The Contest

Check out Ellen Sandbeck's papercuts of the Buddha on the Facebook page "A Buddha A Day." Choose your favorite image, then send a wonderful piece of your writing, one page or less, on any topic, to abuddhaday@gmail.com. You may win the original papercut of your choice!

Winning entries will be posted on this page.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Winning Post from Sophie Ardenghi, plus translation



Ellen découpe des bouddhas en papier qui me sonnent de la même force que leurs frères de pierre.

Leur présence est plus épaisse que la fine couche de papier sur laquelle ils se posent et leur regard d’éternité m’attire autant par leur grâce que par leur sérénité.

Ces figures dentelées semblent transcender leur support, qu’il vienne de la fibre légère du papier ou que ce soit une statue gigantesque pesant mille hommes. Les bouddhas d’Ellen s’affirment à moi et me regardent autant que je veux les regarder. Ils sont faits de trous et d’air mais ont le poids de la beauté qui parle à mon âme.


                                             Sophie Ardenghi


Ellen cuts up paper Buddhas who strike me with the same force as their brothers of stone.

Their presence is thicker than the thin layer of paper on which they rest and their regard of eternity entices me as much by their grace as by their serenity.

These jagged figures seem to transcend their medium, whether it comes from the light fiber of the paper or a gigantic statue the weight of a thousand men. Ellen’s Buddhas assert themselves to me and stare at me as much as I want to stare at them. They are made of holes and of air but have the weight of the beauty that speaks to my soul.

Translation by Ariadne Sandbeck