Ho Tam, Plum blossom-shaped plate with Dalai Lama and fishes (FC-010) (2025)

Ho Tam  
Plum blossom-shaped plate with Dalai Lama and fishes (FC-010) 
2025  
inkjet on glossy photo paper  
edition of 5  
22 x 17 inches
unframed
 
 
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. The 14th Dalai Lama was formally enthroned in 1950, during the Chinese invasion of Tibet. In 1951, he and the Tibetan government formally accepted the Seventeen Point Agreement by which Tibet was formally incorporated into the People’s Republic of China. In 1959, fearing for his life in the wake of a revolt in Tibet, the 14th Dalai Lama fled to India, from where he led a government in exile.
 
In 2001 the 14th Dalai Lama ceded his absolute power over the government to an elected parliament of selected Tibetan exiles. His original goal was full independence for Tibet, but by the late 1980s he was seeking high-level autonomy instead. He continues to seek greater autonomy from China. 
 
Fish is a symbol of freedom, abundance and prosperity. Owing to its reproductive powers it also represents regeneration. Although many Buddhists are vegetarians, Dalai Lama does eat meat and fish due to personal dietary reasons.