Thangka painter Bönkyab Rokaya from Dolpo (Nepal) is seen by many as the leading painter in the contemporary Bön tradition. He was born in Dolpo and studied the Bön religion and thangka painting under various masters in Nepal and India. Bönkyab is currently about 47 years old. He directs a flourishing painting studio with master classes; in particular, he teaches the Tibetan Bön tradition of painting as it has been passed down from generations in Dolpo and Mustang. Bönkyab studied the Bön religion under his uncle Parlä Rinpoche. After completing a three-year retreat when he was 17 years old, he began to paint thangkas under the supervision of his uncle Parlä Rinpoche and other masters.

Afterwards, he completed another three-year program of study of painting in Dolpo (Nepal), at Menri Monastery in Dolanji (India) and in Ladakh. He then founded a studio for Tibetan painting in Kathmandu. In addition to his commissioned painting, he offers courses and apprenticeships on thangka painting. Currently, his studio has 15 members, including five girls.