Interview with Thangka painter Yundrung Loyul
May 21, 2015
Translated from Tibet to Mandarin by Yang Bhum Tserling
Translated from Mandarin to English by Wuerxiya and Yue Quin
Field notes by Doug Blandy and Laurie Hicks
Drango (LuHuo)
Namka Gyal Museum and Namka Gyal’s studio and showroom
Namka Gyal (1610-1690) was a local 17th century thangka painter known as “Decorator of the Sky.”
YB: Refutes the following comment by LH in an email dated 7/8/15. Namka Gyal（1610-1690） is a very fomous Tangka painter , who drew a lot of Tangkas in his life. Tibetan tradition Namka Gyalpo and Namka Gyal are diffrent persons in Tibetan history,they are borned in differents time. Actually i can not find his biographical informaions not yet,but one authur collected his all Tangka works together and made a book named Namka Gyal, i send the picture of that book's below.Here is a interview about Tangka painter Namka Gyal,but in chinese and Tibetan.http://tb.kangbatv.com/KBTV2014_WSJM/KBTV2014_XB LT/201407/t20140709_1990575.html
LH: I wonder if we miss understood. If we break it down - Namka is a village in Tibet and Gyalpo are spirits – both good and bad. The only reference to Gyal, I’ve found is a name but not that of a painter in Sichuan Province. The closest I got was Sonthar Gyal, who is a well- known film maker whose father was a thangka painter but from Qinghai Province. Also, there is a Tibetan tradition, Namka Gyalpo, associated with the bodhisattva, Avalokiteshvara (has other names, such as Chenrezig in Tibetan and is usually represented as male but in China, Avalokiteshvara is often portrayed as female and referred to as Guayin). Avalokiteshvara is associated with compassion and is a key force in Mahyana sect. I looked it up and this is part of what I found.
“The origins of the Namka Gyalpo Tradition of Avalokiteshvara begin with the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo in the 7th century. The physical appearance of Avalokiteshvara in this tradition is different than the appearance of Avalokiteshvara in the Bhikshuni Shri tradition. Namka Gyalpo has five tiers of stacked heads. In the lowest tier are three horizontal white faces. Above that are three horizontal yellow faces. Above that are two wrathful red faces. Above that are two wrathful blue faces and finally a red face at the very top. The hand attributes are different for the secondary hands following the initial eight hands.” http://www.himalayanart.org
"Avalokiteshvara, Ekadashamukha Mandala (Tibetan: chen re zi, shal chu chig kyil khor. English: the Circle of the Eleven Faced Lord Gazing on the World): surrounded by the four great mundane gods of the world placed in the four corners.
At the center of the mandala is Avalokiteshvara, peaceful in appearance, with eleven faces rising upward in groups of three, the 10th is wrathful and the face at the top is that of the buddha Amitabha. Each face has two eyes and long black hair flows across the shoulders. With 8 hands the first pair at the heart hold a precious jewel. The three right hands extended to the side are in the mudra of generosity, holding a Dharma wheel and a crystal prayer bead mala. The three on the left hold a water flask, a bow and arrow and a lotus blossom. Each face is adorned with a crown and earrings. Necklaces and bracelets adorn the neck and limbs and the lower body is wrapped with a skirt. Having the two legs together he stands atop a lotus flower surrounded by a nimbus and a smaller aureola about the heads.
The bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara is the patron deity of Tibet and appears in a variety of forms both peaceful, wrathful and in large mandalas surrounded by numerous deities. As a universal symbol he embodies the compassion of all buddhas of the ten directions and three times. In the standing form with 11 faces he is closely associated with the famous bhikshuni (nun) of Kashmir, Lakshmi (Tib.: Ani Palmo), who popularized a meditation practice incorporating a 2 day purification and fasting ritual. However in a large mandala with many deities such as this it was the Acharya Nagarjuna that was responsible for its introduction into Indian Buddhism. Lord Atisha, Rinchen Zangpo and others popularized this practice throughout Tibet.
History: At one time the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara made a promise that should he give rise to thoughts of self benefit may the head break into 10 pieces and the body into 1000. After continuously witnessing the misery of beings in various states of existence, discouraged, he gave rise to thoughts of seeking only his own happiness. At that very instant the head and body shattered. Calling out to Amitabha, the buddha came forth and spoke words of encouragement. Gathering up the 10 pieces of the head Amitabha constructed 10 faces - representing the 10 perfections. Gathering the 1000 pieces of the body he constructed another with 1000 hands each with an eye on the palm - representing the 1000 buddhas of the Golden Aeon. Finally he placed a duplicate of his own head at the crown - illuminating the entire threefold universe. "
Jeff Watt 4-2001 http://www.himalayanart.org/items/16)
I looked at other references as well but it was all similar.
Nineteen generations of students have followed him including Namka Gyal who is of the 19th generation.
Namka Gyal has a thangka in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC. Cannot find any reference to this on the Met collection website. We will need to verify before saying it publically.
Thangka has been identified as part of the intangible cultural heritage at the provincial level
The museum contained copies of 31 original paintings of the Buddha’s history by Namka Gyal. Twenty-nine of the original paintings are in a monastery but two were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. The copies were created by Yungdrung Loyul and other painters associated with his company, Horpukdrup Namka Gyal Tangkha. The copies were created 5-6 years ago.
Museum also contains copies of Namka Gyal eight disciples of the Buddha.
Yundrung Loyul’s first teacher was Bai Mai Tsering, a blood relation of Yungdrung Loyul.
Yundrung Loyul says you need a kind and pious heart to study thangka. Having a good heart contributes to beautiful thangka – “A good heart is necessary for painting the thangka.” He also spoke about the painting of thangka as a Buddhist practice, as part of his practice.
These qualities are reincarnated into the work
He knows that the materials are toxic, but he still use the tongue to moisten the pigment. He spoke about a “beautiful world reincarnated into a beautiful world” even though the paint is toxic.
Painting is meditation
Always a student because of complexity and complications of Tibetan culture. One person cannot know it all. He told us that it takes many people to paint a thangka, not just one.
Yundrung Loyulstarted as a student at 15 or 16. His father was an art teacher at a local school.
Yundrung Loyulalso works in a travel office
Horpukdrup Namka Gyal Tangkha is his company name
Recognized in 2008 by Chinese Folk Culture and Art Department
Yundrung Loyul follows tradition rules
2-3 months to complete a painting
Students come to him by fate and destiny. They must follow strict teachings and practice.
13-20 or more in age most student Tibetan, but he welcomes anyone thangka painting requires knowledge of Tibetan Buddhist culture and following principles of moral life. It is a process of preserving culture.
Students pay 300 RMB per month
Size of paintings not standard
LH: I have written down something about the paintings being 100cm by 70cm in size, but the numbers weren’t contextualized.
______did learn other Chinese and Western painting styles at Sichuan University he also indicated that he attended Southwestern College of Nationalities (Xīnán mínzú dàxué - Minzu Daxue in English). Both Universities are in Chengdu.
______and Bai Mai Tsering’s studio above company showroom
______students are prize winners
Princes for thangkas for sale in showroom ranged from 11,000-53,000 RMB with most ranging from 20,000 to 40, 000
Read the Thangka clockwise as Tibetan Buddhist, counter clockwise as Bon
Tserling says that as a student Yundrung Loyul was very clever and hardworking. He was also a good listener. Tserling’s approach to teaching is to first teach students to paint a sword, next feet followed by facial features leading to painting Tara. They used a workbook approach to learn each element.
Paintings are on cotton cloth stretched over hardboard all of which is stretched
Students go from no color to color
Six students were present – 5 men and 1 woman. All painting sitting on the floor. Studio had very good light.
Ideally study is from 5-6 years although some students leave after three. Some students work for Yundrung Loyul’s company others go elsewhere.
Yundrung Loyul introduced us to another group of students who he is teaching for free because they have single parents, have no parents or have a disability. 2 women and 3 men.
His purpose is to give them skills so that they can make a living.
Supporting resources: http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=5,4492,0,0,1,0#.VV2rEWRViko http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/epaper/2015-05/08/content_20656902.htm