Traditional Art in Bhutan

Bhutan has a rich heritage of art and crafts - so much so that the fourth Druk Desi (secular ruler of Bhutan; the fourth ruled in the late 1600s) formally categorized the13 traditional arts of Bhutan which are still present today. The 13 traditional arts include carpentry, masonry, carving, painting, sculpting, bronze casting, blacksmithing, ornament making, bamboo weaving, weaving (cloth), embroidery, woodturning, and paper making.

As a visitor to Bhutan, you immediately see how the country has embraced and emphasized these traditional arts. The temples and palaces feature exquisite architecture and intricately-detailed paintings depicting various Buddhist motifs and the men and women wear beautifully woven ghos and kiras as their daily wear.

I find it so compelling the government really has invested in not just preserving, but also investing in the arts as a part of daily life. It’s something I believe that western countries can really learn more as we seek to understand how to better incorporate arts and culture into our society.