It all started when…

My name is Yangdol Namgyal Bhutia, I am 26 years old, born and brought up in Gangtok, Sikkim, also fondly called “Beyul Demazong” by Tibetans, (Hidden Valley Of Rice blessed by Guru Padmasambhava).

I was introduced to tattooing at a very young age by my teacher - Mr. Gyaltsen Lama. I did my Bachelors in Arts (History, English and Sociology) and also did a three year course in Graphic Design in Bangalore, during which i freelanced in a tattoo studio called Ink Over Matter. Presently, I have opened my studio- Beyul Ink in Gangtok, which is the first woman owned and ran studio in Sikkim. I have also started learning thanka painting under a Sikkimese Lharipa.

BEING TIBETAN

I feel blessed to be born in Sikkim with my ancestors coming from Tibet and I’m proud of my cultural background, which I express in my tattoo art. It is a good way to generate curiosity in the minds of the younger generation and introduce them to the world of Tibetan signs, symbols, and storytelling which constitute the core values of being a person belonging to the Tibetan lineage. I believe that this is my contribution to the preservation and appropriation of Tibetan tradition and culture.  In the past, I have also helped a team of researchers from France in the restoration of the Tsuklhakang Monastery, which is the palace monastery of Sikkim.

 Currently, you will find that I mix a lot of Japanese elements in my work, but in the future, I hope to mature and  let go of the latter, in order to find a quintessential Tibetan style and carve a niche for my art. 

I am also involved in the streetculture scene in Sikkim, and helping Skatekonnect, a skateboarding community in Sikkim, in their graphic design and branding. In the near future, I hope to  come up with a streetwear brand representing Tibeto-Sikkimese culture.

IDENTITY CRISIS/CRITICISM

I have been criticised by many people on social media through direct messages saying that I appropriate Tibetan/ Tibeto-Sikkimese culture and not Indian culture and my answer to that is that Tibetan culture is also a part of Indian culture, since there is no “one” particular thing that constitutes Indian culture. Indian culture is in its “inclusiveness and secularity” I am in no way acting “ungrateful” towards India. I used to have this identity crisis but now I am proud to say that I am a Tibeto-Sikkimese person of Indian nationality and although in minority, we do exist. A person can be a mixture of different influences and still belong equally to the sources of those influences, therefore I try to have an inclusive approach to living and find happiness in identifying similarities and connection amongst different cultures. For me, as an artist it is important to speak up about these sensitive issues. Moreover, It is important for us to study our local traditions because they provide the best solutions to our local problems, since traditional cultures are so embedded and in tune to our natural surroundings. For example, the worshipping of local deities like mountains  in Tibetan Buddhism, is also a form of environmental conservation which is such an important topic today. I hope that we, move towards modernity by filtering the best knowledge systems of our culture and have a positive social impact, wherever we might be living.

MOTIVATION

The countless Lharipas of Tibet, Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan who came before me and dedicated their lives towards their art. My advice to aspiring artists would be that you need to find your voice as an artist and also, being an artist means making a lot of sacrifices in your lifestyle because you might not always be financially stable and might have to live very frugally.

FIRST WOMAN OWNED TATTOO STUDIO IN SIKKIM

Being a lady tattoo artist can sometimes be very challenging because it is still a largely male dominated industry. But being a woman does'nt make us less of an artist in any type of way. Yes i do agree that women are physically weaker than men and we have limitations due to this fact, but art is an intellectual pursuit and we should'nt consider ourselves inferior to men. Of course tattooing is physically taxing and we need to work for long hours but i feel mental strength is more fundamental and can be acquired by any human irrespective of gender through practise and dedication.