Gonkar Gyatso Buddha's Picnic

Artist's Lecture and Reception

Monday, February 12, 5:30pm

Wilson Concert Hall

In Buddha's Picnic, Gonkar Gyatso reconstructs a countryside shrine in Staniar Gallery, creating a material and experiential journey into the modern practice of constructing temporary sanctuaries. In keeping with Gyatso's exploration of the sacred and the mundane with an approach that is both irreverent and probing, the installation invites visitors to examine the parallels between two deeply ingrained Tibetan traditions: Buddhist worship and picnicking.
Over the past 20 years, the Gyatso has gained international recognition for his multimedia work examining issues around cultural identity and hybridity. He has completed many installations including: Three Realms in Brisbane Australia in 2012, 108, Excuse Me While I Kiss the Sky for The Singapore Art Museum in 2013, Family Album at the Michael C. Carlos Museum in Atlanta, GA, 2016 and at Art Basel Encounters, March 2017.

Gonkar Gyatso and Melissa Kerin in Conversation at Freer Sackler   WASHINGTON, DC February 17, 2018

A Conversation With Contemporary Tibetan Artist Gonkar Gyatso at Asia Society   NEW YORK, March 6, 2018 — The artist Gonkar Gyatso discusses his internationally recognized work with Katherine Paul, curator of the Arts of Asia at the Newark Museum, and Melissa R. Kerin, associate professor of art history at Washington and Lee University. (58 min., 54 sec.)

This project is made possible with support from the Robert Lehman Foundation and Washington and Lee's Office of the Provost.

Image details: Study for Buddha's Picnic, 2017, mixed media, dimensions variable