Born in Lhasa, Tibet, in 1971 to a Chinese father and Tibetan mother, Gade studied traditional Chinese realist painting at the School of Fine Arts, Tibet University before travelling to Beijing, where he was enrolled in the MFA program at the Central Academy of Fine Arts as a studio assistant. Since he was very young, Gade has been fascinated by the traditions of Tibetan religious art and iconography; he developed a technique of painting everyday objects (often those introduced to Tibet from the west) in a style reminiscent of thangka painting. Commenting on a new culture of consumerism in a tongue-in-cheek manner, Gade says “In most people’s minds, Tibet is an ancient, mysterious and exotic place. The notion of ‘Tibet’ is a conundrum. When outsiders actually visit Tibet, especially Lhasa, they get culture shock when they see all the pop culture, fast food, rock music, Coke and beer, brand name clothing, Hollywood movies, the nightlife scene, etc. I think Lhasa ought to be renamed Lhasa Vegas.” Gade is a founding member of the Gedun Choephel Artists’ Guild and has held solo exhibitions in New Mexico, USA; London, UK; and Hong Kong. He has undertaken residences in the United States and Scotland, and his work has been shown internationally in exhibitions including at the Museum of Modern Art in Valencia, Spain; the Art Museum at the University of Colorado in Boulder, USA; the Snug Harbor Cultural Center in New York, USA; and the Songzhuang Art Center in Beijing, China. His work was selected for the 18th Biennale of Sydney, ‘All Our Relations’ in 2012. Gade currently lives and works in Lhasa where he is a lecturer at the School of Fine Arts of Tibet University.

The White Rabbit Collection is one of the world’s most extensive and significant collections of contemporary art from China. With a focus on works created since the year 2000, the Collection contains almost 3,000 works by over 750 artists and continues to expand. Note that when you click on the link below you will be forwarded to the White Rabbit Collection website.

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