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Stickers, Toys, and Beads Transform the Traditional Mandala

A mosaic of colorful stickers and toys become an ode to Buddhist concepts in Ye Hongxing's 'Prajñāpāramitā.'
Ye Hongxing, Prajñāpāramitā, 2014 Stickers, toys and glassImages courtesy

ART LEXÏNG except when noted.

Thousands of tiny stickers, a pagoda of toys, and glass beads form artist Ye Hongxing’s kaleidoscopic interpretation of a mandala. Entitled Prajñāpāramitā, which translates to the Buddhist concept of “Perfection of (Transcendent) Wisdom,” the piece currently features alongside other works by paintings by Hongxing at PULSE NY 2015. In addition to the showcase, Hongxing is also displaying her works in a solo exhibition at ART LEXÏNG’s new Miami location.

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“Hongxing’s stickers are otherwise seen as disposable and ephemeral objects—a comment on the disposable nature of contemporary culture,” explains ART LEXÏNG in a press release. “The sheer volume of the stickers echoes the overload of information that we are presented with on a daily basis.” The pagoda, they add, hints at a spiritual transcendence that urges the viewer to move beyond conditioned biases, while the process of laying down the landscape one sticker at a time alludes to Buddhist practices of meditation and repetition.

The Beijing-based artist states that her art is a reaction to the “swift change of China’s social system.” She frequently hones in on the evolving financial, technological, cultural or environmental evolution of Asia. “If these modern advancements continue at such a rate—what will happen to the traditions and cultures of society?” asks the gallery. In Prajñāpāramitā, the use of mass-produced secular and pop cultural stickers and toys to build a spiritual motif is at once a paradox and a bridge between the two worlds.

Below, check out Prajñāpāramitā up close:

Ye Hongxing, detail of The secret garden NO.3,  2014, Crystal Sticker Collage on Canvas 

Ye Hongxing, detail of The secret garden NO.3, 2014, Crystal Sticker Collage on Canvas

Ye Hongxing, detail of Prajñāpāramitā, 2014 Stickers, toys and glass

Ye Hongxing, detail of Dream World No.16, 2013, crystal sticker collage on canvas, 120x160 cm. Photograph: Becky Bass

Ye Hongxing, detail of Dream World No.16, 2013, crystal sticker collage on canvas, 120x160 cm. Photograph: Becky Bass

Ye Hongxing, detail of Prajñāpāramitā, 2014 Stickers, toys and glass. Photograph: Becky Bass

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