Pema Rinzin Abstract Enlightenment
Abstract Enlightenment presents a body of work by master thangka painter and contemporary artist Pema Rinzin, merging traditional Tibetan painting techniques with a contemporary visual language. Drawing on a lifetime of cross-cultural study, teaching, and travel, Rinzin employs sacred materials such as ground mineral pigments and gold to create works that bridge spiritual symbolism and modern abstraction. The exhibition reflects an ongoing dialogue between tradition and change, emphasizing personal growth, cultural exchange, and artistic evolution.
Pema Rinzin (b. 1966, Tibet) is a Brooklyn-based artist who combines traditional Tibetan thangka painting techniques with contemporary abstraction. Raised in Dharamsala, India, he trained under master Tibetan artists and later worked internationally, including residencies at the Rubin Museum of Art, New York, and the Shoko-ji Cultural Research Institute in Nagano, Japan. Selected solo exhibitions include Abstract Enlightenment (2014) and Compassion Transformed (2011) at Joshua Liner Gallery, New York, NY, with group exhibitions at the Rubin Museum of Art and Palazzo Nerucci, Italy.
Lost in Color 2, 2013 Ground mineral pigments, gold, dye, on wood 24 x 18 in (61 x 45.7 cm)
Auspicious Dream 2, 2013 Sumi ink, gold, stone pigment on wood 36 x 96 in (91.4 x 243.8 cm)
Auspicious Dream 2, 2013 Sumi ink, gold, stone pigment on wood 36 x 96 in (91.4 x 243.8 cm)
Bubble of Wishful Gems, 2014 Ground mineral pigments, gold, on canvas 70 x 70 in (177.8 x 177.8 cm)
Wheel of Time and Space (3), 2014 Ground mineral pigments, gold, on wood 20 x 24 in (50.8 x 61 cm)
Wheel of Time and Space (4), 2014 Ground mineral pigments, gold, on wood 20 x 24 in (50.8 x 61 cm)