If you think thangka and sand mandalas are all there is to Tibetan art, think again.
Blowing the roof off contemporary Tibetan art, Switzerland-based Kesang Lamdark is known for making bold, colorful, provocative art out of found objects—everything from beer cans, plastic wrap, Plexiglas, and wood to melted plastic on bicycle wheels. His work has received resounding acclaim from around the globe. Join us as Lamdark sits down with Tenzing Rigdol—award-winning Tibetan artist known for juxtaposing Buddhist symbolism and thangkas with Western iconography, Bollywood, pop music, and lottery scratch cards—to discuss art, tradition, medium, identity, and much more.
Tenzing Rigdol
Tenzin Rigdol was born in Kathmandu, Nepal. He has a diploma in traditional thangka painting and also studied sand painting and butter sculpture in Kathmandu and India. In 2005, he attained a BA in Art History and a BFA in Painting/Drawing at the University of Colorado at Denver. Tenzing Rigdol’s art has been exhibited in numerous venues in the US, the UK, Hong Kong and China. In 2008 he was awarded the Rubin Himalayan Artist Fellowship at the Vermont Studio Center. He now lives and works in New York City.
Kesang Lamdark
Kesang Lamdark was born in Dharamsala but grew up in Switzerland, where he currently resides. He worked as an interior architect before coming to New York City to study at the Parson’s School of Design and later at Columbia University, where he obtained an MFA in visual art. He has exhibited works in both solo and group exhibitions in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and North America. He currently resides in Zürich.
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