Lot 60

Conceptio Unlimited Limited, Hong Kong
Private collection, Melbourne, acquired from the above 19 August 2014

Gonkar Gyatso's sculpture 'On First Sunshine' 2012
is a striking meditation on identity, spirituality and
cultural transformation in the contemporary world.
Known for combining traditional Tibetan Buddhist
imagery with the visual language of global consumer
culture, Gyatso creates artworks that are both playful
and deeply reflective. In this sculpture, a cross
legged human form is entirely covered with a dense
collage of stickers, logos, cartoons, and decorative
motifs, producing a surface that feels simultaneously
exuberant and overwhelming.

The figure's compressed posture suggests
introspection or vulnerability, while the riot of
imagery evokes the constant bombardment of
modern media and commercial symbolism. Gyatso,
who was born in Tibet and later lived in India and the
United Kingdom, often explores the tensions between
Eastern spiritual traditions and Western popular
culture. 'On First Sunshine' captures this dialogue
vividly, presenting the body as a site where memory,
migration, belief, and global visual culture converge.

© Gonkar Gyatso