WHAT
The second solo show at the gallery is a presentation created after 2019 when Nortse (born Norbu Tsering in Lhasa in 1963) moved into his newest studio. Unlike most other artists’ studio, it is on the banks of the Lhasa River overlooking the Himalayan mountains. Amongst the more than one dozen works on view in the exhibition is the eponymous ‘The Golden Earth’ (2021), in which the artist arranged prayer flags on a canvas into the shape of a mushroom cloud, as if they were coming out of an exploding atomic bomb. The work, like the other on view, is a reflection on the industrial era as well as critical survival crises – in particular, ecological disasters, the energy crisis and the global pandemic.

WHY
For those looking for a realistic depiction of collective humanity – which could potentially even be viewed as cynical – Nortse’s works are worth exploring. While the title of the exhibition connotes positivity, it is actually a sobering depiction of the greedy nature of humans. Many Buddhist symbols and ideas are interspersed throughout the works as a contrast to human greed and a temporary relief of wisdom.