Gyempo Wangchuk is a unique artist in the Bhutanese, and wider Himalayan context because he combines his classical training in traditional Bhutanese painting with contemporary concepts and aesthetics, as well as discreet but potent expressions of dissidence. Bhutan is the last surviving Himalayan kingdom and until recently one of the most isolated countries in the world. While generally praised for its official policy regarding conservation of traditional identities, the protection of natural resources, and its much hyped concept of Gross National Happiness, Bhutan is also known for its penchant for uniformity around its monarchical and religious system, an ideology of purity that lead in the past decades to the expulsion of over a third of its ethnic minority population, one of the largest and less acknowledged acts of ethnic cleansing in the world. The country’s art scene is very much rooted in traditional Himalayan painting, but within this language, Gyempo Wangchuk is a pioneering figure, who brings critique and a plurality of perspectives to the artistic conversation.