Phurba Namgay
Phurba Namgay was born in 1963 in the village of Chendipji in Trongsa. When he was a child, as part of his preparation to become a monk, he studied Tibetan writing (Choki), “dharma” and “ritual” under watchful eye of his uncle, who happened to be one of Bhutan’s Lama’s.
Exhibiting unusual talent for drawing, at the age of 13 he entered formal studies of traditional Bhutanese painting, at the Institute for Zorig Chusum, the government’s school of traditional arts in Thimphu. Zorig Chusum means “13 Arts”.
After eight years of study Namgay gained an apprenticeship, which eventually led him to become a master painter. The next eight years of Namgay’s life were spent working on commissions of murals temples and monasteries throughout the kingdom of Bhutan. Examples of his work can be seen in Punakha Dzong and Paro Tsang Chuiko.
Namgay returned to the Institute for Zorig Chusum in 1990 to as an instructor of thanka painting and rimo, or drawing. Artworks produced by Namgay represent some of the best examples of contemporary Bhutanese thankas and mandelas available. Namgay specializes in commissions employing hand mixed natural pigments, mineral paints and 24k gold. Phurba Namgay uses the traditional methods of thanka painting that include making his own canvas, paints and brushes of natural animal hairs.
Mahayana Buddhism permeates all of Phurba Namgay’s works as well as his life. His paintings are imbued with power and a blessing of spiritual integrity.
Lopen Phurba Namgay’s thanks grace temples and art collections all over the world. He lives in Thimphu and Nashville
Resume
Education
1978
Institute for Zorig Chusum, (School of the Thirteen Arts of Bhutan), Kawajangsa, Thimphu, Bhutan
Selected Exhibitions
2008
Solo Show, Signs: Phurba Namgay’s Fusion Art, Rymer Gallery, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Solo Show, Phurba Namgay, University of Idaho, Boise, Idaho
Solo Show, Phurba Namgay: Buddhist Thankas from Bhutan, SAC Gallery, Stony Brook, New York, USA
Solo Show, Traditional Bhutanese Painting Exhibit- Paintings by Phurba Namgay, Davis Gallery, Montgomery Bell, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Workshop, Phurba Namgay, Austin Peay University, Clarksville, Tennessee, USA
2007
Solo Show, Pursuit of Happiness, Cumberland Gallery, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Solo Show, The Pursuit of Perfection, Janice Mason Art Museum, Cadiz, Kentucky, USA
2006
Solo Show, Phurba Namgay: Artist, Uma Paro Resort, Paro, Bhutan
2003
Solo Show, Shambala Center, Bolder Colorado USA
2002
Group Show, Institute for Zorig Chusum, Thimphu, Bhutan
2000
Solo Show, Boulder Bookstore, Bolder Colorado, USA
Solo Show, Red Feather Lakes Shambala Center, Red Feather Lakes, Colorado, USA
Selected Collections
Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire
Vanderbilt University Collection of Asian Art, Nashville, Tennessee
Eric Columbel and Andrea Soros Colombel Collection, New York, NY
Allen Hockley, Hanover, New Hampshire
Joe and Judy Barker, Nashville, Tennessee
Dr. Edward Lewis, Chicago, Illinois
Dr. Stephen Little, Honolulu Academy, Honolulu Hawaii
Bonnie Rodwell, Songbirds Rainforest Retreat, Queensland, Australia
Lauren Stein, New York, NY
Carole Schwartz, New York, NY
Dr. Joseph Farrell, Trenton New Jersey
Dr. Carla Smyth-Powers, Bend, Oregon
Kay Ayers, Scottsdale, Arizona
Dr. Diane Duncan, Ft. Collins, Colorado
Sarah Harding, Boulder, Colorado
Randi Besacom, La Jolla, California
Thomas Degenhardt, Tiburon, California
Tom Dirksen, Paris, France
Jane Trenton, Sydney, Australia
Marie Brown, Baldwin, New York
Matthew Ridge, San Francisco, California
Urs Phister and Cheryl Hairston, Grenada
Sarah Forbes and Rodger Redpath, Edinburgh, Scotland
William Buffum, Glasgow, Scotland
Dr. Anthony Richards, Grand Junction, Colorado
Dr. Charles Paquett, Akron, Ohio
Betty Sasaki, Acada, California
Kirsten Kirstensen, Melbourne, Australia
Thinley Dorji, New Delhi, India
Walter Schatz, Nashville, Tennessee
Dr. Dan Downey, Billings, Montana
Mr. Thomas Abilgaraard Jorgensen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Jane Pittman, Arlington, Virginia
Renner Johnson, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Kenneth German, Las Vegas, Nevada
Bolette Schultz, Copenhagan, Denmark
Julie Goettsch, Loveland, Colorado
Kent Cathcart, Nashville, Tennessee
Fairfax Finley Ewing, Jackson, Mississippi
Milan Mihal, Nashville, Tennessee
Russell Love, Nashville, Tennessee
Linda Beutner, Denver, Colorado
Greg Stein, Dallas, Texas
Ben Cundiff, Cadiz, Kentucky
Howell Hopson, Cadiz, Kentucky
Valerie deFillipo, London, U.K.
Patricia Weinman, Miami, Florida
Anne-Marie Schreven, Amsterdam, Holland
Granbery Jackson, Nashville, Tennessee
Peter Scholefield, Malvern, U.K.