Ever scrolled through a mural that felt like a time machine? Meet Tseten Gyurme, the visionary shaking up Tibetan art beyond its sacred scrolls (thangka) to bold, contemporary canvases. 🎨✨
Traditional thangka are the detailed, spiritual paintings on fabric you might see in monasteries across the Chinese mainland’s Xizang region. Tseten’s fresh spin? He took his studio’s “Heavy Color Painting on Cloth” and turned it into Xizang’s newest cultural landmark, celebrating 2,000 years of history in one splash of color.
From narrating the Chinese legend of Yu the Great’s floods to honoring saint Thangtong Gyalpo—the legendary “bridge-builder”—his work links ancient heroes with today’s world. Imagine graffiti-style murals on Himalayan highways or stadium walls in Lhasa that resonate with the same energy as street art in Mumbai’s Kala Ghoda or Bangkok’s Ratchada art district! 🏔️🎉
His globe-trotting installation “Time and Buddha” fuses Greenwich time zones with Buddhist motifs—a playful yet profound way to map inner and outer journeys. It’s art that invites selfies but also sparks real talks about identity, tradition, and modern life.
For young creatives in South and Southeast Asia, Tseten’s journey shows how art can bridge cultures, tech, and spirituality. Whether you’re sketching in your dorm at the National University of Singapore or painting walls in Dhaka, his story reminds us: rules are invitations, not limitations. 🚀
Keep an eye out for Tseten’s next pop-up exhibit—it might just roll into a city near you. And next time you spot a thangka-inspired mural, give it a double-tap and remember: art’s biggest leap often starts by reimagining its own roots. 💡
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
