Charwei Tsai’s multimedia practice meditates on the complexities among cultural beliefs, spirituality, and transience. The 14th Gwangju Biennale brings together two significant bodies of Tsai’s work. Spiral Incense Mantra–Heart Sutra 2023 is composed of spirals of incense that are custom- made by a family-owned incense factory in Tainan, one of the oldest regions in the south of Taiwan. Passages from the Heart Sutra—a Buddhist scripture that distills the wisdom of impermanence—are inscribed on the incense spirals, which are suspended in midair. The idea that they can be lit and gradually transformed into smoke and ashes signals the Buddhist concept of emptiness. Works from the A Temple, A Shrine, A Mosque, A Church series 2022 consist of khoos, handwoven palm leaves that were traditionally used for household objects. They are hand-inscribed with verses from female Sufi poets. Tsai conceived the project in collaboration with Al Ghadeer UAE Crafts in Abu Dhabi to honour the women of the local community and their knowledge of working with local crafts using natural materials from the region.

Charwei Tsai_Poems