Art Description
Paro Dzong, officially known as ‘Rinpung Dzong’, The Fortress of the Heap of Jewels’ was built in 1646 under the leadership of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, the unifier of Bhutan. You can see this impressive Dzong as you land at Paro International Airport. Just above this Dzong is the ‘Ta Dzong’, the historical watchtower and currently, the National Museum of Bhutan. Paro Tshechu is one of the most popular festivals in Bhutan for locals and tourists alike.
Artwork Specification
Title: Paro Dzong
Year: 2019
Dimension: 300X1380x250 cm
Medium: Installation
Price: Not For Sale
*Miniature Dzong created by local carpenters and aesthetically designed and displayed by VAST Bhutan.
About the Artist
I first encountered western art when I was a young boy studying in one of the first exclusive public schools in Thimphu. Leaving my conventional English school I spent several years as an apprentice studying the religious and mythological art of Bhutan at the National Fine Art Centre. After that I joined the Royal Government as an illustrator/ designer for the Development Support Communications Division. I produced and developed communication artwork to enhance development programs of the Royal Government. In 1991 I won a scholarship from the British Government to study at the Kent Institute of Art and Design, Maidstone, University of Kent in England. I graduated with a first class Honours Degree in Communications Media (Design Pathway) in 1994. I continued working for the government and took an early retirement in 1997 to paint and founded VAST Bhutan with two other artists. Till date we have tutored more than 10000 young people ranging from delinquents, high school students to out- of- school youth. I have acquired a wide range of experience in both styles and methods which can be instrumental in combining the rigorous and structured traditional style with more easily flowing /expressive form of contemporary art. This helps me to mature in a direction that I am comfortable with and uniquely my own. Bhutanese subjects and Buddhist iconography are my main themes with a combination of modern and traditional techniques, as I have an enduring fascination for textures,movements and many symbols in the Bhutanese culture. I have been exploring this aspect ranging from temple walls to spiritual horses that we see on prayer flags. As the torch-bearer of contemporary art in Bhutan, I am fully engaged in dedicating myself to the issue of Bhutanese contemporary art and helping the youth of Bhutan. With full support and dedication from my students and fellow artists we would like to take Bhutanese art to new heights without compromising our age-old traditional art.
Born 1958, from Punakha
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