Chand Kumar Bhattarai


Artist Statement

It’s all about being not of becoming…
It’s all about expressing not impressing…feeling deep within and living in NOW –feeling presence
Remaining silent and listening to existence…smile…expressing emotions and devotions to my art work…

It’s all about free will and freedom of expression…There is no limits to mediums and means…

It is a mixed media, a fusion, juxtapose, contrast and clear abstract…as we human are…

Look around our surrounding, beautiful nature, ecosystem and even food chain … we all are interrelated …we do coexist …still a unified inspirational art…be natural. Some universal, few controversial yet rooted traditionally in mind fused with modest style…
I am simply don’t believe in any category or time period, as time is just an illusion… …it’s beyond and invisible…exploring everything around…
Creative art knows no boundaries and reasons…no distinction /discrimination–caste, creed, religion and gender...We are same …human being born under same blue sky, same blood runs through our veins and feels with heart, a mortal. Being real and creating virtual worlds around…

Coming from inside out where heart units with hands of an artist to produce an art piece whether it’s just a brush stroke or scribbles with pen… It’s not medium that counts, it’s the artist‘s rich feeling and passion for transferring his invisible imagination into reality matters.
Officially origin from Gelephu, south of Bhutan and then moved to other southern border town Phuentsholing, neighbor to Jaigaon (small village town) India. As most of my childhood days and education are rooted in phuentsholing.It is a frontier where two distinct worlds meet. It is a frontier where the safety of the Himalayan Mountains does not exist much yet beautiful to live in .Finding bright side in any pitch blackness of life…simply believing my beliefs-human beings have the power beyond what we think we can…love and beliefs heals everything, live to love have faith..I have absorbed the sounds, smells, movement, feelings and images of a collision and fusing of two cultural worlds.

Being one-eyed fused with artistic styles…finding beauty in imperfections and living with challenges as my creative process. I am forever……

Volunteered and helped in conducting regular voluntary weekend Visual Art Classes and art counseling for school going/out of school youth and old Bhutanese art enthusiasts in VAST(Voluntary Artist’s Studio of Thimphu) Bhutan.

Works

Dorji Wangchuk


Artist Statement

In the attic of my ancestral home in Mongar, my eyes drowned in a sea of yellow, saffron and orange as I measured the vastness of our annual maize harvest hanging from the beams. Outside, I soaked the lush green succulence of the chillies growing in our garden. From the dark green forests overlooking our house, the soulful notes from a cowboy’s flute floated down the terraced rice fields. With our pet dog lazing in the sun, the sounds of the clashing cymbals and the chanting in a neighbour’s house were a familiar treat to my ears. Wanting to capture these blessings, I’d slip into a reverie only to be awakened by a sudden gust of wind that ruffled the dormant prayer flags, sending a breeze of freshness into the late autumn afternoon in rural eastern Bhutan.

Many years later, the blessings of Bhutan and my good fortune landed me in the sphere of activities of a creative and a caring soul in the person of Azha Kama. In 1998, I found myself in the womb of a nurturing body, VAST, the Visual Artists Studio of Thimphu. Under the stewardship of Azha Kama and myself as one of the founding members, my journey as an artist was enriched and the traveller in me was emboldened.

Thanks to these blessings and the support of my family, I’ve been able to embark on intrepid journeys when it comes to artistic explorations. My own experiences have been characterized by joy and sorrow, courage and fear, strength and weakness, love, pain, life and death.

I’m deeply honored that my humble offerings will be the first display of an artist’s work at Alaya Gallery, the new home of VAST. In my journey as an artist, my guiding star has been VAST, and art itself has become my life.

In our new home, through the extraordinary powers and expressive possibility made possible by art, I invite you to share my passion in exploring the canvas of everyday sensations of life ad the unparalleled beauty of Bhutan.

Tashi Delek!

Works

Maiyesh Kumar Tamang


Artist Statement

Theme :Human struggle
Media :Sculpture

This sculpture is created as a reflection of our human life. Many of us tend to forget the real meaning of life and most of us are lost in the land of attachment and hatred.

The way this sculpture is build it tells us about the hardship that is involved in our human life.

In order to be a prefect human being one need to struggle a lot and sacrifice many things on the way to perfection. There are lot’s of things that needs to be sacrifice.

Though our life is too precious to get. But when we are born as a human being we are bounded by four suffering in this short life.

These suffering are pain of Birth, Aging, Getting sick and Death.

With this four sufferings and our desire and greed burning like a flame in this life .We are never happy. So in order to explore internal peace within oneself we have to give up all our attachment for the things that we are in love.

So in order to attain the peaceful and pure mind he need to struggle. So the various curls which is going around sculpture represents the phase of our struggle that we face in this life.


Works

Pema Tshering


Artist Statement

When I was 13 years old, I became an active member of VAST-Bhutan (Voluntary Artists Studio Thimphu). Attending all the weekend art workshops, and absorbing as much as I could from my mentors, art has become the only way of life for me.

I tend to favor watercolor, as I enjoy the challenge of controlling color in fluid space, and the results of controlled technique with free borders and nuances of spontaneity. Although most of my watercolor work is landscapes and portraits, I have started to enjoy experimenting with more abstract images using the water color technique. The current pieces here represent one of my ventures into abstract imagery with water color.

In most of my art work, I am preoccupied with the feeling of being surrounded by spiritualism. My art explores Buddhist spiritualism and how it manifests in everyday objects, portraits, symbols and common life. I try to visualize and explore landscapes of belief, faith and the supernatural. The current pieces attempt to envision the inner turmoil, journey and light of a practitioner, while envisioning the very physical and visual presence of being.

Growing up in Bhutan, a country deeply entrenched in traditional Buddhist art, I try to free the Buddhist concepts from the regulations of its traditional representation and psyche.

Works

Sukbir Bishwa


Artist Statement

As a small boy of eight or nine back in the village, where Paper and pencils were luxury items my young uncle (maternal) use to draw small designs on fullscape paper or wooden planks use to be a mesmerising affair and getting inspired was only very natural.

Later, as I passed out from the Primary school and joined the junior high school Color brushes and Drawing books were very generousely supplied by the Government and the passion started flowering…every year the painting competitions use to be my favourite show and gettingt awarded was easy. Also the Award that I received in 1975 motivated me to paint more.

And in 1984 when I joined the Government Service I could buy the materials and paint my favourite subjects in the evenings or during weekends . Ultimately, after serving the government for more than 23 years and I resigned in 2009 and persued my passion and in March 2012 I was able to open a small gallery in Thimphu.

Works

Zuki Nima


Artist Statement

Conceptual Photography, Video Installations, Social Documentations, Animations and designing.
Resolving social issues.
Environmental projects.

Works