Contemporary Tibetan Art: Materials and Museums

Artist Sonam Dolma Brauen’s exhibition My Father’s Death, currently on view at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, joins a long list of contemporary Tibetan artworks created from unexpected materials while retaining certain traditional elements. Brauen and other artists including Gonkar Gyatso and Tenzing Rigdol have used items as diverse as monks’ robes, stickers, and soil in their work. This lecture by Sarah Magnatta (University of Denver, Art History) considers contemporary Tibetan art as an expression of continuity and in relation to broader global art trends and topics, including conversations about museum displays of Tibetan art to issues of repatriation.

Dr. Magnatta specializes in global contemporary art and museum studies. She has curated several exhibitions, including Tenzing Rigdol’s first solo U.S. exhibition.