Skippers (Kneedeep) (Primary Title)
Tsherin Sherpa, born 1968 (Artist)
One of Tsherin Sherpa’s most iconic Spirits is this slightly arrogant character, who stands with hips cocked and arms akimbo, blowing a large bubble of gum, entirely unconcerned at wearing nothing but a pair of skimpy briefs. When the artist first developed the figure in a 2010 painting, the Spirit’s coloration—which is here golden—dripped away to expose nothing but pale, pink skin. Sherpa was, at that time, exploring the loss of identity that accompanies cultural dispossession. In 2018, however, he revised the image. Instead of pallid nothingness, the figure’s melting pigmentation revealed this kaleidoscope of color. Sherpa calls these vivid forms his Protectors: images of wrathful Himalayan Buddhist deities transformed into vigorously whirling representations of power itself. Sherpa had just moved back to his native Nepal and was reconnecting more deeply with his cultural roots. His career was flourishing, and he felt energized. He also began collaborating with local artists, including the sculptor who helped him transform that 2018 painting into three dimensions.
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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