A nearly 30-foot replica of the Bamiyan Buddha will be installed on New York’s High Line in 2026, symbolizing resilience, peace, and cultural remembrance.
Vietnamese-American sculptor Tuan Andrew Nguyen will install an eight-meter replica of the Bamiyan Buddha along Tenth Street in Manhattan in spring 2026. Titled The Light That Shines Through the Universe, the sculpture is intended as a symbol of resilience, hope, and peace, commemorating the destroyed 6th-century statues in Afghanistan.
The installation is part of the High Line Plinth program and will be displayed in a suspended park at Tenth Street and 30th Avenue. The original Bamiyan Buddhas, destroyed by the Taliban in 2001, remain iconic symbols of cultural heritage, and the replica seeks to honor their memory while fostering reflection on global conflict.
Nguyen, born in Vietnam in 1976 and brought to the United States as a refugee at age three, said the sculpture will reconnect viewers with the tragic history while highlighting human endurance. Using photographs of the damaged Bamiyan statues, he created a 3D model and worked with a team of stone carvers in Vietnam to handcraft the sculpture from four massive sandstone blocks.
A striking feature of the sculpture is its hands, cast from melted bullets and rockets collected from Afghanistan’s war zones. Nguyen described the transformation of instruments of destruction into polished brass as symbolic of courage, compassion, and renewal, saying the hands “will shine brilliantly under sunlight, offering a striking visual message.”
The High Line Plinth selected Nguyen’s proposal from 56 entries representing 31 countries. Twelve finalists were invited to display prototypes in 2024, with public feedback influencing the final design. The completed sculpture will remain on view for 18 months starting April 2026.
Art critics and members of the High Line Plinth have praised the project for its cultural and symbolic resonance. Alan Van Capelle, a selection committee member, said the sculpture “speaks to us intelligently in an era of extremism and the destruction of cultural heritage.”
Tuan Andrew Nguyen, now based in Vietnam, is recognized for his sculptural and animated works that explore war, trauma, memory, and healing. The Light That Shines Through the Universe transforms remnants of violence into a public artwork, offering viewers a space for contemplation and an enduring message of peace.
