Lotus Pond, 2019
Mirror, plastic, copper foil
Lotus Pond considers stillness as a condition for clarity. Drawing from contemplative traditions in which disturbed water becomes clear when allowed to settle, the work uses the reflective surface of the mirror as both material and metaphor.
Lotus forms emerge across the surface, referencing the flower’s passage from mud through water toward light—a recurring symbol of transformation within Buddhist thought. As the viewer enters the reflection, image and object occupy the same plane, turning the mirror into a kind of pond: a surface through which looking becomes an act of attention.
The work marks Kühn’s first exploration of the mirror as a sculptural and contemplative object.