Kirils Panteļejevs describes the work thusly: “As parts of the urban environment with their own specific social processes, the suburbs become islands of tranquility on the maps of urban centers. The coming generations of creative people are being born there. Reading the novel, one can see the turbulent bohemian way of life in London at the dawn of the era of punk-rock through the eyes of a descendant of Indian immigrants. Even though it’s difficult to compare London with the Latvian capital, life unfolds similarly everywhere, with generations, trends, thinking and attitudes constantly shifting. A gentle sense of sadness about the passing time and a longing for the unknown future, which is right across the corner, pervades this novel.”

- Authors description of The Buddha of Suburbia

The idea for the sculpture arose from reading Hanif Kureishi’s The Buddha of Suburbia. The work symbolizes peace, harmony, tolerance and clarity of mind. The statue of the Eastern deity is a rather capacious and eloquent image. In a sense, it’s a metaphor for the future, as in the inhumane environment of today one sees, paradoxically, the conflux of the cultures, mentalities, traditions etc. of different peoples. But in this case they are as if symbolical radars that want to receive the vibrations of the surrounding environment. The work form is stylized, without laying a stress on certain characteristics or details that would testify to its belonging to a specific religion. It’s more like an alien or an indigo child. The task of the sculpture is creating associations with the symbols of Eastern religions and philosophies. It’s as if an invitation not to fall into trifles and problems of everyday life, [to develop] the skill of looking at everything from a bird’s-eye view.

- Author’s description from the project, The Bacon street republic

Kirils Panteļejevs (1969) is an artist who has systematically expanded the means of expression available in his creative practice, starting from figurative sculpture to performance, sound installations and interactive environmental objects. He graduated from the Sculpture Department at the Art Academy of Latvia in 1994, and he has supplemented his training at Humboldt State University in California, the US. He is currently an associate professor at the Art Academy of Latvia.