PERFECT IMPERFECTION
PERFECT IMPERFECTION
PERFECT IMPERFECTION
Watercolour Meditations on Gandhara's Fragments
Richard Chao Solo Exhibition
30 Jul - 6 Sep 2025
Ground Floor, 317 Pacific Highway, North Sydney NSW 2060
VIP PREVIEW
30 Jul - 1 Aug 2025
10 am - 6 pm
OPENING & MEET THE ARTIST
Saturday 2 Aug 2025
1 - 3 pm
CATALOGUE
Available soon
Inspiration Behind the Exhibition Series
The news of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 prompted me to focus on Afghanistan and sparked a profound interest in the history of Gandhara. Historically, Afghanistan has been a crossroad of East and West, bearing witness to cultural transitions and clashes of faiths. In 2001, the Bamiyan Buddhas, monumental Buddhist sculptures from the Gandhara period, were destroyed by the Taliban. About 20 years later, the statues were briefly reimagined at their original sites through light projection technology. This cultural tragedy deeply moved me and inspired my artistic pursuit, leading to the creation of the series Vanishing Gandhara, which eventually expanded into broader explorations, culminating in the works presented in this exhibition.
The subjects of this watercolor exhibition are drawn from sculptural masterpieces of nearly 2,000 years in history, including the statues of the Parthenon, Gandharan art, and Buddhist sculptures from China’s Northern Dynasties as well as Tang and Song dynasties.
In museums, much of the historical legacy of both East and West is preserved in fragmented forms. My works reinterpret these notions of “incompleteness” and “loss” through water and color, striving for perfection in artistic language. While navigating subtle contradictions—between abundance and scarcity, concealment and revelation, simplicity and complexity, and density and lightness—I found inspiration in the Buddhist philosophy of “the union of manifestation and emptiness.” Through the re-creation of these classical materials, I aim to explore the “non-duality” of imperfection and wholeness, aspiring for harmony and perfection in the artistic dimension.
The subjects of this watercolor exhibition are drawn from sculptural masterpieces of nearly 2,000 years in history, including the statues of the Parthenon, Gandharan art, and Buddhist sculptures from China’s Northern Dynasties as well as Tang and Song dynasties.
In museums, much of the historical legacy of both East and West is preserved in fragmented forms. My works reinterpret these notions of “incompleteness” and “loss” through water and color, striving for perfection in artistic language. While navigating subtle contradictions—between abundance and scarcity, concealment and revelation, simplicity and complexity, and density and lightness—I found inspiration in the Buddhist philosophy of “the union of manifestation and emptiness.” Through the re-creation of these classical materials, I aim to explore the “non-duality” of imperfection and wholeness, aspiring for harmony and perfection in the artistic dimension.
Richard Chao
Echoes of the Parthenon (2024)
Watercolor on paper114 x 180 cm$30,000
Richard Chao
The Lost Gandtara No.1 (2025)
Watercolor on paper180 x 114 cm
$24,000
$24,000
Richard Chao
The Lost Gandtara No.2 (2025)
Watercolor on paper180 x 114 cm
$24,000
$24,000
Richard Chao
The Lost Gandtara No.3 (2025)
Watercolor on paper180 x 114 cm$24,000
Richard Chao
The Lost Gandtara No.4 (2025)
Watercolor on paper180 x 114 cm
$24,000
$24,000
Richard Chao
The Lost Gandtara No.5 (2025)
Watercolor on paper180 x 114 cm$24,000
Richard Chao
Illuminating (2023)
Watercolor on paper78 x 114 cm$18,000
Richard Chao
Emptiness No.1 (2025)
Watercolor on paper78 x 114 cm$16,000
Richard Chao
Famen Temple - Bodhisattva (2025)
Watercolor on paper78 x 114 cm$16,000
Richard Chao
Famen Temple - Buddha (2025)
Watercolor on paper78 x 114 cm$16,000
Richard Chao
Tang - Wisdom King (2025)
Watercolor on paper75 x 55 cm$6,000
Richard Chao
Tang - Bodhisattva (2025)
Watercolor on paper75 x 55 cm$6,000
Richard Chao
The Buddha's First Smile No.1 (2025)
Watercolor on paper75 x 55 cm$6,500
Richard Chao
Meditative Stillness (2025)
Watercolor on paper75 x 55 cm$6,500
Richard Chao
Song Dynasty Beauty (2025)
Watercolor on paper75 x 55 cm$6,500
Richard Chao
Buddha Head of Northern QiDynasty (2025)
Watercolor on paper
75 x 55 cm
$8,000
Buddha Head of Northern QiDynasty (2025)
Watercolor on paper
$8,000
Richard Chao
Threads of Infinity No.1 (2025)
Watercolor on paper75 x 55 cm$6,500
Richard Chao
Threads of Infinity No.2 (2025)
Watercolor on paper75 x 55 cm$6,500
Richard Chao
Threads of Infinity No.3 (2025)
Watercolor on paper75 x 55 cm$6,500
Richard Chao
Threads of Infinity No.4 (2025)
Watercolor on paper75 x 55 cm$6,500
Richard Chao
Gandhara Head Sculpture No.1 (2023)
Watercolor on paper55 x 38 cm$4,000
Richard Chao
Gandhara Head Sculpture No.2 (2023)
Watercolor on paper55 x 38 cm$4,000
Richard Chao
Gandhara Head Sculpture No.3 (2022)
Watercolor on paper50 x 40 cmCollected by Banrou Shi
Richard Chao
Mudra No.1 (2025)
Watercolor on paper30 x 40 cm$2,600
Richard Chao
Mudra No.2 (2025)
Watercolor on paper30 x 40 cm$2,600
Richard Chao
Mudra No.3 (2025)
Watercolor on paper30 x 40 cm$2,600
Richard Chao
Mudra No.4 (2025)
Watercolor on paper30 x 40 cm$2,600
Richard Chao
Mudra No.5 (2025)
Watercolor on paper50 x 40 cm$3,600
Richard Chao
Mudra No.6 (2025)
Watercolor on paper50 x 40 cm
$3,600
$3,600
Spiritual Reflection
Amid the fleeting turmoil of life, the heart longs for tranquility and eternity. In this exhibition, employing the genre of reference painting, I filter out the flashy, the specific, the transient, and the external, seeking to convey a sense of enduring transcendence. This approach reflects my profound experience standing before The Three Goddesses in the British Museum and the Buddhist sculptures at the Qingzhou Museum: the realization that no elaborate explanation, poetic description, or vibrant branding is needed. These timeless classics possess an inherent spiritual power that transcends time and speaks directly to the heart.
An Overview of Gandharan Art
Gandharan art, flourishing between the 1st and 5th centuries CE, is a Buddhist art form that developed in the ancient region of Gandhara, located in present-day Pakistan and Afghanistan. It is characterized by the fusion of Indian Buddhist themes with Greek, Persian, and other diverse cultural influences, giving rise to a unique style often described as “Greco-Buddhist art.” Gandharan sculptures are distinguished by their realistic human proportions, wavy hair, and draped Greek-style robes, exuding an aura of solemnity and divinity. This artistic tradition not only marks the inception of Buddha imagery but also significantly influenced the development of Buddhist art in China and East Asia through the Silk Road.
Gandharan Art: Which Chinese Buddhist Sculpture derived from
Gandharan sculptures served as a critical source for early Chinese Buddhist art, arriving in China through the Silk Road and profoundly shaping t early Chinese Buddhist sculpture in style and technique. Gandhara, positioned at the crossroads of Indian, Greek, and Persian civilizations, combined Indian religious themes with Hellenistic artistic elements, characterized by realistic human figures, intricate drapery, and vivid expressions. These traits were transmitted to China’s western regions through Buddhist texts and missionary efforts, gradually influencing art forms such as grottoes and sculptures in the Central Plains.
During the Eastern Han to the Wei-Jin periods, Gandharan aesthetics laid the foundation for early Buddhist art sites like the Yungang Grottoes and the Mogao Caves at Dunhuang. Over time, as Buddhism became indigenized in China, Chinese Buddhist sculptures absorbed traditional cultural elements, creating distinctive artistic styles. The slender elegance of Northern Wei statues eventually evolved into the fuller, rounder forms of the Tang Dynasty, aligning with Chinese aesthetic sensibilities.
The relationship between Gandharan and Chinese Buddhist sculptures reflects a dynamic process of cultural exchange and localization. This influence extended beyond technique, encompassing a synthesis of spiritual values, thus providing a critical foundation for the evolution of Chinese Buddhist art.
The Relationship Between Buddhist and Secular Sculptures in Ancient China
In the history of Chinese sculpture, Buddhist statues consistently held a dominant position, both in significance and sheer quantity. While Buddhist sculptures proliferated as part of religious practice, secular sculptures remained relatively scarce and were primarily used in commemorative monuments, tomb decorations, and public architectural embellishments. The functions, themes, and quantities of Buddhist and secular sculptures varied, together forming a comprehensive tableau of Chinese sculptural art.
In contrast, Western ancient history presents a different picture. During the classical period (ancient Greece and Rome), secular sculptures prevailed in number, while the Middle Ages saw a surge in Christian art, which came to dominate the sculptural landscape.
Acknowledgements
I owe my deepest gratitude to art critic and curator Nicholas for his invaluable insights and guidance. Our conversations spanned a wide array of topics, from society, culture, philosophy, and religion to quantum mechanics. These “casual” exchanges have profoundly helped me refine my thoughts and practices.
My heartfelt thanks also go to the esteemed Venerable Prajna, President of the Australia-China Buddhist Association, and Khenpo Tsering Tashi, President of Yeshikhorlo Tibetan Buddhist Assocation. Their profound wisdom as learned practitioners has provided me with invaluable Buddhist insights and a broader worldview. I am honored to have painted a portrait for the revered Buddhist teacher, filmmaker, and writer Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, which he personally collected. All these are the spiritual source that make this exhibition possible.