Chris Levine

In 2015, Chris Levine met with the 14th Dalai Lama during a visit to the UK. Levine created this portrait of His Holiness in celebration of his 80th birthday. His Holiness rarely sits for formal portraits, however, made an exception for Levine after the artist stated that proceeds of the work would be donated to charities working alongside communities affected by the earthquakes in Nepal.

In May of 2020, Levine released new iterations of this work in the form of a three-colour screenprint. Reflecting on the tumultuous climate caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Levine decided to create this new edition as a way to raise vital funds for the NGO and anti-poverty charity, the Trussell Trust.