Past Exhibitions

Past Exhibitions (22)

Tibetan Contemporary Art: Tantric Vision in Modern Self-Expression

tibetan contemporary art

Tibetan Contemporary Art: Tantric Vision in Modern Self-Expression
September 14 - November 15, 2011

Opening Reception: September 14, 6-8pm

Traditionally in Tibet, the function of the artist was to create sacred work and to open doorways of perception between the human, divine, and demonic realms. Highly skilled artists painted enlightened beings with precise proportions and archetypal iconography, set in mystical landscapes and exquisite heavenscapes. Though the greatest artists were celebrated for their clear vision and dynamic creativity, the artist's individuality was secondary to a visionary, tantric artistic legacy of great yogic teachers and adept practitioners. However, individual creativity was highly honored and encouraged to flourish within the mandalic parameters of the sacred patterns. Tibetan art's special contribution was making the surreal seem real and the real seem surreal, with vivid clarity and ecstatic beauty.

With Tibet's engagement with the modern world and with contemporary culture, Tibetan artists have started to create works that merge their classical aesthetics with individual expressiveness, creating a new art that expands magnificently beyond their highly disciplined traditional artistic heritage. The artists themselves may view this transition either as a source of internal conflict or else as liberating freedom, perhaps both at the same time.

The viewer of Tibetan contemporary art is treated to a powerful new genre as Tibet's ecstatic, visionary clarity vibrantly contained within traditional forms bursts into the abstract realm of vibrant self-expression artfully resonant with embedded archetypes.

Artists include Benchung, Jamyang Dorjee Chakrishar, Samten Dakpa, Keltse, Sonam Lhamo, Nortse, Tsering Nyandak, Karma Phuntsok, Tenzing Rigdol, Pema Rinzin, Pema Namdol Thaye, and Rabkar Wangchuk.

Co-Curated by Pema Rinzin, founder of the New York Tibetan Art Studio and former Artist in Residence at the Rubin Museum. Represented by Joshua Liner Gallery.

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Out of Uddiyana - An Exhibition of Early Buddha Imagery

Out of Uddiyana

A rare exhibition of early Buddha imagery

Brought to the public for the first time by the Buckingham Collections

September 16 to January 7

The Buddha Image: Out of Uddiyana features hundreds of rare and precious early Buddhist artifacts, several of which are believed to be created in the 2nd Century A.D. or earlier. The exhibition provides new insight into the origins and evolution of the Buddha imagery as it traveled throughout different cultures from Uddiyana and along the Silk Road.

Pricing and more information available upon request. Docent tours available by appointment.

About the Exhibition

This five-part exhibition features:

Gandharan Stone Sculptures

Stupas and Reliquaries

Gandharan and Swat Metal Buddhas

Pilgrim’s Treasures

Silk Road Buddhas

Tantric Treasures: An important annex to this exhibition is Tantric Treasures, featuring large metal sculptures from Tibet, Sino-Tibet and Mongolia. The pieces originally derived from the collection of the Tantrik Order in America (founded in the early 1900’s) in upstate New York. ...Read more

An Inside Look

About Uddiyana

Uddiyana is the name of a kingdom believed to have existed in the present-day Swat region of northern Pakistan. Its name means “the royal garden”, appropriate because of its paradisical environment … Read more.

Press

Highlights of news coverage:

From the Collector

Several generations of my direct ancestors were collectors of fine art, antiquities and curios of all kinds. The most famous of these art collectors were the Dukes of Buckingham, after whom the Buckingham Collections are named. As a child I accompanied my mother to estate auctions, museums and collections. … Read more.

The Menris Tradition of Tibetan Tangka Art

THE MENRIS TRADITION OF TIBETAN TANGKA ART
Traditional Paintings by the New Generation in Exile
January 20 to March 2, 2011

Opening Reception: Thursday, January 20 from 6:00 – 8:00 PM

The Menris tradition is characterized by clear outlines, strong colors, fine shadings, and its accentuations in gold. This exhibition offers a glimpse of classical tangka art persevered by a new generation of students. In addition to completed works, the exhibition includes a set of unfinished works to illustrate the process of tangka creation. The Menris tradition of tangka art flourished and survived in Tibet for centuries until its interruption by the Chinese Communist invasion. Ven. Sangye Yeshi, who fled to India in 1959, helped sustain the tradition in exile, at the personal request of His Holiness Dalai Lama.

Tibet House US is pleased to display works from Ven. Yeshi’s students, including Tashi Dhargyal – who helped him found the Institute of Tibetan Thangka Art (ITTA) to ensure a high standard of training for future Menris painters.

Exhibition:

Highlights of the Menris Tradition Tangkas

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Tibet House US is pleased to display works from Ven. Yeshi’s students, including Tashi Dhargyal – who helped him found the ITTA to ensure a high standard of training for future Menris painters. The Menris tradition is characterized by clear outlines, strong colors, fine shadings, and its accentuations in gold. This exhibition offers a glimpse of classical tangka art persevered by a new generation of students. In addition to completed works, the exhibition includes a set of unfinished works to illustrate the process of tangka creation.

palden lhamo