B. in 1961
Gonkar Gyatso is a contemporary Tibetan artist whose work interweaves the sacred and the secular, the spiritual and the pop-cultural. Born in Lhasa, Tibet and having lived through the Cultural Revolution, Gyatso’s personal history is deeply shaped by political upheaval, religious tradition, and cultural hybridity. Now based in London, he brings a cosmopolitan sensibility to his art, merging elements of Tibetan Buddhist iconography with symbols of global consumerism.
His signature approach is the use of everyday, mass-produced materials—such as stickers, logos, and comic illustrations—to form intricate collages and paintings. These compositions often feature traditional Buddhist figures, most notably the Buddha, engulfed in a tapestry of contemporary cultural references. In doing so, Gyatso explores how identity and belief systems evolve in a world saturated with media and market imagery. As he puts it, "the form of the Buddha acts as a container" for the vast and contradictory stimuli of modern life.
Gyatso received formal training at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing and the Chelsea College of Arts in London. He is also the founder of the Sweet Tea House, the first contemporary Tibetan art gallery in London. His work has been exhibited widely in major international institutions and biennials, including the 53rd Venice Biennale (2009), the 17th Biennale of Sydney (2010), the Rubin Museum of Art in New York, the Denver Art Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Queensland Art Gallery.
In addition to painting and collage, Gyatso has worked in installation and sculpture. His art continually addresses themes of displacement, exile, and cultural hybridity, reflecting both his personal journey and the collective experience of the Tibetan diaspora. With humor, irony, and compassion, Gyatso invites viewers to reconsider notions of authenticity, spirituality, and cultural identity in an age of globalization.
Through his unique visual language, Gonkar Gyatso has emerged as one of the most compelling voices in contemporary Asian art. His ability to simultaneously honor tradition while embracing cultural evolution makes his work deeply resonant across borders and generations.
Gonkar Gyatso 贡嘎嘉措, Pray-Peace, 2025, 120 × 100 cm.jpg