Zimbiri (B.1991) Entangled Tail

Zimbiri (B.1991) Entangled Tail signed lower right saa-tshen on rhay-shing, framed 119.7 x 120.5cm (47 1/8 x 47 7/16in). Footnotes: 'We keep talking about the relationships we're entangled in. This piece brings forth that we're essentially the ones entangling our 'tales.' Hailing from Bhutan, Zimbiri's upbringing was a tapestry woven across diverse landscapes–from a tight-knit community in Bhutan to educational sojourns in South India, Thailand, and the United States. Her first exhibition titled 'Faces' in 2015 was the first solo exhibition by a woman artist in Bhutan, held at the Royal Textile Academy in Thimpu. It was inaugurated by Her Majesty the Queen Mother, Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuck. Made with natural colours of Saa-tshen (pigmented earth) on Rhay-shing (traditionally treated canvas), Zimbiri's work for the auction titled 'Entangled Tail' comes from her Tall Tails series. It questions our self-constructed stories, challenging narratives we weave as we navigate our daily experiences. It beckons us to reassess the tales we whisper to ourselves—inviting a poignant exploration of the truths and illusions we embrace along the way. 'The experiences you have are coloured by your opinion of it. Depending on what you tell yourself, you're either drowning in your stories or rising above them. With 'Entangled Tail' the idea is people have interactions with each other and are tangled up in each other's tales.' The piece gently nudges us to recognise and nurture our ability to uphold inner serenity amidst society's constant stream of communication. 'We keep talking about the relationships we're entangled in. This piece brings forth that we're essentially the ones entangling our 'tales'. It's not something we're locked onto,' Zimbiri says. 'In terms of art, people just assume I was really good at painting and drawing as a kid. I always enjoyed art but I didn't think I was good enough to follow it as a profession even after college,' she says. Yet, amidst the halls of Wheaton College, Massachusetts, straddling realms of Economics and Art, her latent talent bloomed like a hidden garden in full spring. 'My parents came for my graduation, where they attended my senior art show. I think they saw a future for me then, that I hadn't even thought possible.' Zimbiri's early practice blossomed amidst the verdant landscapes of Kodaikanal. Her schooling in Thailand, further nudged her to articulate her inspirations. 'I remember our professors telling us about the artist statement, to write about who inspired us, and I remember thinking, 'I don't know who inspired me. I saw a tree and I wanted to draw it!' It was working backwards. We would paint and then look for art that looked similar to our work.' College, however, was the true inception of her exploration of art. 'It was only in college that I appreciated the process,' she says. 'As artists, we're never isolated from the influences and ideas previously there, it's just about making it your own and taking ownership of it. It was then that I was really grateful to our teachers for badgering us in finding inspiration because only in college did we begin seeing the influences of other artists, the colours that you see and are inspired by, being reflected in your work.' However, a deliberate detachment from her heritage characterised her early work in college, as she feared it would dilute her voice and identity as an artist. Returning home to Bhutan triggered a realisation for Zimbiri—a void felt from suppressing an intrinsic part of her identity. 'When you are as authentic as you can be when you try to silence parts of yourself that are such a big part of who you are, there is something missing in the works. It was a process of letting go and not thinking so much about the viewer but expressing myself.' Over time, her practice grew from the pursuit of precision to the embrace of intentional abstraction, representing narratives that sang of her assimilated experiences. Her process unfolded unexpectedly—as visions materialising before slumber or as echoes of vivid memories that had long laid dormant. 'When I was younger, I would see something and want to recreate it. I was very mindful of the fact that I wanted to be technically sound enough to make decisions. I was very conscious of being able to recreate some things and then making the choice to change it if I wanted to,' she concludes. Bonhams is delighted to present this work as part of 'The Asia Edit: Contemporary Art from the South Asian Diaspora', a group of contemporary works uniting artists from mesmerising pockets of South Asia. From New Delhi to Dhaka to Bhutan, it features some of the most sensational names from the subcontinent, including Avijit Halder, Ayesha Kamal Khan, Jasmir Creed, Kirthana Selvaraj, Md Tokon, Meena Hasan, Preetika Rajgariah, Vikram Kushwah, and Zimbiri. Through themes that reclaim one's identity, champion self-acceptance, and seek refuge in daydreams amidst a perpetually transient existence, the works encapsulate the inner conviction that eventually surfaces when one feels like an anomaly within their surroundings. Through personalised interviews and essays, the edit strives to provide each participating artist with the ability to weave a cohesive narrative of their distinct perspective and practice. Shreya Ajmani, a writer who explores the global impact of art from South Asia and its diaspora, has written this text for Bonhams. 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