He also received the Best Performer of the Year Award by Institute of Music and Fine Arts MFA Jammu in the year 2010 and 2011. 

Apart from these recognitions he also got the All India Young Artist Scholarship, Field of Visual Art, Ministry of Culture, Government of India, 2015-17.He was born with an artistic talent that led him to make art pieces admired by all. His work has been recognized at the national level.

The young contemporary artist Chemat Dorjey has given a light on the modern art in Ladakh.

Q. Tell us about the time when you realized that you would be an artist? 

I was interested in art since my childhood and use to take part in various competitions such as drawing, painting, poster making during my school days. After my higher secondary, some of my seniors guided me to pursue Bachelor in Fine Arts and in the year 2009, I completed my four years course from Institute of Music and Fine Arts, University of Jammu.

Before pursuing the course I had a vague idea about the subject but the 4-year course has much to offer in various fields and I chose sculpture as working with the clay pretty interested me.  In the year 2012, I completed my bachelor degree and pursued Masters in Fine Arts (2013-2015) in Creative Sculpture from the Faculty of Visual Arts, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. 

 

During my formal learning, the works of many other artists and teachers encouraged me specially the work of Padmashree awardee Rajendra Tikku, known for stone sculpture. At that time I used to work with my teacher after school at their home which has definitely helped in making my foundation strong.

Q. What inspires you to become a sculptor? Tell us about your first work.

My work is abstract and semi-abstract and on the traditional theme.  In my work, the culture, tradition and environment will be expressed in many different forms.  My focus is to create art out of most kind of materials using different mediums from wood to metal, stone, fibreglass, acrylic and paper.  The rich culture and environment have always inspired me to create art work and highlight its importance and value.

I draw heavily from tradition and use very simple sources. I am obsessed with the objectification of spindle used by the ancestors of our region and was a very useful object introduced by them. 

Q. You have exhibited your work in many exhibitions. What was it like to get to that level?  Can you share us the experiences? 

There are three important exhibitions, first was the solo exhibition held at Lalit Kala Academy, Delhi in the month of February 2017. The group show at “The Inner Path Festival” on April 7 at the Alliance Française de Delhi which showcased international Buddhist films, exhibition of Buddhist art, discourses by eminent Buddhist scholars and practitioners. And thirdly, the group show at Art and Soul in Mumbai.

Apart from these important exhibitions I also exhibited in Annual Jammu and Kashmir State Art Exhibition, Kala Kendra, Jammu in 2008-09, Group Show, Amar Mahal Museum and Library, 2010, Annual Jammu and Kashmir State Photography Exhibition, Kala Kendra, Jammu, 2010-11, Confluence 12, a group show at Kala Kendra, Jammu, Mapping old town: Archival Studies and Contemporary responses, LAMO centre, Annual Art Exhibition, Faculty of Visual Art, BHU, Varanasi, Birla Academy , Annual exhibition of Art, Kolkata, 57th National Exhibition of Art, Lalit Kala Academy, New Delhi. 

Q. What are your biggest achievements?

 My art work generally caters to the outside population because I feel the theme on which I worked upon needs to be expressed and exhibit for the people who are not from Ladakh. Secondly, in Ladakh, very few people are aware of contemporary art which further makes them difficult to understand the work.  My exhibitions are generally done in other parts of the Nation because people are already aware of the contemporary art.

Ladakh’s land, history, culture has always inspired me in my work and over the years I have increased my engagement with art in Ladakh. I am trying to understand and communicate with the people of Ladakh and what it really means to the community and how they can engage with it.

Q. What are the differences you see in art works of then and now?

The traditional art is somehow been exploited now because there was a time when the use of natural colours on thanka painting adds value to it but today we use fabric colours and technology which has reduced its essence.

Q. In our society, less interest is shown in pursuing art formally. Do we have scope in this field? 

Yes, pursuing art formally is considered less important as compared to the other subjects, but now the situation has changed and there are students who are exploring such subjects also.

Definitely, there is a scope because the world is changing and people are exploring and learning many new things.  Also, the subject needs to be added to the school boards like in other states because it will help them to explore new subjects.

Q.  How and what are the procedure to get into Fine Arts College?

For those who want to go for fine arts, you can pursue it after 12th. You need to appear in an entrance examination for Bachelor degree in Fine arts. After which one can also go for Masters Degree and PhD. There will be many scopes as the subject is very vast.

The best institutes are Delhi University, Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Banaras Hindu University and Shantiniketan College of Fine Arts, Kolkata.

Q.How important is it to hold exhibitions, workshops and seminars to promote art in Ladakh?

Ladakh is a dream place for every outsider and as for an artist; it is a place for exploration because of beautiful landscape and environment. J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages, Leh organised sculpture camp in the year 2012 and also this year.  And also LAMO organises such events many a times. Such camp provides a platform to the artist to display their work, which is very important. The common platform will inspire each other and helps in reviving the age-old tradition and culture and thus the gap will be filled.  More of such opportunity will encourage many to pursue and work on it.