Nepal Collection

Name: Unlit Wishes

Date: Fall 2012

Country: Nepal

Butter oil lamps are found at every stupa, temple, and monastery in Nepal, their flames carrying the prayers and wishes of those who light them. They flicker in great masses, a glowing tide of devotion rising skyward.

But here, outside the Asyura Cave, I found something different—rows and rows of lamps, unlit. Silent vessels, waiting for hands to offer a prayer, strike a flame, and give them their purpose.

In black and white, the image speaks more deeply. The unlit lamps become a meditation on possibility—a fine line between shadow and light, intention and fulfillment. What do we wish for when we light such a lamp? Compassion for the world? Healing for others? Or something only for ourselves? Unlit Wishes invites the viewer to reflect on the balance of hope and intention, and on the quiet space before a wish becomes a flame.

Unlit Wishes captures the stillness before devotion, the breath before the prayer, the silence before the flame. For collectors, it offers both visual beauty and a space for reflection—on intention, compassion, and the shadowed places where hope waits to be kindled.

Order: Unlit Wishes is available as a signed, limited edition fine art print in multiple sizes. Each piece is hand-inspected, numbered, and accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. To obtain your fine art print, visit the Order Page.