The Philosophy of Shunyata in Contemporary Buddhist Art

The relevance of this research stems from the need to understand non-Western aesthetic paradigms that enrich contemporary art theory. The concept of emptiness (śūnyatā), a central meta-concept of Buddhist philoso phy, remains insuffi ciently explored as an aesthetic principle shaping artistic creation and perception. The novelty of this work is in its systematic philosophical and culturological analysis of emptiness and its representation in the works of contemporary artists who synthesize Buddhist tradition with current artistic languages. The purpose of the article is to reveal the uniqueness of emptiness as an aesthetic foundation, identify the modes of its expres sion in artistic creation, and determine its infl uence on the global artistic context. We suggest a hypothesis that emptiness in art functions as a fundamental principle of potentiality, containing a spectrum of possible forms and meanings. The research materials include classical Buddhist texts by Nāgārjuna, theoretical works on art, and artworks by contemporary artists: Alexander Kocharov (canonical thangka painting), Alla Tsybikova (appropria tion of Buddhist symbols), and Mu Ke (cross-cultural dialogue). The methodology is based on a comprehensive approach employing aesthetic interpretation, comparative analysis, and the philosophical and culturological con cepts of F. Jullien, R. Krauss, and B. Groys. The results demonstrate three strategies for embodying emptiness: in Kocharov’s work ‒ through adherence to the Buddhist canon and dissolution of the authorial “self”; in Tsybiko va’s work ‒ through the appropriation of foundational cultural symbols of Buryat identity and the dialectic of color, form, and background; in Mu Ke’s work ‒ through minimalist composition creating philosophical resonance. The research confi rms F. Jullien’s hypothesis regarding two strategies of representation: the Western (emphasis on form) and the Eastern, closer to Buddhist religious reception (strategy of the non-object). Emptiness acts as a mediator between thought, art, and spirituality. The concept of emptiness inspires artists to seek new forms of expression. The results are applicable in art criticism, philosophy, and educational programs. Prospects for further research are related to studying emptiness as a catalyst for the interactivity of perception and its role in shaping global aesthetic thought.