My work revolves around the ideas and insights of Tibetan culture, and how I as someone who has

lived most of his life outside of my country, relate to them for identity and sustenance. I'm interested

in all facets of Tibetan life; from architecture to folk art, mythical tales to utility objects, and see them

as sources and references for my work. The colors and the lines in the simplest woven textiles, and

even the rhythms of Tibetan music, all have in them the sensibilities of the culture. I draw particular

inspiration from pre-Buddhist and Buddhist world views and symbols, such as those found in the

Shang Shung rock art of ancient Tibet. 

 

Although my paintings may deal with recognizable subjects, my work is more abstract than

representational, as I'm more interested in the ideas surrounding them then the physical subject matter.

 This process of finding and moving towards the universal, and away from the particular, helps me

bridge my present surroundings with my subject. In a sense, I'm trying to get

closer to the ideas and  experiences of our culture by stripping away the surface

embellishments and traditional conventions, which make them  seem abstruse and

far away from the world I live in today. I want my artwork to  stand by themselves

visually without cultural commentary and footnotes, and are therefore accessible to most people.            

 

Tibetans have a saying, "that 'such and such' has shagtsi," which means it has 'grease'. Grease is

where the flavor is in meat, and where the soul is in culture. So no matter what direction my art takes,

I want it always to retain the shagtsi of Tibetan culture.