BOUNDLESS: Contemporary Tibetan Artists at Home & Abroad

Fig. 5:
Wrathful Dance
Tenzing Rigdol
2014
Mixed media on canvas
36 1/4 x 35 3/4 in.

Collection of Lance and Christine Dublin

This contemporary work provides a material and visual commentary on some of the many difficult issues faced by the Tibetan community. The stark flames that compose the Buddha's silhouette reference self-immolation protest, which have increased drastically since 2009. While the Chinese state media have attempted to control reporting of such events, the Tibetan diaspora community has rallied around those who have sacrificed themselves in an effort to bring international attention to the plight of Tibetans living under Chinese rule. The mandorla or halo surrounding the Buddha's head is composed of a map of the Denver, Colorado area, where the artist immigrated and earned his degree in studio art. Woodblock-printed Tibetan texts fill the background, pointing to the multilingual and varied cultures the artist has learned to navigate.