宇宙迷宮:喜馬拉雅當代藝術
LABYRINTHUS UNIVERSI: Himalayan Contemporary Art

喜馬拉雅山脈南北兩麓及廣大的青藏高原地區，是人類已知最為嚴酷的生存環境之一。然而喜馬拉雅地區不僅孕育成為印度、中國及伊斯蘭世界等各大文明的文明交匯點，同時亦是佛教等人類重要宗教文化及藝術的發源中心之一。今日的喜瑪拉雅文化圈則包括了尼泊爾及不丹等國，以及南側的錫金、西側的喀什米爾地區及北側廣大的圖博（西藏）。由於該地區距海遙遠，導致其現代化的腳步較為晚近，卻也因此自然保留了豐富的傳統文化。喜馬拉雅當代藝術家便在此劇變的時代背景下，需要重新梳理過去、未來與自我認同的關係。

本展所選介的喜馬拉雅當代藝術家皆須探討（一）傳統與當代之間的再傳承和再詮釋（二）離散經驗下的自我認同追尋等課題。喜馬拉雅文化圈孕育了藏傳佛教及嚴謹的唐卡藝術傳統，然而對於該地區的當代藝術家而言，他們究竟要如何同時面對傳統的宇宙觀與當代敘事之間的平衡？而地緣政治的衝擊及對外界文化的嚮往，亦迫使不少藝術家面對離散經驗。然而對於並未旅居海外的藝術家而言，在文化及社會的劇烈之中，個人亦究竟要如何去探討認同議題？本展由尼泊爾藝術家才仁．夏爾帕（Tsherin Sherpa）個展：「識界」，及不丹藝術家聯展「療癒」所構成，共引介四位來自該地區的重要藝術家。

才仁•夏爾帕於 1968 年生於加德滿都，18 歲時便離開尼泊爾並曾旅居臺灣、印度等地，後並移民美國。其於年近50歲時方才回到尼泊爾定居及創作，並致力於在其生活經驗中透過提取傳統文化的元素，進而重新思考尼泊爾當代藝術於創作上的可能性。他的作品呈現了其對於文化認同的混融及追尋，企圖在神聖及世俗之間重新追尋對於圖像經驗的再詮釋。本展將會針對其各類近年創作進行脈絡性的介紹，同時亦會呈現才仁．夏爾帕特為本次個展所創作的新作。

「不丹當代藝術：療癒」，則是展出訶莎．卡瑪（AshaKama）、金寶•旺楚克（Gyempo Wangchuk）及金柏麗（Zimbiri）等三位不丹藝術家。詞莎．卡瑪為最該國最早赴英修習當代藝術的藝術家，其作品設法將嶄新的創作觀念融入不丹藝術之中，因而被稱為「不丹當代藝術之父」；本展所引介的不丹藝術家金寶，旺楚克亦曾師事於訶莎，卡瑪。金寶．旺楚克自由地於唐卡畫師及當代藝術家兩種不同的身分之間跳躍，嘗試要藉由傳統藝術的技法及概念來重新詮釋當代的喜馬拉雅生活及倫理觀。出身皇室的金柏麗，則因其曾於印度、泰國及美國求學的經驗而游移於東西文明之間。透過傳統的顏料用色及老虎的象徵，藝術家所創造的迷宮圖繪不僅是一種鄉愁式的認同追尋，更透露了其女性視角下的自我投射。

本展不僅為亞洲首次於公立美術館展出的喜馬拉雅當代藝術大型聯展，同時亦希望透過介紹近似的語境及議題，讓看似遙遠的喜馬拉雅地區亦可親近觀眾。透過對於喜馬拉雅文化認同及當代議題的再理解，我們期望透過藝術家們的作品，進一步帶領觀眾解構纏繞於宇宙之中的迷宮。


The southern and northern slopes of the Himalayas, along with the vast Tibetan Plateau, constitute one of the most extreme living environments known to humanity. Yet, the Himalayan region has not only served as a cultural crossroads for major civilizations such as India, China, and the Islamic world, but also emerged as one of the cradles of important religious cultures and artistic traditions, including Buddhism. Today, the Himalayan cultural sphere encompasses countries like Nepal and Bhutan, as well as regions such as Sikkim to the south, Kashmir to the west, and the expansive area of Tibet (known in Tibetan as "Ü-Tsang" ) to the north. Due to its remote distance from the sea, the region' s modernization came relatively late, which in turn has allowed it to naturally preserve a rich array of traditional cultures. Contemporary Himalayan artists, set against this backdrop of dramatic transformation, are thus compelled to re-examine the relationship between the past, the future, and their own sense of identity.

The contemporary Himalayan artists featured in this exhibition all engage with two central themes: (1) the re-inheritance and reinterpretation between tradition and the contemporary, and (2) the search for self-identity amid experiences of diaspora. The Himalayan cultural sphere has nurtured Tibetan Buddhism and a rigorous tradition of thangka painting. Yet for contemporary artists from this region, how does one navigate the balance between traditional cosmologies and contemporary narratives? The impacts of geopolitical forces and the allure of external cultures have compelled many artists to confront experiences of displacement. However, even for those who have not lived abroad, how does one explore questions of identity amid profound cultural and societal shifts?

This exhibition comprises two parts: Tsherin Sherpa: Cosmos and Identities, and Bhutanese Contemporary Art: Shanti of Healing. Together, they present the works of four significant artists from the Himalayan region.

Tsherin Sherpa was born in Kathmandu in 1968. At the age of 18, he left Nepal and lived in various places including Taiwan and India, later immigrating to the United States. It was not until nearly the age of 50 that he returned to Nepal. Drawing from his life experiences, he has committed himself to extracting elements from traditional culture as a way to reimagine the creative possibilities of contemporary Nepali art. His works reflect a blending and pursuit of cultural identity, seeking to reinterpret visual experiences that traverse the sacred and the secular. This exhibition will present a contextual introduction to Sherpa' s recent works, and will also feature new pieces created specifically for this solo show.

Bhutanese Contemporary Art: Shanti of Healing features works by three Bhutanese artists: Asha Kama, Gyempo Wangchuk, and Zimbiri. Asha Kama is recognized as one of the first Bhutanese artists to study contemporary art in the United Kingdom. His efforts to integrate new artistic concepts into Bhutanese art have earned him the title "Father of Bhutanese Contemporary Art." One of the artists featured in this exhibition, Gyempo Wangchuk, was a student of Asha Kama. Gyempo Wangchuk moves fluidly between the roles of thangka painter and contemporary artist, seeking to reinterpret Himalayan life and ethics through traditional artistic techniques and conceptual frameworks.

Zimbiri, a member of the Bhutanese royal family, has studied in India, Thailand, and the United States, and her work oscillates between Eastern and Western cultural spheres. Drawing on traditional pigments and the symbolism of the tiger, her labyrinthine compositions evoke a nostalgic search for identity, while also serving as a self-projection from a distinctly female perspective.

This exhibition is not only the first major group show of contemporary Himalayan art to be presented in a public art museum in Asia, but also aspires to make the seemingly distant Himalayan region more accessible to audiences by introducing shared contexts and themes. Through a renewed understanding of Himalayan cultural identity and contemporary issues, we hope that the artists' works will guide viewers in unraveling the labyrinth woven into the fabric of the cosmos.

才仁・夏爾帕
Tsherin Sherpa

訶莎・卡瑪 
Asha Kama

金寶・旺楚克
Gyempo Wangchuk

金柏麗
Zimbiri

策展人：高森信男
Curator: Nobuo Takamori

指導單位：臺南市政府
Supervisor: Tainan City Government

主辦單位：臺南市美術館、雙清文教基金會
Organizer: Tainan Art Museum, Hung’s Arts Foundation

特別感謝：丹之寶
Special Thanks: Tansbao Gallery