We are a group of five Tibetan artists who have forged a strong collaboration over the course of several weeks leading up to the Future of Tibet Dharamsala Conference, 5-10th November 2023. Art has been a vital element of the Future of Tibet Conference, Dharamsala, from our artwork on the walls of the venue to our continued presence at the conference, a performance art happening in real time.
As artists, we are always trying to do something new and, in a sense, we are always living in the future. Our art piece reflects many hours of discussions about our ideas of our collective future and how we wish to approach it. Tibetans these days are like seeds spread across the world. Even though we all are separated from each other by distance and time, we are growing ever more unified. This is symbolised in the piece by the seeds from Tibet on the canvas.
The woman in the painting represents the Tibetan people and is looking to the future through futuristic goggles while riding the Snow Lion. Here, the Snow Lion represents our ancestors’s wisdom and strength that is infused in our culture and traditions. These qualities are empowering us on the way to our future while also being up to date with modern technology and wisdom.
We chose the Snow Lion as an emblem of Tibet as it may not exist at the present time but it can evolve in the future and, like our land, will eventually return to us.
Signed by Artists:
Karma Sichoe
Kesang Lamdark
Ngoshi Choedon
Tashi Nyima
Tenzin Melak
The Future of Tibet Conference, Dharamsala, 9th November, 2023
