Is it possible to bridge the sacred with everyday, ordinary life? In this episode, we speak with artist Tsherin Sherpa, whose work suggests that the sacred and mundane are not separate, but inseparable. He shares his story of being trained by his father in the art of traditional thangka painting, discovering his own artistic voice as a contemporary artist, and how he finds potential for awakening in the simple moments of life, like enjoying a cup of coffee.

Tsherin begins by introducing us to the painting, Protector, one of his artworks shown in the exhibition, AWAKEN: A Tibetan Buddhist Journey Towards Enlightenment, in which he abstracts an image of a deity in search of its essence.

Visit the podcast webpage to see the art that inspired this episode, read a transcript, donate, and more:https://rubinmuseum.org/mediacenter/bridging-the-sacred-and-mundane-with-artist-tsherin-sherpa

About the podcast:AWAKEN is a 10-episode series from the Rubin Museum of Art hosted by acclaimed musician and performance artist Laurie Anderson that explores the dynamic path to enlightenment and what it means to "wake up." Each episode dives into the personal stories of guests who share how they've experienced a shift in their awareness, and as a result, their perspective on life. From deep introspection to curious life-changing moments, awakening can take many forms, from the mundane to the sacred. Taking inspiration from the exhibition "Awaken: A Tibetan Buddhist Journey Toward Enlightenment," each story uses artworks as a jumping off point as we hear from authors, artists, wisdom bearers, and Buddhist teachers, because every journey is different.