KATHMANDU, NEPAL-Becoming a master Thangka painter takes almost as long as qualifying as a surgeon.
Sara Enterprises’ Buddhist Thangka Centre trains artists and offers demonstrations of their craft to tourists just outside the religious site Boudhanath.
The largest Buddhist stupa in the country, believed to have been created around the sixth century, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its foundations survived the 2015 earthquake and aftershocks, but its spire, a centuries-old relic, was destroyed.
Close to being restored, the mesmerizing light and dark blue eyes between the white dome and golden spire are once again fixing upon and following visitors like the Mona Lisa.
At the Buddhist Thangka Centre on the circular walkway that surrounds the temple, Yonjn Soukhin explains his craft.
First, a Buddhist image is chosen. It will be replicated perfectly and used as a spiritual decoration, an instructional tool for students, or meeting point for meditation.
Next, the canvas is stretched across a bamboo frame and meticulously scrubbed free of any offending particles.
Soukhin lifts a coarse animal hide. This wild cat hair will form the brush tip.
The deep, rich colours of the Thangka are produced from minerals, mainly ground rocks and plant roots, which are used as the paint.
Intense blues are created from the lapis lazuli stone.
Canvas stretched, brush formed and minerals ground, it’s time to begin.
Kneeling on little mats on the floor, artists carefully select the correct colours and paint for six to eight hours each day.
In three months, the Thangka should be ready.
The process of perfecting the art and becoming a master, Soukhin says, takes 10 years.
Even my mother doesn’t have that kind of patience.
The final piece of the vibrant pattern’s creation, and one deciding factor in the Thangka’s value, is how much gold will be added to accentuate the fine features.
Depending on the age, design, materials used and size, a Thangka can cost from a handful of Nepali rupees to millions of dollars.
The most expensive is a 600-year-old, three-metre-tall piece. Billionaire Liu Yiqian bought it at an auction in 2014 for $45 million (U.S.)
At Soukhin’s Buddhist Thangka Centre, you won’t need to be a trained surgeon to afford the art.
David Bateman was hosted by World Expeditions, which did not approve or review this story.
David Bateman was hosted by World Expeditions, which did not approve or review this story.
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