PRESS KIT
Echoes of a Kingdom: A Tribute to the Bodhisattva King of Bhutan
New Paintings by Tatjana Krizmanic
Under the Royal Patronage of the Wangduechhoeling Palace Museum
Press Release (for immediate distribution)
Bumthang, Bhutan – September 2025 – The Wangduechhoeling Palace Museum presents Echoes of a Kingdom, a new exhibition by internationally recognized painter Tatjana Krizmanic, held under Royal Patronage in honor of the 70th birth anniversary of His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the Fourth King of Bhutan.
By all accounts, this exhibition marks the first solo contemporary art presentation by a Western painter in Bhutan’s history. Presented in the Wangduechhoeling Palace Museum—the former royal residence and birthplace of Bhutan’s monarchy—Echoes of a Kingdom bridges cultural and spiritual traditions through a body of new oil paintings created specifically for this occasion.
The works honor His Majesty’s visionary leadership, which introduced the world to the philosophy of Gross National Happiness and guided Bhutan through an era of remarkable transformation.
For Krizmanic—an artist and Vajrayana Buddhist practitioner for more than 35 years—the exhibition is a defining moment, bringing together decades of creative practice and spiritual devotion.
“These paintings are not simply images, but a gesture of reverence—an offering born of decades of practice,” says Krizmanic. “My hope is that they serve as echoes of the kingdom itself: luminous, compassionate, and timeless.”
Following its debut in Bhutan, Echoes of a Kingdom will travel to selected cultural venues in Europe and the United States.
Background: Bhutan, the Museum, and the Tribute
Bhutan and the Bodhisattva King
Nestled in the Himalayas, Bhutan is internationally admired for its deep-rooted Buddhist culture, environmental stewardship, and unique philosophy of Gross National Happiness. His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the Fourth King of Bhutan, is revered as the “Bodhisattva King” for his enlightened vision, compassion, and ability to guide the nation through peaceful transformation.
The year 2025 marks the 70th birth anniversary of His Majesty, a milestone being honored across Bhutan with national celebrations.
The Wangduechhoeling Palace Museum
Located in Bumthang, the spiritual heart of Bhutan, Wangduechhoeling Palace was built in 1858 as the seat of the Wangchuck dynasty and later became the residence of the first two kings of Bhutan. Today, the Palace Museum serves as a cultural institution dedicated to preserving Bhutan’s royal heritage while opening its historic halls to artistic and educational programming.
Echoes of a Kingdom represents a landmark moment for the Museum: the first solo contemporary art exhibition by a Western artist within its walls, underscoring its role as a bridge between tradition and dialogue with the wider world.
The Artist’s Tribute
For Tatjana Krizmanic, a painter and Vajrayana Buddhist practitioner of more than 35 years, the invitation to exhibit under Royal Patronage is both a professional milestone and a personal act of devotion. Her paintings, infused with color, movement, and narrative, are conceived as offerings of reverence, celebrating values of compassion, harmony, and spiritual integrity.
About the Artist: Tatjana Krizmanic
Tatjana Krizmanic is an internationally recognized painter known for her vibrant oil and pastel works that merge narrative, movement, and emotion. Born in Zagreb, Croatia, she has exhibited across Europe, Asia, and the United States, with her works included in private and public collections worldwide.
A devoted Vajrayana Buddhist practitioner for more than three decades, Krizmanic’s art is informed by her spiritual path as much as her painterly vision. Her practice brings together a love of storytelling, sensitivity to place, and reverence for cultural heritage.
Echoes of a Kingdom reflects the culmination of her artistic journey to date: a celebration of Bhutan’s legacy, a tribute to its beloved Fourth King, and an offering of cross-cultural reverence.
Exhibition Details
Title: Echoes of a Kingdom: A Tribute to the Bodhisattva King of Bhutan
Artist: Tatjana Krizmanic
Venue: Wangduechhoeling Palace Museum and cultural Centre, Bumthang, Bhutan
Dates: September – December 2025
Opening Celebration: September 25, 2025
Touring Exhibition: Following Bhutan, the exhibition will travel to selected venues in Europe and the United States. Full tour schedule and institutional partnerships to be announced.
Media Contact
Anton Meyerowitz +1-303-330-4030
Tatjana Krizmanic Studio
tatjana@tatjanastudio.com
+1-347-237-0688
tatjanastudio.com/bhutan
ORIGIN STORY
Echoes of a Kingdom: A Story of Friendship
by Tshering Tashi
In the summer of 2021, a quiet uncertainty settled over Bhutan. We had successfully administered the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, a generous gift from India but a devastating second wave there had halted all exports, leaving our people only halfway protected. In that moment of quiet desperation, as the path to full vaccination seemed to vanish, like some concerned citizens, I too reached out to a friend in Croatia, Daniela Miljan.
She shared Bhutan’s story with her friend Marko Pavić, then Croatia’s Minister for Regional Development and EU Funds. The minister, already an admirer of Bhutan’s Gross National
Happiness philosophy, was moved to act. Soon, a lifeline arrived: a donation of AstraZeneca vaccines from Croatia and other European partners. It was more than medicine; it was a profound gesture of solidarity that allowed Bhutan to launch its second-dose campaign and achieve one of the world’s most successful vaccination rates.
The bond forged in that crisis proved enduring. Three years later, when Daniela returned to Bhutan with her husband Ivan, daughter Ivona, and her close friend, Tatjana Krizmanic and her son, Anton, I invited them all to my home for dinner. As we ate, I learned that Tatjana was an artist. She spoke with passion about the inspiration she found everywhere in our kingdom: in the swirling colors of a weaver’s hands, the serenity of a monk’s prayer, and the living spirit of our landscapes. She felt, as she put it, “the very soul of Bhutan.”
Her profound connection to the legacy of peace and wisdom nurtured by our Great Fourth King who gave the world the GNH philosophy sparked an idea. I gently suggested she could channel this vision into a collection that pays tribute to His Majesty. At the time, I knew nothing of her international repute. I would soon learn that this was Tatjana, an artist guided by the traditions of European masters like Chagall and Matisse, known for rendering ordinary life with brilliant color and warm cheerfulness. Her study of Tibetan Buddhism had already introduced a deep, contemplative quality to her art, earning her a place in collections and museums worldwide.
Before we even finished dinner, a promise was made. Tatjana would create an art exhibition. That promise has since blossomed into Echoes of a Kingdom, an exhibition honoring the 70th birth anniversary of our beloved Bodhisattva King. This project was not born from a contract, but from the warmth of a dining room and a remarkable chain of human connection. It is the story of how a desperate plea for help became a life-saving gift, and how that gift, in turn, inspired a breathtaking celebration of our culture, our leadership, and the enduring power of friendship.
CURATORIAL ESSAY
Presence, Memory, Legacy
by Sangay Lhatso, Senior Curator, Wangduechhoeling Palace Museum and Cultural Centre
Under the royal patronage of Her Majesty Queen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck, the Wangduechhoeling Palace Museum and Cultural Centre presents Echoes of a Kingdom: A Tribute to the Bodhisattva King of Bhutan by internationally acclaimed artist Tatjana Krizmanić. Commemorating the 70th birth anniversary of His Majesty the Fourth King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, revered as a Bodhisattva King, the exhibition reflects on a reign defined by compassion and farsighted vision. His Majesty’s leadership safeguarded Bhutan’s spiritual heritage, ensured the vitality of its cultural traditions, and established environmental stewardship as a foundation for the nation’s future. The legacy endures under the wise guardianship of His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.
Through this new body of work, Krizmanić engages with Bhutan in dialogue. Her canvases become encounters of legend and landscape, pilgrimage and reflection, presence and memory: Tharpaling Monastery held in devoted gaze; monks moving through morning light; and the Fourth King speaking with his people at a pivotal moment in the nation’s history. Together, these scenes form a portrait of Bhutan where devotion, leadership, and community are held together.
With luminous color and fluid perspective, the paintings bring into view high mountain ridges, venerable dzongs and monasteries, and valleys where endangered cranes still return each winter. Forests stand under constitutional protection, and long-practiced ways of life continue alongside change, carrying forward the Fourth King’s vision of balance between progress and preservation.
Krizmanić first visited Bhutan in 2010 and has returned many times, drawn to its places and people. This exhibition brings together her artistic and spiritual journeys, giving form to values she holds dear: compassion, harmony, and spiritual integrity, in what she describes as “a place that embodies them deeply.” From intimate works that invite quiet contemplation to sweeping panoramas that open onto vast horizons, the paintings trace the rhythm of a journey into Bhutan, where moments of stillness and expanse naturally follow one another.
The Wangduechhoeling Palace Museum and Cultural Centre, birthplace of Bhutan’s first monarch, offers a resonant setting for the first public art exhibition within its restored walls. Guided by Her Majesty Queen Mother Tseyring Pem Wangchuck, with the Department of Culture and Dzongkha Development, Royal Government of Bhutan, and the Bhutan Foundation, the palace has become a place where history and contemporary expression converge.
Echoes of a Kingdom reflects on how memory is carried through both people and place. In Bhutan, sacred and everyday settings alike, from rituals and offerings to the landscapes that hold them, sustain relationships across generations. In honoring the legacy of His Majesty King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, these works bring together nature and culture, past and present, as part of Bhutan’s unfolding story.