Vietnam
July 11, 1963

On the corner of Le Van Quyet and Phan Dinh Phung roads, the Mahayana monk Thich Quang Duc self-immolated. The monk did so to defend his tradition against a Catholic dictatorship ruled by Diem, which persecuted Buddhists. A year after Thich Quang Duc’s death, Diem was overthrown

and killed in a military coup.

Malcolm Browne, American photographer, registered the moment and his photograph traveled the world, becoming a great vector of international pressure in the growing tension in Vietnam. This photograph has become one of the most iconic images of the 20th century. From this photograph, I have produced three studies. A few years later I took up the theme again, producing the entire series. In the current context, the figure of the burning monk seems to me pertinent, current and peaceful.