Photo by You. Kobayashi

Betsy Sterling Benjamin with the Millennium Kesa in Japan

The Kesa Project was on exhibition at the Peabody Essex Museum through June 3, 2007, and has recently been aquired by PEM for their permanent collection.

The spiritual qualities of cloth, transformation and a global view led me to work on a series of seven kesa (Buddhist monastic robes) prepared at the time of the millennium and involving communities around the world. As cloths of healing and unity, one for each continent, they were on site in Machu Picchu, Antarctica, Zimbabwe, Spain, Tasmania, Minnesota and Kyoto on January 1, 2000. They have been exhibited on four continents since inception and are in the permanent collection of the Peabody Essex Museum, Salem MA.

To see a short video of each kesa (requires Windows Media Viewer) click on video under each image. See Kesa Project overview video

All images are the property of Betsy Sterling Benjamin and may not be reproduced in any form without her permission.