Tiffani Gyatso is a Brazilian artist, teacher, and cultural bridge-builder whose life and work beautifully merge Eastern spirituality with Western artistic traditions. Born in São Paulo in 1981, Tiffani grew up in a community built by her parents. She spent her teens living in a sailing boat and later moved to Australia to live in a tribe with the aboriginals from Yakanara. At the age of 18 she lived in a motorhome with her parents crossing all Europe until she reached Mongolia, where she encountered Buddhist Sacred Art of Thangka painting and decided to pursue her artistic passion combined with her own spiritual quest.
In 2003 she moved to India, where she was the first western woman to be accepted at the Norbulingka Institute, where she learned thangka painting under mentorship of Tibetan masters for three years.
Tiffani is graduated in Visual Arts at the Dulcina de Moraes University in Brasília, Brazil, where she developed her foundational artistic skills and explored various mediums of expression. She also studied german language and graphic design in Munich from 200 to 2003. Years later, she attended the prestigious Prince’s School of Traditional Arts in London, where she further honed her skills and deepened her appreciation for sacred and traditional art forms, as sacred geometry and islamic art, furthering her research with art masters in Morroco and Turkey.
Short after she gave birth to her son in 2006, Tiffani enrolled in a commission for a remarkable project: painting large-scale murals at CEBB Viamão, a center for Buddhist studies founded by Lama Padma Samten - a project that took 5 years to complete. The murals, a vivid and intricate representation of Buddhist teachings, stands as a testament to her skill and dedication to sacred art. This monumental work further cemented her reputation as an artist capable of translating profound spiritual concepts into visual masterpieces.
Other important teachers along the way and who shaped the direction of all her work and depth, was the Chinese master Alok Hsu Kwang-han and the dancers Yumma Mudra and Michel Raji from Choreosophy University and Danza Duende Network.
In 2017 she founded the Atelier YabYum, a creative space where she combines the ancient tradition of thangka painting with contemporary artistic exploration. Her work often reflects themes of inner transformation, the divine feminine, and the interplay between light and shadow, resonating deeply with audiences worldwide. She loves teachings and co-creating with other artists and places and has spend many years dedicating for teaching in thangka, sacred geometry and the free style of the creative process combining conscious movement (presence and expression).
As an educator, Tiffani is committed to sharing the meditative and transformative power of art. Her teaching inspires students to delve into the spiritual dimensions of creativity, cultivating not only skill but also self-awareness and inner peace.
Through her academic achievements, global experiences, and impactful projects like the CEBB mural, Tiffani has become a beacon of inspiration in the realms of art and spirituality. She believes that art can transcend cultural boundaries, inspire compassion, and reveal the sacred in everyday life.
Today, Tiffani continues to paint, teach, and lead transformative journeys, blending the wisdom of her studies with the richness of her personal adventures. Her life and art stand as a celebration of the harmony between creativity, spirituality, and human connection.
She is the author of "Life and Thangka" available in Kindle format.
EXHIBITIONS
Her art has been exhibited in Brazil and the United States.
- May 2019, "DOMA", solo show at Galeria Indigo, Bragança, SP, Brazil.
- October 2015, "Sublime Worlds", duo show, Tibet House Gallery, New York, USA.
- August 2015, "Onde Anda a Onda", group exhibition at the National Museum, Brasilia, DF, Brazil.
- November 2014, "Mundos Suspensos", solo exhibition at Materia Plastica gallery, Brasilia, DF, Brazil.
- April 2014, "Inactu" group exhibition at the UNB gallery, Brasilia.
- Junho 2012, "Mystic Nostalgia", solo exhibition, Tibet House Gallery, New York, USA.
- February 2010, "ENTRElaçados", solo exhibition at Saiko, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
- December 2009, "Um Outro Olhar", group exhibition, Shopping Bourbon Country, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.