Twinz Artists Discuss Wrathful Deities and Bhutanese Buddhist Iconography in Rubin Museum Interview
In an interview with Christina Watson at the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, Bhutanese twins Tashi Dendup and Ugyen Samdrup, known as Twinz Artists, shared insights about their artistic journey and the role of Buddhist iconography. Born in 1988 in Thimphu, they earned fine arts degrees from Lovely Professional University Jalandhar, India. Their work transforms concepts of wrath into compassion, drawing inspiration from figures such as Vajrabhairava and Mahakala. Their creations incorporate Buddhist symbols and transition from human faces to vibrant patterns and animal imagery. Beyond their art, they appreciate nature, listen to podcasts, and enjoy heavy metal music. Influenced by masters like da Vinci, Rembrandt, and Klimt, they strive to convey themes of Buddhism, consciousness, and Bhutanese heritage. The museum's collection boasts nearly 4,000 artifacts spanning 1,500 years.
Key facts
- Twinz Artists are Tashi Dendup and Ugyen Samdrup, born in 1988 in Thimphu, Bhutan.
- They earned fine arts degrees from Lovely Professional University Jalandhar in India.
- Their work represents Buddhism through icons and symbols inspired by Bhutan's tangible and intangible culture.
- They paint directly on canvas without layouts or sketches.
- Their first solo exhibition featured human faces on plain backgrounds; later works added colorful freestyle patterns and animal depictions with spiritual iconography.
- They cite Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, Gustav Klimt, Gustav Moreau, Hokusai, Lucian Freud, William Bouguereau, and James Jean as influences.
- Their favorite music genre is heavy metal, particularly extreme metal such as black metal, death metal, and death core.
- The interview was conducted by Christina Watson, digital editor at the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art.
Entities
Artists
- Tashi Dendup
- Ugyen Samdrup
- Twinz Artists
- Leonardo da Vinci
- Rembrandt
- Gustav Klimt
- Gustav Moreau
- Hokusai
- Lucian Freud
- William Bouguereau
- James Jean
- Mozart
- Beethoven
- Christina Watson
Institutions
- Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art
- Lovely Professional University Jalandhar
Locations
- Thimphu
- Bhutan
- Jalandhar
- India