I was born in Solukhumbu, in the Mt. Everest region of Nepal, and raised by my grandmother. During my teenage years, I received training in thangka painting from my father and continued to grow as a self-taught artist. I also had the privilege of studying contemporary art under Manuj Babu Mishra, a renowned painter and writer from Nepal. By 1994, while completing my B.A. in Humanities and Social Sciences from Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, I had established myself as a successful thangka painter. In 1995–96, I attended Capernwray Bible School in the UK.

I had the oppertunity to teach both local and international students in my Kathmandu studio including students from World College West (California). I worked as a painter for the UK-based HIMLIT organization for two years and nine years as thanka painting instructor for Naropa University’s Abroad Program in Nepal. I have been honored with several awards, including recognition from the Babuchiri Memorial Foundation, the Nepal Sherpa Student Forum, and being named an Honorary Citizen of Houston, Texas.

My works include color illustrations of The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis (in Tibetan), and many of my paintings are held in private collections across Europe, North and South America, Australia, and Asia.

In my early practice, I worked with handmade canvases, using mineral pigments, gouache and lots of gold. Today, while I sometimes work with oil, my primary medium is acrylic—used to create paintings and other objects that bridge Spiritualism and Materialism and Tradition and Contemporary.

Self perception is my source of inspiration for my work. Fusing with traditional tenichques and contemporary themes and sometimes with symbolism is my method. Color often serve as coded elements within my compositions : vermilion is used to signal feminine aspect and feminine for “Wisdom”. And blue can represent the state of Absolute Nature which as masculine represents “Compassion”.

Portrait painting for me is an enjoyable reflection of a person’s life that carries the momentum and memories that can be celebrated for years after. In portrait painting, I seek to capture the likeness of the person but shy away from direct realistic feel. In addition, I use painting to reflect on this ever changing life, my hidden humor, trauma, dream, delusion and feelings of happiness and frustration of everyday life. I do not follow any “ism” of the art world but what I do follow is my walking balance of life by staying away from two ends of any extreme ideology and belief.