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Richie Nath

Chinnamasta, 2024-2026

colored pencil, gouache and watercolour on Canson® Aquarelle paper 60% cotton, 300gsm, acid-free

75 x 57 cm (paper) ; 94 x 78 x 2 cm (framed)

Framed: 94 x 78 x 2 cm

Inv: RN_2024-003

(English below)

[FR] Chinnamastā est une déesse tantrique féroce incarnant le sacrifice de soi, la transformation et le dépassement de la dualité. Elle est représentée tenant sa propre tête coupée, buvant son propre sang aux côtés de ses suivantes, et se tenant sur un couple en union. Divinité des paradoxes, elle représente à la fois la vie et la mort, la destruction et la nourriture. Figure maternelle, elle nourrit ses dévots par l’acte radical de l’auto-offrande. Sa tête coupée symbolise la séparation de la conscience et de l’ego.
Bien qu’elle soit traditionnellement représentée debout sur un couple hétérosexuel, l’artiste réinterprète les figures comme une union de même sexe, transformant la scène en une affirmation de l’amour élevé au divin.

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[EN] Chinnamastā is a fierce Tantric goddess embodying self‑sacrifice, transformation, and the transcendence of duality. She is depicted holding her own severed head, drinking her own blood alongside her attendants, and standing upon a couple in union. A deity of paradox, she represents both life and death, destruction and nourishment. As a maternal figure, she nurtures her devotees through the radical act of self‑offering. Her severed head symbolizes the separation of consciousness from ego.
While she is traditionally shown standing over a heterosexual couple, the artist reimagines the figures as a same‑sex union, transforming the scene into an affirmation of love elevated to the divine.

About the artist

Richie Nath

Burmese

b. 1995

Richie Nath (b. 1995 in Yangon, Myanmar) is among the most acclaimed artist from Myanmar, who has found his artistic home in Paris since 2021 as a member of artists in exile. Having grown up in Myanmar and completing his studies at the London College of Fashion in 2017, Richie's paintings delve into the realms of queer self-reflection, identity, and dreams.

Blending the mediums of illustration and painting, Richie Nath employs a vibrant color palette, intricate forms, and the human figure to explore the nuanced complexities of identity, eroticism, and politics. His artistic expressions are deeply rooted in his personal experiences as a youth in a conservative society, capturing the intricacies of the human psyche. Inspired by Greek mythology, Egyptian gods, and Buddhist folklore, Richie's works serve as gateways to his inner world.

Richie Nath's work has been featured in numerous exhibitions worldwide, including An Oyster Without a Pearl, Galerie Bao, Paris (2026), Erect, TRAX Gallery, Ahangama, Sri Lanka (2025), Censures, Atelier des Artistes en exil, Paris (2024), France Against the Tide: Myanmar Art in the Moment, Karin Weber Gallery, London, UK (2024), Phenomena, duo exhibition with Đỗ Tuấn-Anh, Galerie BAQ, Paris, France (2023); Mère D'Exil - Regards D'Artistes, La Cité Miroir in Liège, Belgium (2023); This Too Shall Pass, Spinello Projects in Miami, USA (2023); STOP WARS, Magasins Généraux in Paris, France (2022); Fighting Fear, 16 Albemarle in Australia (2021); Notes From The Motherland, Aicon Contemporary in New York, USA (2020); The Foot Beneath The Flower: Kitsch Art in Southeast Asia, NTU ADM Gallery, Singapore (2020).

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