Some travelers visit Bhutan to trek. Others to marvel at monasteries. But another reason to visit the world’s only Buddhist Kingdom is to appreciate its art.
“It’s not yet finished,” says a boy dressed in a red-and-blue plaid goh (a traditional robe dress) as he sculpts the head of a clay god sitting in the lotus position. On the glass shelf next to him are the finished pieces: clay sculptures of deities in various poses. In the adjacent room, girls in cobalt blue kiras (a traditional ankle-length dress) weave fabrics in purples, reds, oranges, and greens on back-strap looms.
I am in Thimphu, Bhutan’s capital, at the National Institute for Zorig Chusum—referred to locally as “the Painting School”—observing students at work. “In Bhutan, traditional art forms have a very strong foothold. While there is a lack of a robust art market here, we are striving towards creating pieces that can be exhibited worldwide,” explains Kama Wangdi, an artist and the founder of Volunteer Artists’ Studio Thimphu, a non-profit organization and gallery.
At the Painting School, teenage pupils receive instruction on Bhutan’s 13 traditional arts—from clay work to weaving—handed down through an apprenticeship system dating back to the 17th century. After one to six years in school, they are well on their way to producing statues for the country’s temples and dzongs (fortress temples), and fabrics for the Textile Museum as well as for everyday use.
