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Sheng Sheng Sheng Si Sheng, 1994, was inspired by Thich Nhat Hanh's poem which is a repetition of only two Chinese characters, Sheng (meaning "life" or "to be born") and Si (meaning "death" or "to die"), arranged in such a way as to mean, "During many lifetimes, birth and death are present, / giving rise to birth and death./ The moment the notion of birth and death arises, / birth and death are there./ As soon as the notion of birth and death dies, / real life is born." The painting is divided into two equal halves y means of a line of the ancient lock or key motif used by the artist to symbolize the inseparable link between life and death. The poem in its original Chinese, as well as its English translation, is inscribed all over the textured surface of the painting, like graffiti on an old, stained wall.
Wisdom: There is no fire..., 1996, consists simply of colored squares, so thickly layered with paint that the inscriptions are literally engraved in it. Concentration on the text of these inscriptions forms part of the meditation process. The artist is trying to convey that sense of purity, of nothingness, reached in meditation when all consciousness dissolves with the realization of the transience of all life and all matter. In Wisdom: We are What..., 1996, the squares are replaced by bands of lettering in similar pastel hues.
Prabhakara explained the difference between these symbolistic works and the earlier expressionistic ones, "In the past my desires made me do many things in a restless state of mind, but now I know my thoughts. This helps in my painting. Now I paint only when I feel the conditions are right I allow my ideas and inspiration to mature before I begin. I see myself more clearly and am able to develop a state of mindfulness and joy.
From time to time, Prabhakara breaks away from imagery drawn from Buddhist iconography and from the imagination in order to paint directly observed scenes of everyday life. These are usually small outdoor genre or interior scenes in the manner of Bonnard, such as Merry Go Round, 1995, and Pannajiva's Stroller, 1996. They have the appearance of spontaneity and some may have been executed en plein air, but are in fact carefully composed, using detailed preparatory drawings, a few dating to 1985-86.
Prabhakara's search for truth in nature focused on what could be considered the most beautiful creation of nature - flowers. Love of flowers and the spiritual value attached to them is deeply rooted in every religion and all people. They are synonymous with feelings of love and joy, sentiments of nostalgia and dreams. The recent Bougainvillea series comprises some of the brightest pictures that Prabhakara has ever done, packed with pigment, and laden with the earnestness of his observation - direct and objective. Rejoicing, 1997, is a poetic image of joy, offering the prospect of a totally agreeable, happy experience. It reflects the artist's mood of buoyancy and confidence at the time. The ego is engulfed by the splendor of the natural world, here symbolized by the brilliant red and pink blooms. Like Monet's late Waterlilies, its simple composition and close-up view-point is a parallel to a situation where the ego has dissolved and all is one and one is all. The artist is trying to tell us that enlightenment just comes, quite unexpectedly - It just happens.
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