Urban TsaTsa

Manifesto

Urban Tsatsa uses mixed techniques, pattern repetition and wuwei drawing to convey a message of freedom and tolerance. It aims at reconnecting us with our spontaneous nature, free of social conditionnings. It is an invitation to tap into our creative being without restraint nor fear of judgement.

Read on to find out about tsatsa making, wuwei drawing and about me.

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Concepts

Tsatsa
A tsatsa is a devotional sculpture found in Tibetan Buddhism. It is made by hand in large amounts and displayed in temples or stupa’s. This practice is said to help freeing the soul as one progresses on the path towards spiritual awakening. Making tsatsas is a form of meditation similar to mantras. Instead of repeating a sound, the practitioner melts into the soothing and cleansing rhythm of repetitive movements.

Wuwei
Wuwei is a Chinese term which could be translated as "effortless action". It involves a state of being beyond mastery of one’s art, where one is able to flow with life effortlessly.
I call my spontaneous doodles "wuwei drawings" because they are inspired from this philosophy. The pencil flows on the page without interference from the mind. I don’t erase anything. Whatever arises is fine. When I start a wuwei drawing, I never know what it will look like once finished. The result doesn’t matter, only the process counts.

Graffiti and tags
Both are means of expression that we can trace back to 2000 years ago.
Graffiti often are intricate pieces of art whereas tags consist in the repeated use of a symbol or series of symbols to communicate something or assert one's presence in a certain territory.
In my drawings, I like to merge the tsatsa making process with the notions of tags, which are also repetitive, adding to them a certain meditative quality. The state of mind matters more than the result. It’s a liberating process.