Fly High (Primary Title)
Tsherin Sherpa, born 1968 (Artist)
The faces of these vividly colored Spirits are clearly modeled on that of the wrathful Buddhist deity Mahakala, a traditional depiction of which can be seen in the painting to the right. The four figures’ acrobatic stances, which might be mistaken for crouching, denote flight—as the painting’s title indicates and the fluttering butterflies reinforce. With every muscle taut, index fingers extended victoriously, these Spirits burst forth from the picture plane, their dynamism emphasized by the swirling forms of Sherpa’s so-called Protectors whirling around them. In conceiving this composition, the artist says that he wanted to capture the exultant spirit of Kathmandu’s prospering Himalayan youth and create a representation of Nepal’s mountain people, victorious after long years of struggle, soaring as prosperous businesspeople and entrepreneurs.
Tsherin Sherpa: Spirits, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, February 19 - October 16, 2022
Tsherin Sherpa: Spirits | The Artist
3:52Tsherin Sherpa visits Tsherin Sherpa: Spirits at VMFA in 2022 along with Dr. John Henry Rice, VMFA's E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Curator of South Asian and Islamic Art.
Curator’s Opening Talk | A Conversation with Tsherin Sherpa
1:07:22On Thursday, February 17, 2022 Dr. John Henry Rice, E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Curator of South Asian and Islamic Art participated in a conversation with artist Tsherin Sherpa. This video recording was made possible by The National Endowment for the Humanities.
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