Contemporary Thangka Painting Masters from Tibet and Nepal

(catalogue from a Torana exhibition held during 2007: some items are still available,contact us for details)

detail of catalogue #4.

Introduction

This exhibition gathers together works by leading contemporary thangka artists from Tibet and Nepal, including works by living artists and three outstanding painters who are sadly no longer with us. Several of the painters are well-known, nevertheless their paintings are rarely seen in public, the finest work being reserved for important murals and commissions for private patrons.

The pictures are drawn from a personal collection, assembled over ten years. I hope this show will surprise, delight, and challenge perceptions of what thangka painting is about.

Chris Buckley/ Beijing, May 2007

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detail of catalogue #1.

Part I: Paintings in the Classical Nepalese Tradition

Nepalese artists, especially those from the Newari ethnic group, have long been Asia’s most noted and most prolific artists. Though the Newaris have their own version of Tantric Buddhist belief their main contribution to Himalayan art has been in commissions painted for Tibetan sects, especially the Sakya order. As professional artists, they were (and some still are) versatile in several different styles of painting.

Newari painters developed their own native painting style during the 10th-12th centuries. This style is characterized by rich mineral colors and amazing backgrounds filled with intricate floral scrolls, combined with figures with delicately painted, rounded features. Initially this style appeared on small-scale works such as book covers. During the 14th century they received commissions to paint works in this style on a much larger scale for Sakya patrons just over the Nepal-Tibet border. Their talents were employed to create some of the most remarkable works ever seen in Tibet, and their influence endures both in thangkas and in murals at Shalu and Gyantse.

After the 16th century changing tastes in Tibet led many Newari artists to adapt their styles to suit new patrons, thus Newaris painted Tibetan-style works for Tibetan patrons and also Indian-style works for local Hindu families. The classical Newari style suffered a slow decline and was virtually lost by the early 20th century. Its revival is due in the main to the efforts of a single Nepalese artist, Mukti Singh Thapa, in the 1970s and 1980s. Through contacts with western scholars he was encouraged to begin painting this style, and virtually single-handedly researched both the necessary iconography and the classical style. Subsequently a number of painters who passed through his studio also learned this technique, though it remains very much a minority style in its country of origin.

Classical Newari painting uses pure mineral colors, which traditionally are not mixed or blended. Color shading is achieved by delicate transparent washes, which are layered on top of the mineral colors. The technique is very demanding both in terms of the time taken to prepare the materials and paint, and also on the painter’s technique and concentration. Large works with a great deal of detail can take a year or more, so economic considerations limit the number of truly outstanding works that are painted in this style today.

1. Kalachakra-Vishvamata by Mukti Singh Thapa

Mineral pigments. 2004. 72x54cm

Mukti, as mentioned in the introduction, is credited with the re-invention of the classical style in its modern form, and he is arguably Nepal’s most knowledgeable painter in terms of iconography. He is a master of balanced, harmonious compositions and his rendering of the complex forms in this painting, with their many arms, implements, jewels and crowns is perhaps as near to perfect as it is possible to achieve. In this respect Mukti’s work surpasses most historical paintings.

The pairing of Kalachakra and Vishvamata is the embodiment of the Kalachakra tantra, a body of teachings and meditations that are central to the teachings of the Gelug sect in Tibet. The Kalachakra initiation is famous because it is given publicly by the Dalai Lama at an annual event. The rendering in this painting is distinctively Nepalese however, for example the multicolored textile and sashes hanging at the top of the painting, a feature that is not usually seen in works painted for Tibetan patrons.

The central couple trample on two Hindu deities, and around them are several more Tantric gods, including Hevajra, Chakrasamvara and Guhyasamaja. The background consists of stylized flames.

2. Chakrasamvara - Vajravarahi by Shantosh

Mineral pigments. 2004. 76x70cm

This pairing is one of the most important meditational couplings in Tantric Buddhism, studied by Newari Buddhists as well as Tibetans from both the Sakya and Gelug orders. Many Nepalese Buddhist temples contain images of this pair at their heart, though generally these are (in Nepal, at least) only seen by the shrine priest himself.

This complex pairing has an intricate iconography: the implements held by the pair, for example the skull bowl and cup held in front, symbolize the destruction of the ego and its replacement with enlightened perception. The elephant skin that is draped over the gods symbolizes the conquest of ignorance. Each implement have a specific meaning related to the severing of attachments to worldly things and progress towards full enlightenment.

Such complex images were originally intended as adjuncts to meditation, to be studied and visualized in all their detail alongside the Tantric texts. For all but the most studious however, the mere sight of such an image might be the closest practicable approach to the teachings.

There are 108 separate figures in this painting, which took the artist took nine months to complete.

3. Raktayamari Mandala by Shantosh

Mineral pigments. 2004. 61x51cm

Shantosh is one of Mukti Singh’s former pupils, and his style is quite close to that of his teacher, though with some differences. This mandala displays the Nepalese mandala style developed for Sakya patrons in Tibet, with every inch filled with dense and detailed scrollwork and subsidiary figures. The mandala palace consists of a central enclosure with square walls that is built upon the foundations of a crossed dorje (vajra) representing enlightenment. The pointed arms of the crossed dorje can be seen arcing out beyond the four gates of the palace, appearing from the mouths of mythical beasts called makaras. Beyond the palace there are three rings consisting of lotus petals, dorjes and a ring of multicolored fire. This last zone represents the cremation grounds where Tantric sages meditated on the impermanence of life and formulated the Buddhist Tantric texts (Tantras).

Raktayamari is the red form of Yamantaka, the Conqueror of the Lord of Death. He is represented at the center, in union with his consort. Around him is his retinue of gods and minor figures, including four more manifestations of himself and his consort at the cardinal points. At the bottom left there is a monk making offerings to Raktayamari, with a group of protector gods, while at the top there are Indian sages and a series of monks and teachers.

4. Green Tara by Gyan Bhakta Lama

Mineral pigments. 1999. 68x56cm

Gyan Bhakta is another of Mukti’s pupils. His works have appeared in galleries in the United States as well as in Nepal.

This painting is based upon a famous image of Tara in the Cleveland Museum, though this work is considerably larger than the original. The style of the work is unique, since it combines a typically Newari style central figure with sweet, rounded features, with an architectural enclosure surrounded by trees and vegetation, a feature that is best known from Indian manuscript illustration from the 11th-13th centuries. The sophistication of the work and its delicate forms has led some to suggest that the original painting was by Anige, the famous Nepalese artist who was eventually called to Beijing, where he produced painting and sculpture for the Yuan emperor and had a lasting impact on Chinese sculptural style.

Tara is a Bodhisattva who is particularly popular in Tibet. She was the guiding deity of Atisha, one of the founding figures of Tibetan Buddhism, and she is still popular today, overcoming both spiritual and mundane obstacles. She protects travelers, for example, from the hazards of long journeys. She sits on a lotus throne and makes the gesture of giving with her right hand.

5. Amoghasiddi by Navin Ratnadhakwa

Mineral pigments. 2007. 74x60cm

(not for sale)

Navin is blessed with outstanding technique and a very “transparent” painting style. He paints slowly, producing masterpieces such as this at the rate of 2-3 per year. Faced with an image of such flawlessness it is difficult to grasp the dedication that is required to produce work at this level.

Amoghasiddhi is one of the five Transcendental Buddhas, sometimes called the Five Tathagatas (which simply means Five Enlightened Ones). The five represent the conquest of negative emotions and their transformation into positive, enlightened qualities, in this case the transformation of envy and desire.

Navin’s composition is based on a famous image of Amoghasiddhi from the 13th century. The original painting followed a layout based on Indian painting tradition, with registers of attendant figures above the massive central figure of Amoghasiddhi. To his left and right are the standing figures of the Bodhisattvas Maitreya and Avalokitesvara. Below there is a row of forms of the Bodhisattva Tara, and at the far right a consecrating monk making offerings to Amoghasiddhi. In Navin’s rendering he has followed a classical Indian layout, but he has adapted the figures, particularly the facial features, to Newari style, with a softer and sweeter effect overall. Navin’s control of washes and tones is remarkable, producing an image of freshness and vitality.

detail of catalogue #6: Tsongkhapa

Part II: Paintings in the Central Tibetan Style

When Buddhism became established in Tibet, during the period of the 10th-12th centuries, there was little indigenous tradition of painting to draw upon, so artists from India and Nepal were commissioned to paint many of the first murals and thangkas used by Tibetan Buddhists. Over time these styles were adopted and copied successfully by native Tibetan artists. Until the 15th century native Tibetan painting styles still owed a great deal to their Indian and Nepalese progenitors, but from the 15th century Tibetan artists increasingly developed their own styles.

One important trend was the replacement of abstract backgrounds in Indian and Nepalese works with landscape backgrounds, as well as the development of the distinctive Tibetan style of rendering figures. Landscape features such as blue-green rocks and green hills were borrowed from Chinese painting tradition, but the elements were assembled in a different and characteristically Tibetan manner. There are similarities in the treatment of figures and drapery with Chinese Buddhist painting, for example the 15th century murals at Fahai Si (Fahai temple) near Beijing are an interesting source of comparisons with Tibetan art from the 15th-17th centuries.

This new Tibetan style developed many variants, including painting schools in Eastern Tibet (Repkong, Karma Gadri) and central Tibet. The central Tibetan style is characterized by rich, saturated coloring, especially reds, oranges and gold on a dark green background.

6. Tsongkhapa: His Life and Deeds (unknown artist, painted around 1700)

Mineral pigments. 84x50cm

Tsongkhapa (1357-1419) was a religious reformer who transformed the old Kadam order into the modern Gelug order, now the most important sect in Tibet. His teachings initiated a religious revival in Tibet, which led to the greatest period of temple building and indirectly to a renaissance in painting and other arts during the 16th-18th centuries, that includes this work.

The style of this painting is representative of the mature phase of central Tibetan painting. Despite the presence of landscape features in works such as this, Tibetan paintings are (in the main) not painted from life but instead are landscapes of the mind, representing spiritual and historical rather than geographical information. Figures are rendered on scales related to their importance and relationships, rather than according to rules of perspective. This is a deliberate rather than a naïve choice.

Tsongkhapa is shown at the center, making the gesture of teaching with his hands. To his right and left are the sword and book, emblems of Manjushri, the Bodhisattva who was his principal guiding deity. Below his throne are a group of adoring monks making offerings of texts and food. In front of Tsongkhapa there is the wrathful protector Mahakala in his six-armed form, and below him a smaller figure of Yama, the Lord of Death. Both are important protectors for the Gelug sect. The remainder of the painting is taken up with scenes from Tsongkhapa’s early life, showing him as a young boy receiving teachings from various lamas of the Kadam order.

7. Vajrasattva by Tseden Namgyal (b 1960)

Mineral pigments and gold. 2005. 43x33cm

Tseden Namgyal is one of Lhasa’s best known contemporary thangka painters. He has received a considerable degree of official recognition in recent years with shows in the United States as well as China and his works have appeared in numerous publications, most recently in an eight-page article in “Tibet” magazine. He has outstanding mastery of the form, which is particularly clear in the perfectly proportioned faces of his figures. One of his specialties is finely worked gilding, using a variety of techniques to produce contrasting finishes using gold foil and gold paint, as in this small painting.

The subject of this painting is Vajrasattva, who is an important god in Tantric Buddhism who stands at the head of one of the “clans” of Buddhas (that of Aksobhya). He is often portrayed at the top of thangka paintings of Buddhas and other figures from this group, where he is regarded as the originating deity who manifests the other forms.

Vajrasattva holds the bell (drilbu) and thunderbolt (dorje), the two symbols together representing the union of wisdom and compassion. He sits on a lotus throne, surrounded by peonies and precious offerings.

Part III: The Repkong School of Painting (Amdo)

Repkong (Tongren in Chinese) is situated in modern-day Qinghai province. This is part of the Amdo region, at the eastern edge of the Tibetan plateau. This is a relatively prosperous region of grasslands and green valleys. Culturally it is one of the most diverse parts of Tibet, with ethnic Tibetan groups mingling with Mongolian and Han Chinese peoples. Repkong artists were thus uniquely placed to absorb styles from neighbouring regions into their art.

The history and development of the Amdo painting schools are not well understood, since very few paintings from pre-Cultural Revolution times have survived in the area. Fragmentary murals, dating perhaps to the mid 1800s photographed at Gomar gompa in 2001 (see below) and give some idea of the earlier tradition of mural painting. These murals show similar features to recent paintings by Repkong masters. Some key features of the style are:

• a strong, flowing line delineating the main features of the painting
• a preference for pastel color schemes
• gilded detailing and gorgeous, overlapping textiles in the clothing of the main figures
• highly elaborated nimbuses, toranas and clouds used to emphasize and separate the principal figures from their backgrounds
• tightly curled flames at the bases of the halos of wrathful gods

These features can also be seen in older thangka paintings from the Amdo region. Not all features are present in all works, but a strong sense of regional style emerges from viewing a body of work.

the late Shawo Tsering, master painter from Repkong

In recent years there has been a revival in the fortunes of the Repkong painting schools, and many younger painters are now training in the art. The results have been variable in quality however, with a tendency to produce works crowded with excessive detail, sometimes at the expense of overall quality and composition. This is a pity since master painters of the older generation such as Shawo Tsering (pictured above) were renowned for their ability to place figures within an idealized but coherent landscape. The works we have chosen for this show demonstrate mastery of composition as well as detailing.

The five works presented in this exhibition consist of three by older painters, who represent a vital link with the earlier tradition, plus two by younger painters who illustrate the way the thangka painting tradition is evolving.

Identifying and naming painters from this region presents some difficulties. Chinese, Tibetan and Sino-Tibetan names are used interchangeably, and the Tibetan pronunciations differ from “Standard Tibetan” as spoken in central Tibet. Names quoted here are those given to us by the painters or their associates. There may be differences with published names given elsewhere (see note 1).

8. King Gesar, by Shawo Tsering (1922-2004)

Painted around 1998. Two seals and signature of the artist on the reverse. 78x54cm.

Shawo Tsering, from Wutun (Sengeshong) village, was the leading figure of Repkong’s older generation of painters. His talents were recognized early: he was one of five painters who were selected to work with Zhang Daqian during 1942-43, copying Tang dynasty murals at Dunhuang (Fraser, 2005). He was awarded the title of “Master Painter” by the Beijing government in 1988. In common with other thangka painters he did not sign his earlier work, but in later years his fame was such that he was persuaded to make artists seals and to sign his paintings. In typically Tibetan fashion however he applied these to the reverse of the painting, rather than the front (see the title page of this catalogue).

King Gesar is a legendary figure in Tibetan mythology, his life and deeds celebrated in song and verse. This representation of the king is identical to that of a popular local protector god, Ma Chen. The worship of Ma Chen and his cohort of local protectors lies outside the mainstream Buddhist practice however and is frowned upon in some quarters. It is interesting to compare this painting with the next, which was explicitly described by the artist as “Ma Chen”.

76x54cm. Painted around 1995.

Kunzang was another member of the older generation of Repkong painters. The composition of this painting, which is bold and uncluttered, is untypical of Repkong paintings, which are often crowded with figures. Nevertheless, the rendering of the landscape and clouds around the central figure are pure Repkong style, as are Ma Chen’s finely drawn facial features and the rich costume that he wears. Above all, the palette of subtle pastel shades is a distinctive Repkong feature that sets this painting apart from styles in other regions of Tibet.

Ma Chen is the principal protector of this region, amongst a group of seven protectors who are worshipped in the Repkong area. Each protector is considered to reside on a different mountain peak. In many parts of Tibet the protectors have been assimilated into mainstream Buddhist worship as honorary “dharmapala” (protectors of the faith), but the Repkong area is unusual in that protector worship has remained outside the established order, being worshipped in separate shrines and with separate rituals.

10. Hayagriva (Tib: Tamdrin) by Wan De Jian Cuo (d late 1990s)

76x54cm. Painted around 1995

Like Kunzang, Wan De Jian Cuo (Wangdu Gyaltsen?) was an older painter who passed away in the late 1990s. His painting is also an important link with the traditional Repkong style.

This painting, aside from being superbly executed and crackling with energy, shows several features that are characteristic of the Repkong rendering of wrathful gods. The rendering of Tamdrin’s faces, with their tightly wrinkled noses and deep-set eye-sockets are classical Repkong features that can also be seen on mural paintings and earlier works from the region. The faces are so plastic that they sometimes resemble molded rubber rather than flesh. A second Repkong characteristic is the vast flaming halo that isolates Tamdrin from the peaceful background around him. Flaming halos can be found around wrathful gods from all painting traditions, but those from Repkong are especially dominant in painting composition.

Tamdrin is an important protector god in Tibetan Buddhism. He is found in temples from all of the orders, but is especially important to the Nyingma order that has many temples in this region. His defining characteristics are the small green horse heads that can be seen amidst the wild locks of his hair, either a single horse head or a group of three as in the form with three wrathful heads in this painting.

11. Two Luohans by Sonam Gyatso (Suo Nan)

1999. 53x79cm

Sonam Gyatso, a close collaborator of Shawo Tsering, was described by Shawo Tsering when I met him in 2001 as his “adopted son”. According to Sarah Fraser: “Shawo Tsering’s two sons are Gendun Dargay (Gendeng Daji) and Suo Nan. The former is his blood son; in order for Dargay to take monastic vows and enter the village temple a second son, a relative, was adopted in order to have one ‘son’ outside of the monastic order”(Fraser, 2005). He worked with Shawo Tsering over an extended period, and the influence of Shawo Tsering on his style can be seen in this work. Clear differences exist however: Sonam’s tightly curled clouds for example are quite distinct from the looser, rounded shapes favored by his teacher.

The Luohans (Arhats) are a group of figures who lived in ancient India. They achieved enlightenment but stopped short of passing away from the earthly realm into lands beyond, preferring to live as hermits in this world. They are found both in Tibetan Tantric Buddhism and Chinese Mahayana Buddhism as a group of 16, 18 or 108 figures.

12. The Buddha Sakyamuni by Lobsang Gelak

2000. 81x50cm

This well-drawn thangka is an example of the contemporary directions being taken by younger painters working within the Repkong tradition. Many classical elements are present in this painting: the billowing blue and green clouds are typical Repkong features, as are the green hills, water and style of figure-drawing. However the artist has made use of modern synthetic colors to achieve effects that were not possible until recent years. The torana around the central deity is truly a remarkable achievement: a riot of color and energy that nevertheless follows the standard sequence of animals and minor gods, including elephant, snow lion, vyala, dakinis, makaras and garuda at the summit. The whole is constructed with care and delicate shading.

The subject is a timeless Buddhist theme: the Buddha of the present age, touching the ground and “calling the earth to witness” his deeds and final achievement of enlightenment. The two monks carrying begging bowls and staffs standing in front of his lotus throne are Sakyamuni’s principle disciples, Shariputra and Maudgalyana. Each of the disciples is enveloped by a colored nimbus with radiating rainbow stripes.

Notes

1) The difficulties in providing consistent names for Repkong painters are illustrated by the names given to the late Shawo Tsering. Alternative versions given in published works include:

Shawo Tserang

Shabo Tsering

Xia Wu Cai Rang 夏吾才让

Xiao Wu Ge Lang 小乌格郎

Spellings of Tibetan names in particular vary greatly depending on whether the author follows standard Lhasa transliteration or local dialect sounds.

References

Fraser, Sarah E: Shawo Tsering, Zhang Daqian and Sino-Tibetan Cultural Exchange, 1941-43, Northwestern University, 2005 (online article at www.wcas.northwestern.edu/arthistory/news/index.htm)

Linrothe, Rob: Stretched on a Frame of Boundless Thought: Contemporary Religious Painting in Rebgong by Rob Linrothe, Orientations, April 2002, 48-56.