Dissected Buddha

Gonkar Gyatso (1961-), Dissected Buddha, collage, 2011

Born in 1961, Grew up during the Cultural Revolution in China and now living in London, the Tibetan artist Gonkar Gyatso represents the complex cultural exposure he experienced in his works. In this work, he uses the image of Buddha in traditional Tibetan Buddhism, the culture and religion that defines the Tibetan identity. However, this image of Buddha is composed of mass-produced sticker, a representation of the consumer culture. As a Tibetan ethnic who lived and worked abroad for decades, Gonkar Gyatso has become very familiar to the consumer culture, which is both overwhelming and tempting. Through his work, he is expressing his concern and anxiety toward losing his Tibetan identity in a materialistic world. However, his view is not very optimistic, since in this work, even though the Buddha withstood the temptation from Mara and reached enlightenment, his body has already been filled with the commercial products.

 

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Dissected Buddha

Gonkar Gyatso (1961-), Dissected Buddha, collage, 2011

Born in 1961, Grew up during the Cultural Revolution in China and now living in London, the Tibetan artist Gonkar Gyatso represents the complex cultural exposure he experienced in his works. In this work, he uses the image of Buddha in traditional Tibetan Buddhism, the culture and religion that defines the Tibetan identity. However, this image of Buddha is composed of mass-produced sticker, a representation of the consumer culture. As a Tibetan ethnic who lived and worked abroad for decades, Gonkar Gyatso has become very familiar to the consumer culture, which is both overwhelming and tempting. Through his work, he is expressing his concern and anxiety toward losing his Tibetan identity in a materialistic world. However, his view is not very optimistic, since in this work, even though the Buddha withstood the temptation from Mara and reached enlightenment, his body has already been filled with the commercial products.