The celebrated Tibetan artist Anay Ngawang Chodak, a traditional thangka master and contemporary artist, is set to hold his first solo exhibition in the United States next month, with a 10-day residency at New York City’s Kate Oh Gallery from 6–15 June.
Titled Modern Reflections of Wisdom and Compassion, Chodak’s exhibition aims to embody and express Tibetan Buddhist philosophy and the Buddhist heritage of the Himalayas in the language of contemporary art.
“My work is a heartfelt bridge between cultural heritage and contemporary expression,” Chodak explained. “By weaving timeless, universal Buddhist values with modern sensibility, I hope to awaken a deeper sense of wisdom and compassion in the viewer.”
In conjunction with his exhibition, Chodak will also lead a special meditative art workshops at the gallery on New York City’s Upper East Side, on 8, 9, and 15 June. The classes will offer participants an opportunity to engaged with the introspective nature of creating art under Chodak’s personal guidance, rooted in traditional mindfulness practices.
As well as an accomplished artist, Chodak is lifelong Buddhist practitioner in the lineage of Repa Dorje Chang, a disciple of the Tibetan siddha Jetsun Milarepa. He studied Buddhist philosophy and practices under the guidance of Rangjung Neljorma Khandro Tseringma Rinpoche, and has assisted on multiple long-term personal retreats at her residence and at sacred pilgrimage sites in India and Nepal.
As a thangka artist, Chodak studied under the Newar paubha master Roshan Shakya in Kathmandu, and Tibetan thangka master Ven. Jamyang in Dharamsala, India.
Chodak, who lives and works between Kathmandu, Nepal, and New York City, mainly works with Japanese mineral pigments, gouache, 24K gold, and 975 pure silver on handmade Tibetan canvas and paper.
“Rooted in the refined techniques of traditional Buddhist art, [Chodak’s] work explores the spiritual dimensions of form, color, and human inner values through motifs—his signature Happiness Pods, interconnected patterns, blossoming floral elements, and luminous color fields,” Kate Oh Gallery remarked. “Delivering his art through contemporary visual expression, [Chodak] creates a meaningful connection between ancient wisdom and modern life, allowing today’s audiences to engage with universal Buddhist values through a fresh, contemporary lens.” (Kate Oh Gallery)
Chodak’s works include thangka murals that adorn the inner sanctum of the Great Stupa in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh, in northeastern India, intended as testaments to devotion and transcendence. He worked as artist-in-residence for His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Khandro Rinpoche from 2003–21 in Dharamsala, northern India, and completed a significant body of work rooted in Tibetan Buddhist teachings, merging classical thangka techniques with contemporary visual language under spiritual guidance. He also has a large-scale installation at the Hilton Hotel in Kathmandu.
“In my artworks, you can find the expressions and embodiments of my Buddhist philosophical understanding of the source and cause of happiness and suffering we all experience, which intrinsically relates to the ‘interconnectedness’ of our very existence as a whole,” Chodak observed.
“I intend for my artwork to be analyzed and meditated on in order for its deeper philosophical meanings to surface. In this manner, we can each find the keys to discovering the profound meanings of our states of mind and the true nature of our perspectives and perhaps see the outer world in a more positive light.
“Each piece is a subtle invitation—a gesture of connection, encouraging us to envision a more conscious, interconnected, and compassionate world.” (Anay Ngawang Chodak)
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Kate Oh Gallery
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