Beyond Transcending Boundaries
From 20th September to 31st October 2020, the Yakpo Collective hosted a virtual exhibition showcasing art created by contemporary Tibetan artists from around the world. Titled ‘Transcending Boundaries’, it was a response to the pandemic, where digitally mediated social interactions became the norm. However, this was also seen as a chance for members of the Tibetan diaspora to connect, despite being separated due to geography, and to engage in artistic conversation. And it was such a beautiful way to bring us together—through art—especially because so many of us are spread sparsely throughout the world.
The first work I submitted to the exhibition was a square, upcycled box I had painted with a ‘Black Cat Buddha’ sitting on a lotus against a red background. In terms of the theme, I felt I was trying to transcend the border we have set up between us and other species of animal. Although every creature is different, we are more similar than we think, and I wanted to express this by painting an anthropomorphic cat sat cross-legged, meditating. In Tibetan Buddhism, there is an emphasis placed on compassion that extends far beyond kin and reaches out to all beings. The cat Buddha also represents the idea that any being could have just as much potential to become enlightened as any human does. In other words, anyone can reach calmness, find peace and attain awareness. And this is something that speaks to me personally because of my autism spectrum diagnosis. Many people with autism experience meltdowns. These are intense situations in which a huge build-up of uncontrollable energy can be triggered by events ranging from a sudden change in routine, to a social interaction gone wrong, to even just the surrounding environment overwhelming the senses. Turmoil. That’s the perfect word to describe a meltdown. And so, I felt the Black Cat Buddha symbolised moving beyond the negative boundaries set in place due to my diagnosis and finding a way to reach a more peaceful state.
The second work I had shown in the exhibition was a painting titled ‘Deer Goddess Comforting the Ignored Lady’. For the artist, creation can be an exploration of the ‘personal borders we set for ourselves which dictate feelings of identity and belonging’ (this is a quote taken from the Yakpo Collective’s blog post on the exhibition, which you can read here!). I felt this was the case with this painting. It was a coping mechanism for a particularly difficult time: the country was thrust into lockdown while I was very much in the middle of coming to terms with being single after a three-year-long relationship. There were no other outlets to deal with difficult emotions and I couldn’t physically seek comfort through the company of friends. Instead, I had to confront painful feelings while isolated at home, and the comfort I so desired became achievable through my art and by finding meaning in symbolism. In the painting, I am sitting within the confines of a house, holding a wilted plant. Here, the Deer Goddess hands me a new, blooming flower. Back when I painted this piece of imagery, I saw the Deer Goddess as perhaps a wiser version of myself who understood that everything is impermanent and that the difficulty of going through a breakup during the isolation of lockdown would naturally pass. It was through the very act of creating that helped me reap the therapeutic benefits of art, and move past the boundaries that feelings of isolation had set in place.
Art has always provided me with an opportunity to move beyond the limitations I have experienced. So, the Transcending Boundaries exhibition was the perfect chance to showcase what I personally had to offer. But it wasn’t just the personal that attracted me to the exhibition; it was the very fact that I could engage in a kind of artistic dialogue with fellow Tibetan artists. Before Transcending Boundaries, I had no idea what might go through the mind of a New York Tibetan or a Belgian Tibetan, for example. And for quite some time, I had been increasingly feeling as though I needed to connect with other Tibetans because, truthfully, I haven’t grown up in—or been surrounded by—a Tibetan community. Being involved in a group exhibition was an extremely positive and meaningful experience for me and the digital aspect of it opened my eyes to what Tibetans scattered across various parts of the world are creating. Each artwork was indeed incredibly beautiful, with so much colour and vibrancy in each piece, and the films were captivating. As a viewer, I was dazzled. And as an artist, I won’t easily forget the joy of being part of this wider community.
