54 Views of Wisdom and Compassion
Ang Tsherin, 2013
Acrylic and ink on canvas
51 × 51 cm each (54 panels)

© Ang Tsherin

This work is a further exploration of the relationship of Tibetan tradition and identity in the 21st century; it consists of fifty-four separate pieces (50 × 50 cm each, on canvas) that compose a whole. The deity, Chakrasamvara, is present in fragments throughout the work. Some canvases reveal detailed closeups, while others represent the view from above. In his teachings, the founder of the Kadampa school of Tibetan Buddhism, Atisa Dipankara (980–1054 CE), used Chakrasamvara as one of the yidam (Istadevta, or personal god?) deities. Atisa was born in Bengal, now part of Bangladesh. He taught in many South Asian countries, such as Indonesia, Nepal, and Tibet.

As with many contemporaries, Atisa did not restrict himself to only one culture. With historical hindsight, our picture of him differs according to the underlying assumptions relative to our respective cultural origins. In the contemporary world, these differences are juxtaposed both physically and virtually and expose a form greater than its individual parts. Regional boundaries establish new geographic borders which, in turn, assist specific cultural determination. In grasping the similarities and differences represented in these forms, one may then contemplate the whole.

In 980 CE, Atisa’s ideas were the fruits of his learning in Bengal, passed down through the ages to my grandparents in Tibet, who then eventually taught them to me in Nepal. Ideas travel around the world, evolving before returning in an altered form to the place in which they originated. Our interconnectedness can be traced back through history which plays a large part of who we are as individuals.