Exhibition Announcement
Gonkar Gyatso: Intimacy and Immediacy
Curated by Dr. Sarah Magnatta
September 28 through November 26, 2023
Vicki Myhren Gallery
Opening Reception: Thursday, September 28 from 5:00-7:00 PM
In Fall 2023, the Vicki Myhren Gallery at the University of Denver will showcase the work of acclaimed artist Gonkar Gyatso. In 2009, Gyatso became the first Tibetan artist to exhibit at the Venice Biennale and his work is collected in several international museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Gyatso has moved consistently throughout his career, often finding himself as the voice of Tibetan diasporic artists in New York City, London, and Dharamsala, India. At his current residence in Chengdu, China, Gyatso has faced the harsh restrictions of an almost three-year quarantine; it is only recently that political protests have forced a governmental acquiescence to the call for a reopening.
In this exhibition, the artist addresses the massive impact of COVID-19 (and its subsequent political implications), other global events, and personal reflections in his work as the gallery exhibits over 300 small drawings on paper for the first time. In addition to these drawings, the artist is constructing three new contemporary Buddha sculptures specifically for the DU exhibition with the help of a Tibetan-run foundry in Chengdu. The artist will be here for the opening of the exhibition on September 28, 2023. A catalog will be available with an essay by curator Sarah Magnatta and the over 300+ drawings published for the first time. The exhibition will travel to Southern Utah University in Summer 2024.