Dylan Lewis Sculpture Park near Stellenbosch, SA. From the monumental to the intricate, Lewis’s work carries an unmistakable current of energy and mystery. The surfaces retain traces of the artist’s hand; the forms seem simultaneously ancient and contemporary. Nothing feels overly polished or resolved. Instead, the sculptures appear to carry within them the process of becoming.
Walking through the garden, one begins to sense that the boundary between human and animal is deliberately being blurred. That idea lingers long after leaving.
The Dylan Lewis Sculpture Garden is far more than a beautiful place in which to see remarkable works of art. It is an immersive experience; a meeting of sculpture, landscape and the elemental forces that shape both nature and ourselves.
And that is the greatest power of Lewis’s work. His sculptures may begin with bronze, animal bodies and human forms, but ultimately, they lead us somewhere more elusive: towards chaos, vulnerability, desire and the untamed parts of ourselves that civilisation never entirely manages to erase.

Large patinated bronze figure of Budai / Maitreya Laughing Buddha, seated and holding prayer beads and a peach fruit, 20th century.

H: 50 cm | W: 59 cm | D: 50 cm

A large bronze figure of Budai, the jovial 10th-century Chan monk widely identified with Maitreya, the Future Buddha. Seated in a relaxed pose, he is depicted with a corpulent body, smiling face, and exposed belly, embodying happiness, generosity, and contentment. He holds prayer beads and a peach fruit, symbolising Buddhist devotion and longevity. The rich patina enhances the modelling and sense of age.

The “Laughing Buddha,” is revered in East Asian Buddhism as an incarnation of Maitreya and a symbol of prosperity, good fortune, and abundance. His cloth sack and cheerful demeanour further signify generosity and spiritual liberation.

A large-scale and auspicious representation, suitable for collectors of Chinese Buddhist art.