Dog Buddha is comprised of 500 small clay dog figurines in handknit hats. For 5 years I was a volunteer dog-walker at the Humane Society where I became concerned about the uncertain future of the many homeless dogs there.
I later went to Japan and discovered baby Buddha figurines at various shrines and noticed they wore handknit baby hats. I learned that the figurines depicted a deity who represented the guardian of dead babies and that the hats were made by local mothers who had suffered the loss of a child.
When I came home I created Dog Buddha to commemorate the lives of innumerable once healthy, happy-to-pee-outside strays.