My name is Pema, and I am a Tibetan-American artist. I was born in Nepal, and immigrated to the US as a child. I graduated with honors from Rutgers University in 2013 with a degree in engineering and double major in sociology. Afterwards, I worked in education and software, where I won several awards as a Product Manager. In June of 2023, I began sculpting, and it changed my life. Since then, I have been pursuing sculpture full-time at the Art Students League. My work has won “Best in Show” and an “Honorable Mention” at the annual student salons. And I recently won the McDowell Travel Grant, the largest grant offered for sculpture students. While I spent my first year of sculpting focused on building my technical skills, I am now keen on developing my artistic taste, putting my skills to practice, and learning how to navigate a career in art.