非池中藝術網

Gyempo Wangchuk出生於不丹東部小鎮 Trashi Yangtse，畢業於不丹國家工藝及藝術技能學院（National Institute for Zorig Chusum）。Gyempo 以其精湛的繪畫技巧與卓越的天賦所繪製的唐卡作品，用色鮮明穠麗，遵循古法的同時又能自出新意，而被譽為「不丹唐卡鬼才」，他的創作已四次贏得不丹全國藝術競賽；2023年更被國家授予「唐卡大師」(Master of Thanhka)的最高榮耀，成為不丹藝術史上最年輕的唐卡大師。

Gyempo 對藝術的渴求，讓他的創作之路不僅止於唐卡的成就，2012年 Gyempo 開始進入當代藝術的創作領域，在不丹當代藝術之父Asha Kama的帶領下，Gyempo 將其在不丹傳統藝術的訓練與當代藝術美學概念相互揉合；Gyempo 的作品堅持以深厚的傳統技法與天然礦物顏料的繪製，以主題式的創作探索了不丹傳統佛教文化、個人風格敘事與當代時事：如疫情、戰爭等議題的探究，他的創作深入地討論不丹位於東喜馬拉雅文化遺產背景下的生活狀態與現代化的過程，以及人類內心深處隱藏的精神力量與世界的連結，藉由強而有力的畫面表達出動人的當代藝術創作，2018年 Gyempo 憑藉著努力不懈的創作動能，贏得當年度不丹全國當代藝術競賽首獎的肯定，同時 Gyempo 也是不丹唯一能夠兼具傳統唐卡繪畫與當代藝術創作的藝術家。

Gyempo 的藝術天份與才能深受不丹皇室的肯定與支持，現任第五世不丹國王、王后於 2019年親臨Gyempo 於不丹廷布所舉辦的首次個展《Ribong》，其作品更廣為不丹國王、皇室及總理所收藏；其後 Gyempo國際展覽邀約無數，曾於紐約、布魯塞爾、印度、印尼及台灣等美術館展出。2021年美國魯賓美術館(Rubin Museum of Art)開啟與Gyempo 合作的藝術項目，2022年 Gyempo作品《Healing》榮登魯賓美術館年度專刊《Spiral》封面；2023年Gyempo 榮獲Sovereign藝術基金會提名入選第19屆傑出亞洲藝術獎，獎項計有亞太區共400位藝術家入圍，最終選出30位藝術家進入決選，金寶是第一位入圍決選的不丹當代藝術家。

喜馬拉雅當代藝術收藏的稀缺性吸引了全球藝術頂級收藏界的高度關注。尤其以不丹作為喜馬拉雅當代藝術的未竟之地，更是許多國際知名美術館與藏家關注的新焦點；Gyempo 作為第一位登上魯賓美術館期刊封面及入圍傑出亞洲藝術獎決選的藝術家，其徹底翻轉不丹傳統唐卡繪畫的面貌，結合當代藝術的視覺語言與概念，樹立其在不丹當代藝術難以忽視的地位。

Gyempo Wangchuk was born in the small town of Trashi Yangtse in eastern Bhutan and graduated from the National Institute for Zorig Chusum (a national institute of 13 traditional crafts). Known as the "Thangka Master of Bhutan," Gyempo's thangka paintings are celebrated for their exquisite technique and exceptional talent, characterized by vibrant and lush colors. His works stay true to traditional methods while adding unique, contemporary twists. Gyempo is a four-time winner of the Bhutan National Thangka Competition (National Design and Art Competition NDAC. In 2023, he was awarded the highest honor of "Master Artisan '' in Thangka painting, making him the youngest thangka master in Bhutanese art history.

His passion for art extends beyond his achievements in thangka painting. In 2012, under the guidance of Asha Kama Wangdi, the father of contemporary Bhutanese art, Gyempo began exploring the realm of contemporary art. Gyempo has successfully freed himself from the constraints of traditional metric thangka painting, navigating and even soaring through the free realm of contemporary art to explore diverse narratives. Through thematic creations, his art depicts vividly life in the context of East Himalayan cultural heritage and the process of modernization that Bhutan is still grappling with. Gyempo observes contemporary social issues affecting his country and the world such as war and the pandemic. He has a unique narrative style of illustrating these phenomena; using bold colors, embedding both Buddhist and modern iconography, but proudly retaining the underlying techniques and style of Himalayan culture, resulting in a truly outstanding integration of the traditional and the contemporary.

In 2018, Gyempo's relentless creative energy earned him first place in the National Contemporary Art Competition of Bhutan. He is the most renowned Bhutanese artist who excels in both traditional thangka painting and contemporary art. His artistic talent and abilities have always received significant recognition. In 2019, the current Fifth King and Queen of Bhutan attended his first solo exhibition "Ribong" in Thimphu, and multiple works of his are collected by the royal family and Prime Minister of Bhutan. Gyempo has since received numerous international exhibition invitations, displaying his art in museums in New York, Brussels, India, Indonesia, and Taiwan. In 2021, the Rubin Museum of Art in the United States began an art project collaboration with Gyempo. Subsequently, in 2022, his work Healing made the cover of the Rubin Museum's annual publication "Spiral." Gyempo’s continuous achievements led him to the nomination by the Sovereign Art Foundation for the 19th Outstanding Asian Artists Award in 2023, where he became the first Bhutanese contemporary artist to enter the finals, competing among 400 artists from the Asia-Pacific region, with only 30 artists advancing to the final selection.

The rarity of contemporary Himalayan art collections has sparked high interest among top global art collectors. Especially with Bhutan, a relatively nascent field in contemporary Himalayan art, significant attention from international museums and collectors has been garnered. Gyempo, as the artist who entirely transformed the face of traditional Bhutanese thangka painting by fusing the traditional and the contemporary, has shown the global audience the boundless potential of Bhutanese art and established an undeniable presence in the contemporary art history of Bhutan.