Tibetan artist’s live-painting event in Macau cancel

[ShugdenProtector]

Macau gallery ‘pressured’ by gov’t officials to cancel Tibetan artist’s live-painting event at opening


An art gallery in Macau has cancelled a Tibetan artist’s live-painting performance at an opening after receiving pressure from government officials.

Tibetan-born artist Tashi Norbu was scheduled to do a live-painting performance at Lilau Square on Sunday evening as part of the opening of iAOHiN Amber Gallery. But before he traveled to Macau from Hong Kong, he was contacted by the gallery and advised not to enter Macau because it was “too risky.”



A source in the local art industry familiar with the matter told HKFP that the gallery received pressure from government officials. The China Liaison Office did not want the artist to go to Macau for the event, they said. The gallery said in a press release on Saturday that Tashi Norbu was “refused entry to Macau and left in limbo in Hong Kong.”

iAOHiN Gallery received over MOP 1 million (HK$970,870) last year in a subsidy from the government’s Cultural Industries Fund. The source said its funding could be threatened if the gallery went ahead with Tashi Norbu’s event, as his artworks may be regarded as controversial by the Chinese government. Government officials were also scheduled to attend the event, they said.

After he spoke to the gallery, Tashi Norbu said he became afraid and decided to leave Hong Kong as soon as possible. He did not attempt to cross the border to Macau.

The artist describes his art as classical Tibetan images with a modern twist. Buddhist images are frequently depicted by the Netherlands-based painter. He has also painted spiritual scenes with the Dalai Lama and Tibetans in exile, and featured the yellow umbrella – a symbol of Hong Kong’s 2014 pro-democracy protests – in some of his work. He said he was very disappointed by the decision by Macau officials, saying that he does not take part in activism at all.

“I was very sad, because I am very much focused on my art, and focused on showing the artistic culture of my country,” he told HKFP after landing in Delhi, India. “In my art there’s no political issues.”

“I don’t want to show any activism in my art, ” he added.



He said that was planning to paint a fire rooster at the event, as it was just before Losar, the Tibetan new year. This year marks the year of the fire rooster. The rooster is a zodiac symbol shared by Chinese and Tibetan cultures.

“On that day, I was told I cannot paint even [my] Fire Rooster by the Macau government officials because Rooster looks like the map of China and I may not paint that,” he said.

He said that he only wants to continue doing his work as an artist, and that he hopes to come back to Hong Kong and Macau. He also hopes to be able to put on a show in Beijing as a Tibetan artist. He said that live-painting shows can connect participants as brothers and sisters.

“All these beautiful moments, if I cannot do this, it’s suffocating, you know?”

“When I try to make art in the purest form, it is just being myself, being so honest, and the art that comes from my heart. What can I do? I cannot be not honest about myself. How can somebody say: you’re being honest, and that’s wrong?”

“How can we work on visual conversation(s) and dialogue this way?”

The artwork he shipped to Macau was put in storage, and he was not able to show any of it, he said.

“We thought there would be a great opportunity to show this talented artist to Macau’s public,” the iAOHiN Gallery’s curator, Simon Lam, said in the gallery’s press release. “I am personally very disappointed with authorities’ attitude to arts and seeing it as a threat, banning what is nothing else than pure art performance. This is not what Macau should be doing, censorship is simply wrong, and in this case it simply cannot be justified as Tashi has been allowed to perform in Hong Kong last week without any problems.”

“What Macau has denied us here is the ability to promote art,” Lam added. “China is engaging with the world economically and with that is the expectation we can engage with China culturally. It’s a decision that I think does not make sense. All I can express is my profound disappointment and my concern for him, and I also want to ensure that when the event gets under way today, I will be doing what I can to get his views out there to mark what happened and to honor him.”

Tashi Norbu was detained for an hour while leaving and entering Macau last year, the art gallery’s press release said. He visited in April for the gallery’s “Tibet Revealed” exhibit, which showcased “provocative works of exiled Tibetan painters alongside a select group of traditional Tibetan scroll paintings.”

The gallery told HKFP that the Reminiscent Evening at Lilau event was very successful. They replaced Tashi Norbu with local artist Leo Yuen.

Macau’s Cultural Affairs Bureau and the Macau Immigration Services of its Public Security Police Force did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

This shows how much China is really clamping and reinforcing its power against Tibetans. I know this is not a Dorje Shugden issue BUT it has some connection with how the Tibetan leaders are resolving their issues with China. At the end of the day it hurts their people and it is people like Mr. Norbu here that gets it. I feel so sorry for him because I love art and how sad he could not create the bridge between to cultures Tibet and China through his art work all because of politics. 

One thing is for sure, if the Tibetan leaders wish to help their Tibetan people, they should
1) stop dividing them  - Shugden and non-Shugden, Rangzen and non-Rangzen
2) Stop condemning China if you want dialogue. Who on earth would want to talk to anyone who keeps barking at them?
3) Unite all Tibetans
4) advice your own people to be kind to one another not curse one another due to religious differences!
5) Stop trying to get the West to help you, they have never helped you, it's been over 50years and where are you at now? It's time to seriously wake up people!

[ShugdenProtector]

The above news was found from here if you wish to go the original source: https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/02/27/macau-gallery-pressured-govt-officials-cancel-tibetan-artists-live-painting-event-opening/?utm_content=buffer3151e&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

[grandmapele]

As stated in the article, the artist, Tashi Norbu has added elements of political nature in some of his painting. So, it is not accurate when Tashi Norbu says he's just an apolitical artist. Since, the government cannot be sure of what the end result of the live painting event, they are just playing it safe and avoid any potential international incident. If Tashi Norbu's art has always been apolitical, then I don't think there would have been any issue for the event. So long as the Dalai Lama and the CTA refuses to a dialogue, then incidences like this will continue to happen.


As mentioned by ShugdenProtector, Tibetan leaders should
 
1) stop dividing them  - Shugden and non-Shugden, Rangzen and non-Rangzen
2) Stop condemning China if you want dialogue. Who on earth would want to talk to anyone who keeps barking at them?
3) Unite all Tibetans
4) advice your own people to be kind to one another not curse one another due to religious differences!
5) Stop trying to get the West to help you, they have never helped you, it's been over 50years and where are you at now? It's time to seriously wake up people!

[ShugdenProtector]

You are right grandmepele his art work does showcase some political scenes as mentioned in the article. I guess every artist would do this, it is common for them to express how they feel and their views on current political affairs and they would usually do this through their art.

For an artist, their art is their voice and it gives an insight into their thoughts or what they are experiencing. It sends a message to many. On top of that with the Tibetan Uprising day drawing close, China will be even more stricter and keeping a close watch on everything.

The Tibetan exile Gov CTA is really useless and pathetic, they keep trying to suck up to the west and to USA. Now that Trump is the President, a racist and a businessman looking for opportunities to advance his own business, I doubt very much this year is going to be good for them. As it is we can see it happening with  the Tibetan Woman's soccer team being rejected for their visa to able to play in the US http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39137290  posted for discussion here: http://www.dorjeshugden.com/forum/index.php?topic=5804.0

[Tenzin Malgyur]

It seems so unfair to art lovers that the event in Macau by Tashi Norbu had to be cancelled due to some objections from the Chinese government. Surely Tashi's works and background would have been thoroughly scrutinized before they decided not to allow him to carry with his live show.
What Tashi defined in his art as not political and non activism would appear likewise with the government officials. Topics and scenes involving the Yellow Umbrella protest and the Dalai Lama would be thorny issues and best avoided in China and its ruled territories.

[Tenzin K]

It’s sad to see such incident happen but this is the fact for Tibetan leaders to realise what they have done and the consequencese to their people around the world. The Tibetan leaders should contemplate and look at how to benfit their people from doing anything that further worsen the situation. The points that pointed at the last paragraph on this article is very true and it’s through the Tibetan action that created all these. Tibet is in under China which is the fact and nothing can change. How could the west help them if it’s possible what stop them until today? Spending so much effort and resource separating their own Tibetan on religious practice how can this help them go stronger?

China is globally influential now and many countries are working as ally with him this is a true fact too. If Tibetan leaders still heading to bang this solid concrete will just cause further damages.

It’s time to change mind and look for the benefits of their people. What has pass is history. What important is the future of their people. Unite all Tibetan regardless of their believes and start making friends with China to gain back Tibet for Tibetan. Protect and preserve the Tibet culture and spiritual for the next generation.