Shrine Room Projects

In dialogue with the Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room at the center of the gallery, artists Shiva Ahmadi, Genesis Breyer P-Orridge, and Tsherin Sherpa each reinterpret traditional and religious iconography and practices through sculptural installation, painting, and video.

Shiva Ahmadi (b. 1975, Tehran, Iran)

Shiva Ahmadi references the miniature painting and iconography of various religious traditions and contemporary cultural events to reflect on universal human conditions. Her video Ascend (2017) poetically reflects on the global refugee crisis, while Lotus (2014) features imagery from a watercolor by the artist and two Buddha sculptures from the Asia Society Museum, New York. The videos will be presented in succession; Ascend is on view until April 6, 2020, and Lotus begins April 8, 2020.

Genesis Breyer P-Orridge (1950-2020, b. Manchester, England)

Artist, musician, and cultural provocateur Genesis Breyer P-Orridge traveled to and worked in Nepal for nearly thirty years, and h/er engagement with philosophical and spiritual aspects of Himalayan cultures spans even longer. Touching of Hands (2016) is a life-size bronze casting of the artist’s arm. Its title refers to the artist and mystic Brion Gysin’s remark to Breyer P-Orridge that “wisdom can only be passed by the touching of hands.”

Tsherin Sherpa (b. 1968, Kathmandu, Nepal)

Following the devastating earthquake that struck Nepal on April 25, 2015, Tsherin Sherpa returned to his home city of Kathmandu and created Wish-fulfilling Tree (2016). He worked with local craftsmen to create a seven-layer bronze mandala. Both a memorial to the destruction wrought by the earthquake and a wish for the future, the mandala is surrounded by rubble, debris, and found objects. In tandem, he continued his longstanding painting practice, represented by two works from the series UFO (Unidentified Fettering Organization) (2016).

Curated by Beth Citron

Shrine Room Projects: Shiva Ahmadi /Genesis Breyer P-Orridge / Tsherin Sherpa is supported by Ann and Matt Nimetz, Lois and Bob Baylis, and contributors to the 2019 Exhibitions Fund.

Image Credit

Shiva Ahmadi (b. 1975, Tehran, Iran); Lotus; 2014; single-channel animation; 8 min. 52 sec.; courtesy of the artist and Haines Gallery, San Francisco; photograph courtesy of the artist and Haines Gallery, San Francisco

Tsherin Sherpa (b. 1968, Kathmandu, Nepal); Wish-fulfilling Tree; 2016; bronze cast mandala, found objects, and rubble; Rubin Museum of Art; C2019.1.1a-j; installation photograph © David De Armas Photography

Tsherin Sherpa (b. 1968, Kathmandu, Nepal); UFO (Unidentified Fettering Organization) No. 2; 2016; acrylic, ink, and gold pen on cotton; courtesy of the artist and Rossi & Rossi; photograph courtesy of Rossi & Rossi

Tsherin Sherpa (b. 1968, Kathmandu, Nepal); UFO (Unidentified Fettering Organization) No. 3; 2016; acrylic, ink, and gold pen on cotton; courtesy of the artist and Rossi & Rossi; photograph courtesy of Rossi & Rossi

Genesis Breyer P-Orridge (b. 1950, Manchester, England) with assistance from Daniel Albrigo; Touching of Hands; 2016; bronze; Rubin Museum of Art; gift of BREYER P-ORRIDGE and INVISIBLE EXPORTS; C2016.2.1