click on image for Tenzin Rigdol's portfolio

 

Born in Nepal, Kathmandu in 1982, Rigdol is a 2004 graduate of The University of Colorado

at Denver with a degree in painting, drawing, art history and philosophy. Prior to that, he

was the recipient of a scholarship to study Tibetan classical painting in India, Dharamsala.

At a young age, he was admitted to the School of Tibetan Thangkha Painting where he

studied under the guidance of Master Phenpo Tentar and Tenzing Gawa. He also studied

traditional Tibetan carpet design in an affiliated institute of Tibetan Children's Village, a

school founded by H. H. the Dalai Lama.
In 2001, he went to Nepal for 9 months to study Tibetan sand painting, butter sculpture

and Buddhist philosophy at Shakhaar Choten monastery, where he also read the scriptures

particularly dealing with the ideas related to art, symbolism and motifs.
His paintings deal with the fundamental investigations of design, color, weight, form and

its interplays. His works are the products of collective influences and interpretations of

the past events and ideologies. The paintings are often times the portrayal of present

circumstances that knots with the endless human conflicts. Many of the works have a

political tone with issues particularly dealing with Tibet and China. He works on large-scale

paintings and comments that big scale has the power to engulf the viewer and the artist.
Presently, he is working on a project called fusion art. The work depicts and comments

on the idea of wholeness and completeness. The underlying principles of fusion art are

triggered by the endless human conflicts and struggles which are arguably due to the

lack of understanding and participation towards the idea of oneness. The paintings

incorporate mythical emblems and symbols encompassing contemporary objects while

leaving the subjects as universal as possible. The elements in the paintings don't

compromise or co-exist with one another, but fuse to emphasize the aestheticism of

oneness. Rigdol's works attempt to bring viewers to an implicit agreement to the sight

and ideas of fusionism.