Support Thangka Artists
Yushu Earthquake put thousands of children out of school, and most of them were not fortunate enough to reveice a free education. Some of them went for a career as Thangka artists instead.
Inheriting An Ancient Art Form
The Thangka art is a traditional Tibetan art form. It usually depicts deities in Tibetan Buddhism. To create a perfect Thangka, artists must have more than 10 years of systematic training. Viewers can see the artists' devotion to their religion reflected in these paintings.
The artist Tsang Mai has been offering help to children who were put out of school by the earthquake since 2010. He started training these children to become the next generation Thangka artists, and learning in his studio is totally free. Yushu Reborn is fortunate to partner with Mr. Tsang Mai's studio in facilitating the development of this ancient art form.
Artists
Tsang Mai
I am the founder of the Yushu Gahma Thangka Studio. I am a third-generation Thangka Artist, and I have been working with Thangkas for more than 30 years
Sannam
I have been learning Thangka for more than 10 years, and creating art just feels like the right thing for me.
Chiu'an
I am a student at the Thangka studio. I have hearing disabilities, and Thangka provided me a way to interact with this world.
The Process of Creating a Thangka
An Ancient Practice
Most pigments used to make the Thangkas are minerals and have to be ground up manually. After mixing the pigments with animal-based glue, the artists apply them over a pre-processed cotton canvas. A single Thangka can take up to months, or even years to finish, depending on the size and the level of detail.
