In Times Like These - Full Suite, 2012

Tibetan artist Gonkar Gyatso's work reinterprets traditional Buddhist imagery through a contemporary lens. Using stickers from brand-names like Starbucks, kids cartoons, and traditional folklore characters, Gyatso creates a dizzying shrine to the Buddha. 

One of the most important contemporary artists from Tibet working today, Gonkar Gyatso, now a British national, creates work that is at once personal, political, and often humorous. Gyatso has become most known for his use of pop images and iconography within the form of a Buddha, and his work often satirizes world politics and events while also poking fun at the mundane and superfluous aspects of life. As the artist has stated, "Just as the identity of my homeland cannot be separated from religion and politics, so my own sensibility has been shaped by the undeniable bond between the two."

In Gyatso's most personal and political work, My Identity (2003), the artist presents four self-portraits, portraying himself as a traditional Tibetan, as a Chinese communist, as a refugee, and as permanent exile. Also created in 2003, Pokeman Buddha is Gonkar's first attempt at combining the Buddha with pop imagery and set the precedent for what has now become a dominant visual and conceptual trope throughout his work.

Gyatso was the recipient of a Leverhelm Fellowship in 2003 and was an artist in residence at Pitt Rivers Museum at Oxford University. His work has been exhibited in galleries and museums around the world, including the Boston Museum of Fine Arts (Boston, MA), Tel Aviv Museum of Art (Israel), The City Gallery (New Zealand), The Institute of Modern Art (Australia), the Rubin Museum of Art (New York) the Chinese National Art Gallery (Beijing), the Glasgow Gallery of Modern Art (Scotland), the Courtauld Institute of Art (London), Burger Collection (Switzerland), the Wereldmuseum Rotterdam (Netherlands), and the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art (Australia). Additionally he has participated in the the 53rd Venice Biennial (Italy), the 6th Asia Pacific Triennial in Brisbane (Australia) and the 17th Sydney Biennale (Australia). His work is held internationally in public and private collections.

Click here to read our interview with Gonkar Gyatso about using Buddhism to critique capitalism.

All our frames are manufactured in the USA, using eco-friendly and sustainably sourced engineered hardwood for durability and a uniform finish that is free of defects. Frames are available in Black or White Satin and Honey Pecan.

All prints are hinged to a conservation quality, acid-free and lignin-free Alpha Cellulose matboard, using an acid-free linen tape. The mat's surface paper is fade and bleed resistant and is attached to a conservation quality foam-core mounting board that will keep the work safe from deterioration over time. Artworks with a deckled or decorative edges will be floated on the matboard, with acrylic spacers to separate the art from the glazing. All mounting is fully reversible, without any potential damage to the art.

All of our frames come with picture quality .090 mm plexiglass, which blocks 66% of UV to prevent color fading from exposure to light, keeping your art protected for years to come. It is now considered the industry standard for artists, museums and galleries throughout the world.

For images up to 30" x 40"

• 1 1/4” wide, 3/4” deep, with a 2 1/2” wide mat.
• We generally leave 1/4” - 1/2” of paper showing around the image, to accommodate signatures and for visual appeal.

For sheet sizes larger than 30” x 40" please contact an Artspace advisor for a custom quote.

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Our framed art editions ship in 11 to 14 business days from New York.

This work is eligible for return within 30 days of receipt of delivery.

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