Asha Kama | Impressions of Happiness

Born in Dagana and brought up in Thimphu. Artis Kama Wangdi, fondly known as Asha Kama underwent his apprenticeship with the National Fine Arts Centre and an on the job training with the National Handicrafts Design Centre in Thimphu, Bhutan. Asha Kama completed his education in BA (Hon’s) in Communication Media (Design pathway) from Kent Institute of Art and Design, University of Kent, United Kingdom.

Asha Kama founder of VAST, Bhutan is a passionate artist who believes that art can be a powerful medium to tackle many social ills. A true volunteer Asha Kama is also a recipient of the Award of the National Order of Merit, gold medal by His Majesty the King of Bhutan for outstanding contribution in arts and voluntary service for the children and young people of Bhutan in 2010.

I first encountered western art when I was young boy studying in one of the first exclusive public school in Thimphu. Leaving my conventional English school I spent several years as an apprentice studying the religious and mythological art of Bhutan at the National Fine Art Centre.

In 1982, I entered in the service of the Royal Government as an illustrator/designer producing artworks to enhance many developmental programs.
In 1991 I won a scholarship from the British Government to study western art. I have acquired a wide range of experience in both styles and methods which was instrumental in combining the rigorous and structured traditional style with a more easily flowing/expressive form of contemporary art. This helped me to mature in directions that I am comfortable in and uniquely my own.

Bhutanese subjects and Buddhist iconography are my main themes with a combination of modern and traditional techniques. As I have enduring fascination for textures, movements and many symbols in the Bhutanese culture; I have been exploring these aspects ranging from temple walls to spiritual horses that we see on prayer flags. Apart from my own activities I am fully engaged in dedicating myself to the issue of Bhutanese contemporary art. With full support and dedication from my students and artist friends I would like to take the Bhutanese art to new heights without compromising with our age old traditional art.