Metal print, bicycle wheel, tangerines, cement / 150 cm x145 cm x 30 cm
This is the first in a series of portraits, conceived as person-specific artwork, created in collaboration with the depicted individual.
This particular portrait emerged through a dialogue with artist Kunsang Gyatso, evolving over several encounters. Initially a stranger, I decided to reach out to him after discovering his artwork, Goddess of Tangerine, currently on view at the Rubin Museum of Art, and feeling a sense of connection. Through our meetings, various elements of Kunsang’s personality and artistic life became integral to the portrait. His Nepalese origins from Hyolmo, in the Himalayan region of Nepal, and his family’s Buddhist background are referenced in the portrait, along with tangerines, one of his cherished collectibles. The bike, a nod to both his personal and artistic journey, represents cycles and continuity. The scan of a Tibetan tiger rug, which we found together in a Manhattan shop, further ties to his country of origin.
The circular motion of the hands in the portrait, reminiscent of a deity’s gesture, depicts the simple act of squeezing cement—a material found in his artworks and central to this piece.
Finally, his mouth in the portrait simply proclaims: “KUNSANG GYATSO.”
My intention was to weave his rounded, playful yet sharp personality into the piece.
