Tenzin Phakmo (TENZXY!) was born to a middle class Tibetan family in Tashiling Tibetan Camp, Pokhara, Nepal on the New Years day of 1981. While he got his primary education from the local school, SOS Hermann Gmeiner, at the tender age of (11/12) he was sent to Tibetan Children's Village in Dharamsala, INDIA from where he completed his +2 study.
Tenzin displayed his artistic inclination from a very early age. Even when in school, apart from his regular subjects he always nurtured a special place in his heart for 'Art'. He gave vent to his passion for 'Art' through his paintings which inturn won him several prizes and accolades. However this talent and passion of his wasn't tapped to the fullest. He received little in ways of encouragement as he was painting at a time when people believed, 'One could only get so far in life with Arts'. Those same people also believed that 'Arts' held no direct relevance to the education (read academic) he was required to receive. With time, Tenzin made a startling discovery and came to a cruel realization-Painting was fine as a hobby but it was not something you could dedicate your life to. Dividing time between what he wanted to do and what he was expected to do became increasingly difficult for him. In simple terms, our painter lacked moral support as well as professional guidance. For all his drawings, he was appointed the Artist of his school's weekly science magazine, "Science Update, TCV" and it was thus that he somehow managed to keep alive his fling with 'Art'.After graduating from TCV, he came back home to Nepal. Life took an unexpected turn when he went to the remote village of Manang to work as a teacher for 2 years. It was there that the young bud of his love for Art blossomed and attained maturity. Majestic and picturesque as it is, Manang, far away and remote, unspoiled by urbanization, gave Tenzin the ultimate thrust ofinspiration. The beauty of the place rekindled in him his latent love for Arts, dormant but never really dead. He realized that painting was what he wanted to do, maybe even what he was meant to do!
Armed with this new knowledge about an old 'obsession' he enrolled himself to study Fine Arts under one of the most Respected Artist of Nepal Mr. Alok Gurung. Under the watchful eye of Mr Gurung, our painter went back to what he did best-paint and specialized in oil painting. His talents were now honed, his skills polished and his strokes sure. His Guru, havingseen his love for Art on canvas encouraged him to do an Art Exhibition but he did not take this piece of advice so seriously.
It was soon afterwards that Tenzin met an English gentleman, Ex Major Andrew Duncan of the 'British Gorkhas' with whom he became friends. Upon knowing about his passion for painting it was Major Duncan who motivated Tenzin to release the artistic soul inside him and share his gift with the outside world through an exhibition. Later he moved to New York City where he still resides. Rubin Museum in Manhattan has six of his paintings where Mr Doland Rubin bought them for this private collection.
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