Embrace No Evil

Japan popularized the proverb “See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” with monkey imagery – Mizaru, Kikazaru, Iwazaru. Because zaru sounds like saru (monkey), the playful pun was born.

Embrace No Evil brings new energy to the theme by showing three monkeys intertwined, embracing against evil rather than turning away. This symbolic gesture conveys that fighting evil is not a solitary act, but a civic responsibility – one carried out together.

The 5-foot sculpture is illuminated with a glowing LED core and accompanied by music built from live Cincinnati Zoo gibbon recordings. Its translucent fiberglass shell, created by 3DX Scenic, was a technical first for the studio. The sculpture announces its presence on Court Street as the first permanent BLINK installation, a milestone for both Tom and the city of Cincinnati.

This work reflects Tom’s long engagement with the Three Wise Monkeys motif. He first conceived the design in the early 2000s, breaking from the traditional flat relief to render the monkeys in full, three-dimensional form. After observing Japanese snow monkeys huddling together to keep warm, he chose to depict them intertwined – whimsical, unified, and stronger in their embrace.

collaborators

3CDC, 3DX Scenic, Ted McConnell, Wooden It Be Nice (Glen Carley), John Tsuchiya, Brickblenders Masonry, B & J Electrical, Asianati, SEDR Studio, Judith Lamb, Fenghao Chen (UC)

Size

5 ft. tall x 4 ft. wide x 3.8 ft. deep

Pedestal: 16.5 in. tall x 49.5 in. wide x 49.5 in. deep

medium

Semi-translucent fiberglass, LED lighting, wood base, audio composition

year

2023 

client

3CDC and BLINK