Preserving Tibetan Art Beyond tlie Land of Snows
by Kalsang and Kim Yeshi
nder circumstances of extreme duress, functory versions, using cheaper, ready-made artistic culture suffers greatly as survival materials. For the first 20 years after fleeing Tibet, U. becomes peoples most pressing priority refugee artists were likely to give up their trade for The disruptive events of the 20th century in Tibet more lucrative occupations or to work on their destroyed much of the nation's cultural wealth own for very little. The students they trained accumulated over 12 centuries. More than the lacked the vision or courage to set themselves up physical expressions of this great civilization were on their own once they had completed their destroyed, for the upheavals that shook Tibet instruction, and often resorted to working in from 1949 to 1978 also eliminated many of the restaurants or peddling sweaters on the streets of heirs and practitioners of the great artistic tradi Madras, Delhi, or Bombay And the few artists tions, as well as their supporting institutions. who resettled in the West had little opportunity to Monasteries had long supported the arts in develop their skills. Tibet. Additionally, since the 18th century the By the late 1980s, when conditions for Tibetan traditions of thangka (religious scroll paintings), refugees had become more stable, new efforts applique thangka, statue making, and woodcarv were undertaken to provide support for artists. ing were organized into guilds, whose members Experience had shown that mere training was not were highly respected within Tibetan society After sufficient; artists required a healthy context in the guilds were forced to disband in 1959, little which to work, proper remuneration had to be could be done within Tibet to ensure the future of given, and the craft masters had to command the traditions they had represented. public respect. In the refugee communities Tibetans first faced Since 1988, the Norbulingka Institute in an urgent struggle for survival. After safety and a Dharamsala has sought to reverse the early down modest degree of stability were achieved, efforts ward trend, recognizing the dangers that the were initiated within the Tibetan community to decrease in quality posed for cultural survival. ensure the preservation of their artistic culture. The institute began as a center to train artists in Training highly skilled artists proved to be unfea statue making, thangka painting and applique, sible because Tibetans at that time did not have and woodcarving. The institute building itself was the means to commission work from them. Many intended to inspire the artists who worked and of the refugees accepted the artwork they could trained within it. It combines modern and tradi afford, despite its lower quality, and gradually the tional Tibetan architecture with a design based on public's appreciation of fine work declined. the iconographic outline of Avalokiteshvara Artistic creations that would normally have taken ( Chenrezig in Tibetan) - the Buddha of compas months to complete were replaced with more per- sion, the patron deity of Tibet - and has pools,
54 lush gardens, and a breathtaking view of the whatever time is required to produce the exquisite Dhauladhar mountain range of the Western religious statues, thangkas, carved furniture, and Himalayas. so on that have so distinguished Tibet's unique The system of training at Norbulingka is based artistic tradition in the past. on that which prevailed in pre-1959 Tibet. In order for an artistic tradition to survive, it Apprentices work under the guidance of their sen must be viable and self-sufficient. It must be ior and junior masters in six- to twelve-year train appreciated and supported by people belonging ing courses. The apprentices receive food, lodging, to the culture in which it originated. These are the and a basic stipend which increases in proportion tasks that the N orbulingka Institute has set for to their participation in the work undertaken by itself. The first step was to obtain funds to build the master and his senior apprentices. By the time adequate workshops for the artists. The next trainees complete the course, they have the option was to ensure that the masters felt comfortable of leaving and establishing themselves, working teaching their apprentices the way they had been for other patrons, or simply rising to the rank of trained themselves, specifically that they did not "worker" or "junior master" and continuing to feel under any pressure to take shortcuts. The serve at Norbulingka itself. The intention has been third and most challenging task was to accustom to set up a supportive, free environment so that the local public- Indians, Tibetans, and tourists artists may concentrate on their work and take alike - to fine quality and to raise their standards of appreciation. The masters set the cost of their products based on the use of the best materials, and resulting orders showed that there was indeed an audience for quality products. Norbulingka is confident that the Tibetan public have not forgotten the meaning of quality and that they sufficiently appreciate their past to support the efforts of their artists. Presently, three-quarters of
Kalsang Ladoe measures the height of an unfinished Buddha statue in Dharamsala, India. Photo © Sonam Zoksang 55 all orders at Norbulingka originate from the THANGKA PAINTING Tibetan community Revenue generated from this Thangha painters train for six years. Depending work allows the institute to pay adequate salaries on their ability they will begin to participate in the and offer a range of benefits sufficiently attractive work of the studio within two to three years after that most N orbulingka trainees wish to remain to having studied the proportional grids of all the complete their apprenticeship. classes of deities in the Tibetan Buddhist pan theon. The Norbulingka studio receives numerous TRAINING AT NORBULINGKA orders which are executed by the masters and the STATUE MAKING more advanced apprentices. Apprentices may It takes 12 years to train a statue maker. The work on sections of thanghas corresponding to master seeks young, bright apprentices ideally no their ability Some thanghas are commissioned and more than 13 or 14 years old. They are first have to be created from scratch; the master has to taught to draw and then begin to interpret their do the preparatory research specific to the subject drawings in copper, hammered into wax. Only portrayed in the thangha by consulting ancient when they have mastered this technique will they religious texts and the masters of the particular move on to participate in the work of the studio. spiritual lineage. Thus, as was done in European In their eighth or ninth year, they begin to make Renaissance studios, a number of painters may statues of deities, after they have studied all the contribute to a thangha working at different levels, proportional iconographic grids particular to each with the master supervising the project and con one. These works, made from copper plates that tributing the final touches. are later gilded and assembled, can measure up to On completing a six-year apprenticeship, the 20ft. and involve a team of artists working newly qualified painter may be able to paint a together. Though a fully trained artist may be able thangha from start to finish, but he may still not to complete the work on a small metal-cast statue be able to accomplish the research required for by himself, only a team can tackle the unique special commissions. This is a skill acquired with requirements of larger works. At present, the further experience. So far, most of the Norbulingka studio, working under the highly Norbulingka graduates have opted to remain in qualified master and Festival participant, Pemba the studio taking on increasingly challenging tasks Dorjee, is the only team doing such work. and training new students themselves.
Left: Choe Puntsok, the senior instructor at Norbulingka Institute, who is participat ing in the Folklife Festival, demonstrates techniques of woodcarving. Photo by Jamphel Lhundup
Opposite page: A young Tibetan trains in drawing the strict iconographic forms of the Buddhist deities of traditional thangka paintings. Photo by Jamphel Lhundup WOODCARVING Suggested Reading A woodcarver's training also takes six years and Beer, Robert. 1999. The Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbols like the painters' and statue-makers' course begins and Motifs. New York: Shambhala. Jackson, David & Janice. 1988. Tibetan Thangka with drawing. The next task is to create a set of Painting: Methods and Materials. New York: tools and to begin to carve. Talented trainees may Snow Lion. be able to participate in the work of the studio Norbulingka Institute
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