Depiction：
In my dreams, Tibet is always in the heavens. And the robust Tibetan culture is
deeply rooted in the desolate land of the snowy high plateau. The conception
of "Passage to Heaven" is my creative attempt, in which I wanted to completely
discard my previous threads of thoughts, not just to portray the splendid attire
in the Tibetan culture and the majestic snowy plains that has defined my
creative positioning. Instead, I revisited the earthy Tibetan folk customs and the
primitive highland atmosphere, putting the creative focus back on the portrayal
of ordinary Tibetans, striving to explore their profound and mysterious lifestyle
and the pious simplicity of their religious charms. The painting was composited
in a centripetal, symmetrical cohesion, through a combination of plots and
characters set in a symbolic way to express the pure-hearted Tibetans' spiritual
devotion to the heaven, reverence for the divine, and mutual care for each
other. The hide raft in the painting, a basic tool for fishing and river-crossing for
Tibetans in earlier years, symbolizes the wheel and ferry for the longing from
the vivid mortal world to the mystical paradise, also representing the journey of
the worship through sufferings, ascending to the reverence of enlightenment.
The two Tibetan women helping each other on the stone bridge play a pivotal
role in both the composition and the conception. They also symbolize that the
mutual care is the best form of spiritual transcendence.
"Passage" signifies bridging the distance between humans and the lofty
heights of the soul. Although the mundane world is filled with hardship, the
heaven remains serene. A small boat carries the beautiful wishes and blessings,
while a helping hand is full of the earthy spiritual care. May the "Passage to
Heaven" emit a ray of human warmth, carrying the soul to reach the supreme
heavenly pure land.
