In the magical spiritual realms of the Himalayas, where my deeply rooted ancestral Buddhist devotion is closest to my heart, I learned and experienced the genuine connection between centuries-old Buddhist scriptures and art originating from India’s Nalanda tradition.
Art is an unwavering passion that has been an inseparable element of my being since childhood. Today, I continue to incessantly draw and paint the visualizations of compositions, shapes, and colors, which intuitively and meaningfully reflect my philosophical understanding.
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.
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.
Anay Ngawang Chodak (b. 1980) is a traditional Tibetan thangka master and a contemporary artist. He is a devoted Buddhist practitioner and a direct descendant of the Repa Dorje Chang lineage—one of Jetsun Milarepa’s yogi disciples.
As a resident artist, Ngawang has dedicated his artistic expertise to one of the most distinguished Buddhist art projects, which embodies the visionary teachings of the Great Fifth Dalai Lama, intended for His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and Rangjung Neljorma Khandro Kunga Bhuma Rinpoche over the course of the past twenty years.
Ngawang's art is deeply philosophical and delivers mesmerizing abstractions of spirited yet meaningful expressions. He explores the symbolism of the ‘interconnectedness of our existence’ by illuminating outer beauty and inner philosophical aspects, thus forming a thoughtful reflection of the science of the mind.
Anay Ngawang Chodak’s artistic approach involves reimagining his roots in antiquity Buddhist art originating in India’s Nalanda tradition delivered with a fusion of styles from Newa Poubha, Kashmiri-style Alchi, and Tibetan art —merging his intrigue with its modern interpretation and representation, particularly in the context of female energy as a divine source of wisdom.
Ngawang mainly works with Japanese mineral pigment, gouache, and 24K gold on cotton canvas, handmade Tibetan cotton canvas, and French cold and hot-pressed paper. He lives and works between Kathmandu, Nepal, and New York City.
An artwork, “Wrathful and Peaceful" in progress at the art studio
Solo Exhibitions
2025 Kate Oh Gallery, New York, NY
2025 Kisimaaka Gallery, Kathmandu, Nepal
2025 Arushi Gallery, New Delhi, India, Oneness: Exploring Universal Values
2024 Kisimaaka Gallery, Opening Doors to Universal Inner Human Value, Kathmandu, Nepal
2024 Drala Resort, Compassion and Wisdom in a Contemporary World, Parphing, Nepal
2024 Wind Horse Art Gallery, Imprints of Compassion and Wisdom, Lalitpur, Nepal
2023 Siddhartha Art Gallery, Compassion and Wisdom in a Contemporary World, Kathmandu, Nepal
Group Exhibitions
2025 Kate Oh Gallery, New York, NY
2024 The Other Art Fair, Brooklyn, NY
2024 The Other Art Fair, Santa Monica, CA
*Selected by the Best of Fair: The Other Art Fair LA collection by the global fair director
2023 Siddhartha’s Intent Siddhartha Festival, Sahaja, Bodhgaya, India
2023 Sahaja Online Art Gallery, Siddhartha’s Intent
Selected Art Projects
2025 Art & Design Project – Executive Lounge, the Hilton Hotel, Kathmandu
Conceptualized and executed a bespoke art installation/design project for the executive lounge at the Hilton Hotel, enhancing the ambiance with a refined artistic aesthetic.
Publication
Celebrating Interconnectedness Through Art by Aarati Ray, The Kathmandu Post, 05/17/2024
Compassion on Canvas by Anish Ghimire, The Kathmandu Post, 12/1/2023
Reinventing Tibetan and Himalayan arts through modern interpretation, Online Khabrar, 12/18/2023
Sharing the Compassion and Wisdom, by Sunil Raj Dhakal, Khoj Patra, 12/18/2023
Education
2003 - current
Buddhist Philosophy and spiritual practices under the tutelage of and personal guidance by Rangjung Neljorma Khandro Kunga Bhuma Rinpoche, and accompanying and assisting several long-term personal retreats at the residence and pilgrimage sites in India and Nepal
1998 - 2003
Traditional thangka apprenticeships with the renowned Newar Paubha art master Roshan Shakya in Kathmandu, Nepal, and Tibetan thangka master Ven. Jamyang in Dharamsala, India
1995 - 1998
The Modern Art School, Mussoorie, India
Past Buddhist Projects and Artist Residency
2015 - 2021
Rangjung Neljorma Khandro Rinpoche’s private art studio, Dharamsala, India
2009 - 2015
His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Palace annex quarter, Dharamsala, India
2003 - 2009
Rangjung Neljorma Khandro Rinpoche’s residence at His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s temple, Dharamsala, India