The first image

Buddha Sakyamuni was born in India in the 5th Century BC. The first image of Buddha was created when artists tried to draw his portrait. Dazzled by Buddhs'a radiance, the artists were only able to draw his image from gazing at his reflection in a nearby pool. This image, known as chu len ma or the image taken from water, provided the blueprint for all future images of the Buddha. The precise proportions of all images are taught through the iconometric grids which allow artists to choose which unit of measurement to use but keep within the proportions set out in the grids and learnt to be drawn accurately by heart. Each deity type has a different grid.

Buddhism and its art spread throughout Asia, coming to Tibet in the 7th Century AD, where the art developed into the thangka painting tradition of today.

Early influences came from the Indian and Nepali styles and from Chinese styles in eastern Tibet. Many schools of painting developed although there are only three main ones today, Menri, New Menri and Karma Gadri. The thangkas you see on this site are from the Menri (the oldest) tradition.

Thangka painting is passed down through the generations with long apprenticeships to master artists, ensuring both the continuity of the spiritual lineage and the authenticity of the art work. There have been many great painters, depicted here is one of our teachers: Venerable Sengye Yeshe, thangka master for Library of Tibetan Works and Archives.

Over 1300 years later, the contemporary thangka painting tradition is still alive and many new generation tibetans choose this as a profession still. There is also a steady growth in the development of modern contemporary art of tibet, in particular by artist in Tibet and exile, noteably Gongkar Gyatso in the UK, founder of the sweet tea house and mechak in the USA a collboration of 4 exile artists.

Ven Sengye Yeshe - my thangka master