HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A new exhibit featuring the paintings and sculptures of Nepalese artist Tsherin Sherpa opens this weekend at the Honolulu Museum of Art.<\/p>\n
The exhibit, called \u201cDivine Disruption,\u201d blends religion with modern politics and contemporary issues, Sherpa said.<\/p>\n
Sherpa said he chose the name because his work is rooted in the ancient tradition of Buddhist thangka art.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll of these paintings are tools for meditation to remove obstacles,\u201d Sherpa said. \u201cIt\u2019s very much to do with religion and Buddhism. That was the tradition I was trained in.\u201d<\/p>\n
Growing up in Nepal, Sherpa said there weren\u2019t many museums or art galleries, which limited the scope of his artistry.<\/p>\n
After leaving Nepal, Sherpa said he began experimenting with a more progressive approach to his work.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce I got to understand and see different art and different traditions and art history, it gave me the inspiration to explore something beyond the religious subject matter,\u201d Sherpa said.<\/p>\n
Sherpa said the \u201cdisruption\u201d in the exhibit\u2019s title reflects his shift toward a broader concept of art after leaving Nepal.<\/p>\n
He studied computer science in Taiwan and later moved to California, where thangka, American pop culture and comic books fused into his artwork.<\/p>\n
Sherpa returned to Nepal in 2015 following earthquakes that killed close to 9,000 people. He said he created a sculpture after seeing the damage.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was kind of a memory of the earthquake at that time,\u201d Sherpa said. \u201cWhen I saw all of these monasteries dilapidated, broken, destructed fragments, I felt maybe by putting them together, something new will be born, something hopeful.\u201d<\/p>\n
The museum is also highlighting Sherpa\u2019s \u201cPortrait of Spirits\u201d piece, which the artist said was inspired by the islands of Hawaii and its people.<\/p>\n
Sherpa said both Hawaiian and Himalayan culture, in his words, \u201cinvolves a deep connection of nature and spirits with traditional figures representing the forces of nature.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tyler Cann, senior curator of modern art at the museum, said the exhibit captures Sherpa\u2019s evolution as an artist.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is an exhibition that is about one person\u2019s journey,\u201d Cann said. \u201cThis is Tsherin Sherpa\u2019s journey as an artist, and I think we can learn a lot from it.\u201d<\/p>\n