Schedule

Thursday, September 21, 2023
6 p.m. Conversation with Tsherin Sherpa
6:30 p.m. Reception and Gallery Opening

Join Asia Society Texas to celebrate the opening of our new exhibition Tsherin Sherpa: Spirits.

Explore the captivating works of Nepal-born, Tibetan American artist Tsherin Sherpa, one of the most renowned Himalayan artists of our time. Grounded in the traditional Buddhist art of his training, Sherpa’s works stretch, bend, reconfigure, and repurpose its forms to explore contemporary concerns.

Featuring more than 30 paintings, sculptures, and textile works, the exhibition traces the evolution of his Spirits series whose subjects resemble Tibetan Buddhist deities transformed by the modern world. This thought-provoking, participatory art experience is presented in the form of a narrative telling a story of loss, struggle, and empowerment. 

The evening will start with a conversation with Sherpa as he reflects on his journey as an artist and his exploration of themes such as culture, identity, tradition, and modernity.

Following the conversation, enjoy a reception in our Water Garden Terrace and the opening of Tsherin Sherpa: Spirits.

About the Artist

Born in Kathmandu, Nepal, in 1968, Tsherin Sherpa currently works between California and Kathmandu. In his youth, he began studying traditional Tibetan thangka painting with his father, Master Urgen Dorje Sherpa, a renowned thangka artist from Ngyalam, Tibet. After studying computer science and Mandarin in Taiwan, he returned to Nepal, where he collaborated with his father on several important projects, including thangka and monastery mural paintings. In 1998, Sherpa immigrated to California; there, he began to explore his own style – reimagining traditional tantric motifs, symbols, colors, and gestures, which he resolutely placed in contemporary compositions.

The artist represented Nepal at the 59th Venice Biennale in 2022 with his solo exhibition Tales of Muted Spirits – Dispersed Threads – Twisted Shangri-La. He has exhibited across the United States, Europe and Asia, including in the 8th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT8), Brisbane (2015); Beyond the Mandala – Contemporary Art from Tibet (2011), Volte Gallery, Mumbai, in collaboration with Rossi & Rossi London; Scorching Sun of Tibet (2010), Songzhuang Art Center, Beijing; Tradition Transformed: Tibetan Artists Respond (2010), Rubin Museum of Art, New York, Hood Museum of Art, Hanover, New Hampshire, and the Crow Collection of Asian Art, Dallas, Texas; Buddha in the Hood (2010), Red Mill Gallery, Johnson, Vermont; Sacred Images: Thangka Painting (2007), Alta Galleria, Berkeley, California; and Contemporary Thangka (2007), Smith Andersen Editions, Palo Alto, California. He has also held solo exhibitions at Rossi & Rossi London (2012 and 2018) and Hong Kong (2016).

Tsherin Sherpa: Spirits is organized by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, in partnership with Asia Society Texas. The checklist of works in the exhibition was selected by Dr. John Henry Rice, E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Curator of South Asian and Islamic Art, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. The Asia Society Texas presentation of the exhibition is curated by Owen Duffy, Nancy C. Allen Curator and Director of Exhibitions, with Rebecca Becerra, Exhibitions Manager and Registrar.

Exhibitions and their related programs at Asia Society Texas are presented by Nancy C. Allen, Chinhui Juhn and Eddie Allen, and Leslie and Brad Bucher. Major support comes from The Brown Foundation, Inc., the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance, The Clayton Fund, Houston Endowment Inc., and Mid-America Arts Alliance. Generous funding also provided by The Anchorage Foundation of Texas, National Endowment for the Arts, and Texas Commission on the Arts. Funding is also provided through contributions from the Exhibitions Patron Circle, a dedicated group of individuals and organizations committed to bringing exceptional visual art to Asia Society Texas.

Presenting Sponsors

Nancy C. Allen
Leslie and Brad Bucher
Chinhui Juhn and Edward Allen

Program Sponsors

About Asia Society Texas

Asia Society Texas believes in the strength and beauty of diverse perspectives and people. As an educational institution, we advance cultural exchange by celebrating the vibrant diversity of Asia, inspiring empathy, and fostering a better understanding of our interconnected world. Spanning the fields of arts, business, culture, education, and policy, our programming is rooted in the educational and cultural development of our community — trusting in the power of art, dialogue, and ideas to combat bias and build a more inclusive society.