Yamguen was born into a family that valued tradition, and they initially refused to accept his choice to become an artist. From childhood, he was attracted to the way in which artists interpreted their own realities in their works, and has said that "being an artist is a way of existing in the world and is closely associated with spirituality". He started painting at the age of 17 and became a professional artist by the late 1980s after refusing to enter the monastery. Afterwards, his family supported his artistic pursuits.
