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Object in Focus #3: and the winner is

Ang Tsherin Sherpa

This piece is a look-alike of the deity Mahakala or Bhairava, this wrathful face with a human body is fabricated into the size of an Oscar award.
Ang Tsherin is often narrating on what he has absorbed as an artist; his keen observation of the modern world made him profoundly think of what is happening in our society, how it is constantly changing and influencing our tradition and culture and how we have enhanced it over a period of time.

The object symbolises generations of traditional craftsmanship. It subtly gives the viewer a perception of God as this has been made from traditional material and technique. For Ang Tsherin, this object may not be the ultimate artwork, he feels that the process, the casting method, the unwritten stories, the sound that comes from the repousse work, the skill of the artisan that has been passed on from generation to generation, the journey and all the
intangible elements that are rooted in the object might be art for him and this is way beyond conceptual motifs that we have been practising in the 21st century.

The object titled ’…. and the winner is’ is one of the few conceptual forms of work that is in his portfolio. The object is wearing underpants that is indicative of modern society- it leads us to think about the transformation and the cultural transition that exists between our ancestors and this modern age. The object is fabricated by a local artisan, with whom he worked and mentored to produce the finest piece of the commodity; a product that may have a shelf life. For him, this is a limited edition. It is on the shelf; on display for SALE. Within a heavily merchandised gallery space that is converted into a high street shop; the object demands it’s owner to walk through the door and pick it up as an OSCAR award, and the finger-pointing at the sun might be the destiny of the object’s journey.

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Ang Tsherin Sherpa

Ang Tsherin Sherpa learned traditional Thangka painting at Buddhanath, Kathmandu from his father Master Urgen Dorje. It was when he went to the U.S that he decided to approach traditional knowledge with a more contemporary and conceptual technique. His works are usually treated and based on traditional practice, but the final outcome is always representative of avant-garde ideas and has a modern-day approach and touch. His depiction of deities is usually drawn or built with human contour. They are immensely animated; his figures are characterized by intense anger, laughter and oftentimes they can be seen embodying a very playful and humanly posture.

Ang says ”the destiny might complete the process of my ART and maybe that process is my ART, which I incubated and conceptualised.”



“Through the lens of the Himalayan Diaspora, my work simultaneously deals with the preservation and transformation of a scattered culture, by bridging the sacred and secular, the past history and contemporary. As a nomadic people, over centuries, we’ve learned to harness the ability to adapt into many different environments. By observing this migration, my own experiences and cultural specificity are explored through depiction and reappropriation of Himalayan traditional iconography. As cultures intertwines with that of others, I’m curious how a unique essence can be maintained, celebrated, and shared while also integrating the benefits found within the surroundings of a new environment.”

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