Charwei TSAI
Reimagine: Himalayan Art Now
March 15–October 6, 2024
LISTEN TO THE ARTIST
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Charwei TSAI (she/her)
b. 1980, Taipei, Taiwan; lives in Paris, France; works in Paris, France, and Taipei, Taiwan
Charwei TSAI explores the relationship between humans and nature in her multimedia practice, meditating on universal concerns and complexities at the intersection of cultural belief, spirituality, and transience. Geographical, social, and spiritual motifs inform her work, and she encourages viewer participation beyond complacent contemplation, such as by making offerings or lighting incense.
Charwei TSAI graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design in industrial design and art and architectural history (2002), and the postgraduate research program La Seine at L’École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, Paris (2010). Recent projects and exhibitions include Soft and Weak Like Water, Gwangju Biennale (2023); World Classroom: Contemporary Art through School Subjects, Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan (2023); a performance at Climat: quelle culture pour quel futur?, Centre Pompidou, Paris (2022); and The Eye is the First Circle, Philosophical Research Society, Los Angeles (2022).
charwei.com / @charweitsai
ABOUT THE ARTWORK IN REIMAGINE
Charwei TSAI; The Womb & The Diamond; 2021; handblown glass, mirrors, and diamond installation; courtesy of the artist
The Womb & The Diamond comprises over a thousand pieces of glass and mirrors representing the duality of chaos and order in all-encompassing space. The Womb mandala symbolizes the possibility of buddhahood in all beings, and the Diamond mandala is the guide to the spiritual practice that can lead to enlightenment. In the Tantric Buddhist or Tibetan Buddhist tradition, Vairochana is the central deity in the Womb mandala.
Charwei TSAI partnered with renowned Buddhist teacher Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche to create the womb-like glass pieces, using his breath and the sound vibration of him reciting the Dependent Arising mantra, which speaks to the interconnectedness of all things, to make each one. The Dependent Arising mantra explains that everything is dependent on multiple causes and conditions; nothing exists as a singular, independent entity—everything is interconnected. The artist placed a diamond in the center of the composition to represent indestructibility.
Charwei TSAI shares her creative process and the personal pilgrimages that inspired the artwork in this video.
RELATED RUBIN OBJECT
This object from the Rubin Museum’s collection is presented in the Reimagine exhibition in dialogue with The Womb & The Diamond, inviting new ways of encountering traditional Himalayan art.
ABOUT THE ARTWORKS IN REIMAGINE
The Five Wisdom Dakinis, or Sky Dancers, embody both humanity and divinity in feminine form, representing the ever-changing flow of energy. Although they are traditionally shown personified, Charwei TSAI chose to reimagine the essence of the dakinis abstractly, using the color associated with each one with their individual mantra written within the swirl of color. Three of the five drawings from the series are displayed in the exhibition. The red drawing is associated with the Padma dakini who represents the west and the element of fire.
RELATED RUBIN OBJECT
This object from the Rubin Museum’s collection is presented in the Reimagine exhibition in dialogue with Five Sky Dancers, inviting new ways of encountering traditional Himalayan art.
Charwei Tsai’s The Womb & The Diamond is supported in part by the Taipei Cultural Center in New York.
