
Agnes Arellano’s sculpture addresses the issues surrounding women’s

representation in traditional Asian sculpture by reinterpreting local myths. This sculpture
entitled “Three Buddha Mothers: Vesta, Dea, Lola” had been exhibited in
Traditions/Tensions: Contemporary Art in Asia at the Asia Society in New York in 1996
and also shown in the Sixth Havana Biennial in 1997, together with Arellano’s Eshu.
This sculpture is also part of the permanent collections and exhibits such as the
Singapore Art Museum Collection, specifically in the Classic Contemporary:
Contemporary Southeast Asian Art and in the Metropolitan Museum of Manila’s
safekeeping, particularly in the Basement. The material that is used to produce these
sculptures was Cold-Cast Marble or Bonded Marble, which is excellent for exterior
exposure.
The main figures of this artwork are three female mothers whose names are
Vesta, Dea, and Lola. Agnes Arellano describes her work as maiden, mother, and
crone. The cycle of birth, life, and death. Vesta, like a maiden who is a virginal young
woman with an innocent personality. Dea, the mother is the next chapter of the
women’s life fertility and fruitfulness. Lola, the crone who has the most experience and
wisdom at all among the three.
Throughout theology, mythology and literature, these three mothers are derived
from paradigms of the mother-goddess. The first figure shown is Vesta that is a young
pregnant woman in a Hariti-based pose, who is regarded as a protector/guardian deity
of children and women in childbirth and symbolized good fortune and fertility in
Indonesia. Vesta holds her nipples with her right hand indicates nipple and breast
stimulation for lactation and pregnancy while in her left hand, she made the Varada
Mudra or the “gesture of generosity” that signifies bestowing blessings which is the baby
inside her stomach. There is also a big lizard that is clutched on her back, which
denotes fertility and abundance in Mayan. The centered figure shown is Dea in a
Buddha meditation-based pose, as a means to enlightenment. She has multiple breasts
that resembles Mebuyan, the goddess and the mother of Underworld depicted in
Bagobo and Manobo mythology, whose whole body is filled with numerous breasts that
nourished the spirit of the unborn and dead children. There is also a snake between her
legs that is in a Mucalinda-based pose, a nāga which is that the protector of Buddha
that covered Buddha’s head from the storm, which can be interpreted as giving shelter
and protection from giving births. Snakes also denotes creation and fertility. Lastly, the
third figure shown is Lola whose skin is thinner, wrinkled and sagging. She is no longer
fecund or fertile. She made the Jnana Mudra or the “gesture of wisdom” that is
commonly used in meditation, which means she seeks for enlightenment through
introspection. This gesture can also signify the fusion between the divine self and the
human self.
The three buddha mothers are describing the whole motherhood stages of
women. They emphasize the attributes of their beingness. It adumbrates the mother’s
sacrifices of being one of them. In the earlier stage of the mother before giving birth to a
child, she became the source of another living. The next stage is delivering a living to
the real world where the mother became the source of energy. Her four pair of breasts
denote her challenging life as a mother. Dea is then drained by her nourishing abilities.
And lastly, the third buddha is representing what the mother had become after all the
sacrifices she did to her child.
The sculpture was very creative in the way of understanding. It was unique
because of its symbolism describe in the artwork. This sculpture made it successful
because of its representational outlook and message. When you see it in a whole view,
you can only understand bits of its general message. But when you analyze it and take
a look at the details the sculptor had made, even the small details, you can understand
more of its deeper depiction. After some deep understanding of the sculpture, we can
say that it was very meaningful and significant. The sculptor did a great job addressing
the issue of the mother’s representation.

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An Art Critique on the

“Three Buddha Mothers: Vesta, Dea, Lola”

Title: Three Buddha Mothers: Vesta, Dea, Lola

Agnes Arellano’s sculpture addresses the issues surrounding women’s

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