Tenzing Rigdol works in multiple mediums, including photography, performance, video, painting, and collage. This work is from a series of the artist’s contemporary interpretations of Tibetan Buddhist deities. Yamantaka is the Lord of Death and the King of the Law in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. He and his sister, Yami, are traditionally shown standing astride a buffalo that is assaulting a human. In this collage, which combines pieces of sacred text, textile design, and vivid color with traditional Tibetan imagery, Yamantaka is depicted with iconographic exactness. However, the human upon which his buffalo treads is not the anonymous everyman typical of Tibetan art. This figure bears the face of Osama bin Laden, and although the work was created before the Al-Qaeda leader was killed in 2011, the message remains equally relevant after his assassination. The composition is meant to symbolize the absolute power of death over all forms of life and the inescapable laws of mortality and morality. By inserting a reference to global terrorism, Rigdol applies the concepts captured in the traditional depiction of Yamantaka to our contemporary world.

Artwork Details

Title
Updating Yamantaka
Artist
Tenzing Rigdol
Dimensions
27 1/8 x 24 3/4 x 1 3/4 in. (68.9 x 62.9 x 4.4 cm)
Medium
Pastel and scripture on paper
Classification(s)
paintings
Date
2010
Credit Line
Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art
Object number
SC2010.28
Published references
* Van Alphen, J. Collection Highlights: Rubin Museum of Art. (New York: Rubin Museum of Art, 2014). Pp. 28-29

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Storytelling

Concepts

A vehicle for the preservation and transmission of knowledge. The Buddha’s teachings were originally passed down through oral transmission and storytelling, and stories of the Buddha’s past lives are considered an important source of inspiration and guidance.

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Secular Goals

Concepts

While the primary religious goal for followers of Buddhism is enlightenment, many of the practices also serve secular goals related to daily life, including ethical conduct and cultivating well-being.

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Death

Concepts

The end of this life marked by the cessation of bodily functions followed by decay. According to Buddhism, after death consciousness transitions to an intermediate state known as the bardo before embarking on another life. 

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