Two exhibitions honouring the legacy of His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo Jigme Singye Wangchuck through student artworks and contemporary textile creations opened at the Royal Textile Academy (RTA).
The two exhibitions were: ‘Yabsay’, presented by Druk School students and their art teacher Chorten Norbu, and ‘Beyond the Weave: Innovation, Heritage and Identity’, by textile artist and designer Sangay Choden. .
While Yabsay reflects on His Majesty’s life, vision and contributions to the country, Beyond the Weave explores how traditional weaving techniques, colours and motifs can be used beyond conventional textile applications.
For Chorten, the title Yabsay reflects the precious bond between father and son and symbolises continuity within Bhutan’s monarchy.
He said the exhibition gives students an opportunity to express their appreciation of His Majesty’s leadership and legacy through art while developing their own understanding of the country’s history and cultural identity.
The exhibition brings together students’ artistic interpretations of His Majesty’s life and vision, allowing young people to engage with the country’s history through their own creative perspectives.
Chorten said art education extends beyond teaching students to draw and paint. It helps them develop imagination, patience and confidence while strengthening their appreciation of Bhutanese culture.
For the students, presenting their work also provides an opportunity to communicate how they understand His Majesty’s contributions and what his legacy means to the younger generation.
The exhibition places young people at the centre of that expression, giving them a platform to convey their thoughts through art rather than simply learning about the country’s history.
For Sangay, the second exhibition represents a different way of engaging with Bhutanese heritage by exploring the possibilities of traditional textiles beyond their familiar uses.
A self-taught textile artist and fashion designer with more than 18 years of experience, Sangay said the exhibition marks her first solo presentation of textile art.
She said she wanted to move beyond conventional fashion and garment-making to experiment with Bhutanese weaving techniques, colours, motifs and their placement.
“This is my first solo textile art exhibition, and I really wanted to explore and experiment with our weave techniques, our colours, motifs and the placement of the motifs and techniques,” she said.
Through Beyond the Weave, she explores techniques including weaving, felting, hand stitching and textile manipulation, combining traditional knowledge with contemporary artistic approaches.
Sangay said she wanted visitors to recognise that traditional Bhutanese weaving is not limited to the applications with which people are most familiar.
“I really want them to know that weaving, our traditional weaving, is not as confined as we think,” she said.
Her work seeks to expand the understanding of textiles as an artistic medium, demonstrating how traditional techniques and design elements can be explored in new forms without losing their cultural significance.
However, Sangay said expanding the creative possibilities of the textile and fashion sector also requires addressing challenges that affect the development of skills and the availability of skilled workers.
She identified limited access to formal training, financial constraints and a shortage of skilled workers as some of the difficulties facing the sector.
Drawing on her experience in the industry, she said short training courses lasting two to three months were often insufficient to prepare trainees for professional work.
She called for more structured training programmes that would allow trainees to develop technical skills over a longer period and gain practical experience. She also emphasised the importance of creating opportunities for trained individuals to enter the workforce.
Sangay said stronger collaboration among designers, weavers and artisans could help address some of these challenges by creating opportunities to exchange knowledge, experiment with materials and develop new products.
She also highlighted the need for a platform that brings creative professionals together and helps them explore opportunities in international markets.
For traditional textile practices to remain relevant, she said, the sector needs to support the people who possess the skills while creating opportunities for those skills to be applied in contemporary design.
Both exhibitions pay tribute to the enduring legacy and honour the 70th birth anniversary of His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo Jigme Singye Wangchuck. While Yabsay expresses students’ appreciation of the Fourth Druk Gyalpo’s life and contributions through art, Beyond the Weave celebrates Bhutanese cultural heritage by exploring traditional textile knowledge through contemporary artistic practice.
The exhibitions were organised by the Royal Textile Academy and the Textile Museum under the Museum Division of the Department of Culture and Dzongkha Development, Ministry of Home Affairs. Her Majesty Gyalyum Sangay Choden Wangchuck, the Royal Textile Academy’s Royal Patron, graced the inauguration as the chief guest.
Both exhibitions will remain on display at the Royal Textile Academy in Chubachu, Thimphu, until November 30.
Nidup Lhamo, Thimphu
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