A near death experience. Narrative paintings of one man’s journey to hell and back.
A collection of 26 acrylic paintings by Pema Namdol Thaye
A Guided Tour of Hell: A Graphic Memoir
When Sam Bercholz approached me to illustrate his formidable true story of his near death experience recounted in this book, I felt that it was an incredible opportunity to visually portray hell realms inspired by Bhutanese-Tibetan cosmology, but from a universal approach. In the most general sense, hell realms demonstrate incalculable and unbearable states of suffering. Their portrayal in this book is intended to create an awareness of the inevitability of death and to inspire in the viewer a deeper inquiry into the meaning of life and the consequences of negative action. Ultimately, contemplation of hell realms and life after death is meant to inspire one toward greater good, and it is with such an intention that I set about creating these paintings.
- Pema Namdol Thaye
“Thaye’s paintings forcefully depict the karmic suffering of hell-beings in fantastical landscapes, both fiery and crystalline. These characters … each represent a negative habit of mind: envy, hate, greed, disdain, materialism.
The artworks encourage us to contemplate suffering in order to inspire us toward greater good in life. ”
— Jay Xu, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco Director and CEO.
