Time moves forward, bringing change as its constant companion. My background in thangka painting commits me to preserving this ancient art for the future. Yet, I’m also drawn to find ways to blend this heritage with the evolving present. “Heart-Mind Monkey” is this blend, a conversation between tradition and change.
Buddhist practice often views the ‘monkey mind’ with caution, seeing it as the source of our restlessness and distraction. I see its other side as well: to me, it’s filled with playfulness, warmth, gentleness and above all, curiosity. These overlooked qualities are what I explore in my work. Embracing the monkey mind means embracing our full humanity, finding growth, learning, and joy amid the chaos.
I believe that classical methods and materials – slow brushstrokes on Nepali Lokta paper and cotton canvas, prepared with age-old reverence – can still speak to a fast-moving present. The show is an invitation to view the familiar and the traditional through a lens of curiosity, to question our impulse to tame the untamed, and to see the monkey mind as a friend, not a foe.
