In the swirls of Tibetan-American artist’s mandalas, themes of social justice and politics

For the Nepal-born Tibetan American artist Tenzing Rigdol, art begins with good attention. “With good attention anything one does becomes good art. In so many ways art really is attention,” says Rigdol, whose parents came from Tibet.

That has been the underlying philosophy of his works, which include a major installation titled “Biography of a Thought” at the Metropolitan Museum in New York. The exhibit is part of the exhibition “Mandalas: Mapping the Buddhist Art of Tibet” and will be on display until January 12.

Rigdol reinterprets the centuries-old Tibetan mandala-style of painting by incorporating modern-day motifs and themes on panels several feet wide and high, assisted by a team of nine, with painstaking attention to the initial drawings and then choosing paint. This particular installation was in the making for five years.

From the installation’s early drawings to every color and its shade, Rigdol admits to being very particular about everything that goes on his canvases. Yet, for an artist who is so detail-oriented, he finds it surprising why everyone is not an artist.

“Why aren’t people artists?” He reiterates his question rhetorically, talking to Sapan News over a video call. Underlying that view is his genuine belief that anybody can be an artist. “I do not remember...

Read more