Monk on Fire

16x20 -10 layered stencil, spray-paint on canvas

Thich Quang Duc,

was a Buddhist monk who died by self immolation on June 11th 1963. Đức was protesting against persercution by the South Vietnamese government. Photographs of his self-immolation circulated around the world, drawing attention to the policies of the Diệm government. John F. Kennedy said of one photograph, "No news picture in history has generated so much emotion around the world as that one." This act of self immolation caused so much animosity through national and international protest that the prime minister of Vietnam stepped down and the policies and laws against the Vietnamese Buddhists was overturned.