KP Sharma  

Gyempo Wangchuk, who was shortlisted for the 2023 Sovereign Asian Art Prize, began his exhibition yesterday at Tansbao Art Gallery in Taipei, Taiwan, according to a press release from VAST Bhutan.

The Sovereign Art Foundation (SAF) is a charity organization which was established in Hongkong in 2003 and is the largest and most established prize in the Asia-Pacific region.




According to VAST Bhutan, Gyempo’s work, “The Virus” was among 20 shortlisted arts for the Sovereign Asian Art Prize, which had more than 300 participants for the exhibition.

It is learnt that this would be Gyempo’s second Solo exhibition with Tansbao Gallery, which has been promoting Bhutanese artists abroad. The exhibition will be in place till the end of May 2023.




The exhibition, VAST Bhutan said, started yesterday with a seminar on “Fusion of Traditional and Contemporary”, with panellist Dr Liu Kwo Wei, a researcher at the national palace museum in Taiwan and Dr Li Bu-Yan, a professor of fine arts at Huafan University.

VAST Bhutan said that Gyempo, a traditionally-trained Bhutanese contemporary artist, attended the opening seminar where he provided the collection of his works from Buddhist perspectives and traditional Bhutanese art.




Meanwhile, the gallery will also host a solo exhibition by Kama Wangdi, who is regarded as Bhutan’s foremost contemporary artist and was also a recipient of National Order of Merit (Gold) in 2013.

The exhibition will feature new works by Kama Wangdi aka Azha Karma which will begin on April 29 and will continue till July 5.

The press release stated that the paintings are in a uniquely recognizable style and the vibrant palette is reflections on impermanence, spiritual transcendence and awakening.

The website for the Foundation says that the prize increases the international exposure of artists in Asia-Pacific while raising funds for programmes that support disadvantaged children using expressive arts.