ARTIST BIO
A life in canvases.
Sonam Norbu Namsel with his pet Tharlo.
Sonam Norbu Namsel (also known as Tenzin Jigme) is a contemporary artist living and working in exile. Originally from Tibet, he spent much of his youth in India and is currently based in the U.S. Midwest.
Sonam's work is methodologically and thematically centered around memory and the situated practice of art. His work particularly focuses on the deep emotions associated with and emerging from a close study of personal and collective memories or the residues of images and sensations that we carry in various forms from the past. Memory is central to his work, and he employs oil, acrylic, graphic art, mixed media, and photography as his mediums.
His most recent series of paintings, consisting of over 20 pieces, explores his memories of home and the representation of the 'self' in various contexts. Sonam’s projects are grounded in his belief that art is a powerful form of language that transcends cultures, time, space, and borders.
Sonam is trained as a printmaker (BFA) from Delhi College of Art, one of India's top fine art institutions. He holds an MFA degree in painting from Banaras Hindu University (BHU), one of India's largest and most prestigious institutions of higher learning that has a Faculty of Visual Art as a specialized focus. BHU is located near the spiritual heart of India in Varanasi by the river Ganges, and the artist's early works reflect the inspiration he draws from this special place.
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