Voice of the Thunder Dragon

The First Group Exhibition of Bhutanese Contemporary Art in the US

Exhibition Dates: February 11 – 28, 2017

Opening Reception: February 11, 2017

January 9, 2016 (New York, NY) – Voice of the Thunder Dragon presents works from four visual artists who are pioneering contemporary visual art in Bhutan. It is the first group exhibition of Bhutanese contemporary art in the United States. The show is comprised of 25 paintings by artists Asha Kama, Pema “Tintin” Tshering, Phurba Namgay, and Gyempo Wangchuk, whose diverse practices offer unique insight into the Himalayan kingdom’s burgeoning contemporary art scene. The pop-up exhibit opens at 263 Bowery on  February 11, 2017 and is on view until February 28, 2017.

Bhutan, nestled in the western portion of the Himalayan mountain range, is one of the last surviving Himalayan kingdoms.  Although small in size, particularly in comparison to its land neighbors India and China, Bhutan is becoming an increasingly powerful voice in the call for conservation of traditional identities, the protection of natural resources, and the importance of happiness in political models. Bhutan has long resisted the forces of modernity, globalization, and industrialization, maintaining isolationist policies and a close connection to its traditional culture. Within the aesthetic system of Bhutanese traditional art, the art object functions as a tool to provide the viewer greater access to spiritual Enlightenment. The works on view offer an alternative, oscillating between contemporary and traditional Bhutanese modes of aesthetic representation.

About the Artists

Kama “Asha Kama” Wangdi is the progenitor and torchbearer of contemporary art in Bhutan. Awarded a scholarship from the British government in 1991, Asha Kama was trained in media communications at the University of Kent. Following his studies, Asha Kama worked for the Bhutanese government for several years before taking an early retirement to pursue art full time. In 1997, Asha Kama founded the Voluntary Artists’ Studio, Thimphu (VAST), Bhutan’s preeminent visual arts organization. VAST has been pivotal in bringing contemporary art to the Bhutanese people, the youth in particular.  VAST has been heavily involved in not just the artistic but the socio-political frontier of Bhutanese society.  Many projects, from a rice bank to help struggling farmers to art training in rural areas, have been established by the VAST community. Asha Kama was awarded a gold medal, the Award of the National Order of Merit, by the King of Bhutan in 2010 for his commitment to the country’s youth.

Gyempo Wangchuk melds his classical training in traditional Bhutanese art with contemporary concepts and aesthetics to create potent expressions of the world around him.  His artwork explores a range of themes from personal narratives to Buddhist iconography, translating his environment and experiences into color. The artist uses hand-made paints composed of earth, stone, tree, and other natural materials endemic to the Himalayan mountains. His work brings to life both his own experiences and time-honored scriptural parables.

Pema “Tintin” Tshering has been a contemporary artist for over 17 years, during which time he has consistently innovated and experimented, expanding the breadth of artwork available to a Bhutanese audience. He has studied art forms ranging from sculpture, to fine art, to comic book drawing, frequently using these media to respond to and engage with traditional Bhutanese art and its religious themes. He explores both the abstract intangible philosophies emanating from the religious-cultural teachings of Bhutan and its manifestations in everyday life such as symbols, personalities, practices and the human landscape of faith and beliefs. Many of his pieces attempt to re-imagine these Buddhist concepts, freeing them from their expected, familiar traditional contexts and allowing them to shift into new creative directions. His current preoccupation is how to artistically express questions about the impermanent and illusory nature of human life and existence.

Phurba Namgay is a traditional Bhutanese thangka painter and a contemporary artist. Phurba combines his traditional training with references from Western visual culture, which he found living in Nashville, Tennessee for a brief period. The juxtaposition of Eastern and Western forms has led to Phurba being one of the most globally sought Bhutanese artists.

Voice of the Thunder Dragon is curated by Maxwell S. Joseph, a New York-based filmmaker, art collector, and entrepreneur. The show spans two floors of the gallery at 263 Bowery, which was designed by renowned architect Karl Fischer and the former home of Garis & Hahn.

About Maxwell S Joseph

Maxwell S. Joseph is a New York born and based filmmaker, art collector, and entrepreneur. After graduating from Duke University’s Trinity School of Arts & Sciences, Max founded a real estate startup, Hem + Spire, which is one of the fastest growing real estate investment and management companies in North Carolina’s Research Triangle Area. Having studied at the Yale film school, NYU Tisch, and the New York Film Academy, Max concurrently directed and produced a feature documentary film, Where the Wind Blows, exploring the westernization of Bhutan through the lens of contemporary art, which will premiere in June 2017.

Location

263 Bowery

New York, NY 10002