Sponsor of Tibetan Jue'Nang Thangka Painters

 *All conversations published have gained the consent of speakers.

The art form Teacher Zhou has shown me the most is Jue’nang Thangka, Tibetan Buddhist paintings; the temple she sponsors supports many Tibetan monks and apprentices from all over China who train their techniques of painting Thangka every day. Zhou, who is very accomplished in modern painting, is also a master of this style. I interviewed her in the Thangka gallery of her temple.

I began with the most basic question, asking her to introduce the general concept of Thangka.

“In Tibetan culture, the development of Thangka art has been an important historical witness no matter what period it was,” Zhou smiled serenely, “Traditional Thangka is a unique painting form in Tibet. After thousands of years of historical inheritance, it absorbed and integrated artistic elements from various regional cultures such as China, Tibet, India, and Nepal. Thangka gradually developed into a style with great aesthetic value: its unique artistic expression of intricate and harmonized details has made many famous art museums collect Thangka works. Thangka itself has been recognized as a world Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.”

“Thangka is a splendid art form. What makes Jue'nang Thangka special?"

Zhou raised a hand to tuck her hair behind her ears gracefully. “There are many different schools of Thangka. The Jue’nang Thangka we just saw has become a unique sect with its long inheritance and excellent artistic aesthetics; Jue’nang is the region it came from. The five sects are located in Latse, Shigatse, and Tibet and are sacred places for Buddhist practitioners. Thangka paintings, Sanskrit music chanting, and Buddha statue sculptures flourish in all these places. Jue’nang Thangka combines the strengths of various schools. It has both the smooth and agile lines of the Karma Gazhi painting school in Kham and the vividness and unity of colors of the Miantang painting school in Uizang. Its delicate and precise image depictions, historical feeling, high-saturation colors, and decorous composition create Jue’nang’s unique artistic style and are exquisite treasures of art.”

Zhou, who is very familiar with the Jue’nang culture, has made pilgrimages to the sacred land several times. Perhaps witnessing the art inherited by pure-hearted Buddhist masters resonated with her innate desire to spread good in the world. She continued, “Jue’nang Thangka was born out of profound and extensive Buddhist thoughts, matured through continuous practice, and has accumulated a thousand-year history full of its practitioners’ freedom, harmony, and agility. Thangka pays attention to both the beauty of the art form and the calmness within the artist—we believe that the two cannot exist without each other in a Thangka. It is about the practitioners’ exploration of the truth of the mind, human life, time, and space... This is reflected in the scenes we choose to paint. Most think Thangka’s Buddhas are emotionless, but we see them as calm entities with much pity for the sorrows of human life. With the help of brushes and colors, the practice embodies the continuation of Buddhism’s core values, wisdom, and compassion. Painting Thangka leads out my pious heart.”

I yearned to touch the surface of one of the Thangka, glittering subtly. “What materials are used when painting Jue’nang Thangka?”

“Jue’nang Thangkas are generally made of natural mineral materials and plants, so the color doesn’t fade easily. That also makes it very hard to erase when a mistake is made—when that happens, the whole work is discarded. Therefore, the painting symbolizes the eternity we hope to pass on through the works but also requires the practice of the painter’s mind and hand. It takes a long time to complete each work. Generally speaking, each character in a painting has their own story, with different movements, appearances, and demeanors. They cannot be drawn completely in the same way, which is further a test for perseverance and calmness,” Zhou murmured. She stared at the nearly perfect lines in the works before me appreciatively.

“How does this relate to your Intangible Cultural Heritage work today?”

“Despite hosting apprentices all over the country, most of the works I see in the gallery now are from the children of the Chuanxi Institute. The Master Jiayang Lezhu made up his mind to teach the villagers and some unemployed children the same craft personally, often working hand in hand,” her eyes shined with great admiration, “Although life treated the apprentices harshly, each of them employed extraordinary seriousness and concentration to paint Thangka. They learned with such dedication that sometimes they went about painting without sleeping and eating for days, which fully embodies the pure and beautiful spirit conveyed by Thangka.”

I was deeply moved by the energy conveyed by those paintings. Realizing that an ancient craft could provide unemployed youths and adults with opportunities to learn excellent Intangible Cultural Heritage skills and become employed filled my heart with happiness. As Zhou said, “The teaching of painting skills is to inspire, explore, and verify life. Aesthetics is also a process of continuous comprehension. Regardless of the years passed, or the joys and sorrows felt, pouring one’s beliefs into their brush tip makes the product no longer only a painting, but a process of cultivating one’s mind.”