About - The Art of Bhutan

Bhutanese art is similar to the art of Tibet. Both are based upon Vajrayana Buddhism, with its pantheon of divine beings. The great 15th century treasure finder (tertön), Pema Lingpa is credited with introducing the arts into Bhutan.

The arts and crafts of Bhutan that represents the exclusive “spirit and identity of the Himalayan kingdom’ is defined as the art of Zorig Chosum. Zorig Chosum means the 13 Arts and Crafts and a few of the thirteen crafts are carpentry, painting, paper making, blacksmithery, weaving and sculpting.

The Institute of Zorig Chosum in Thimphu is the premier institution of traditional arts and crafts set up by the Government of Bhutan. The sole objective of the Institute is preserving the rich culture and tradition of Bhutan and training students in all traditional art forms; there is another similar institution in eastern Bhutan. Bhutanese rural life is displayed in the ‘Folk Heritage Museum’ in Thimphu. There is also a ‘Voluntary Artists Studio’ in Thimphu to encourage and promote the art forms among the youth of Thimphu. These young people have created many interesting artworks.

Bhutan also has a small but dedicated film community. The first Bhutanese movie, Gasa Lama Singye was produced in 1989. And a decade later, local film makers started making feature films consistently.

In a world surrounded by so much beauty, it is not surprising that this small country is so dedicated to the arts.