Artists

We have come to be Thangka artists through different paths. Some of us have had a desire since birth to be an artist, some have followed our parents into the tradition of Thangka painting, while others have chosen this path as a profession to earn our living with.

The main artists are highlighted on this page. Please see our New Student Artists section out more about our Thangka students that we help to support.

We have come together through the efforts of the Dharmadhatu Foundation in Boudha, Kathmandu, Nepal. It is here where we continue to paint our thangkas and study our craft. The foundation provides classes and support for us and our children so that we can continue to learn and grow within our passion and trade.

Prakash Lama

Prakash Lama comes from a farming family in the Tarai region in southern Nepal. He is the third of five children in his family. At the age of 15, Prakash's father left the family. Traditionally in asian cultures, the eldest son is responsible for taking care of the family when a situation such as this occurs. As Prakash's eldest brother did not take on this responsibility, Prakash left school at the age of 15 to take on this role. He spent the next two years in the small farm that they owned, helping his mum to grow food for the family. They received no love and care from their father from as early as their childhood.

In the 1980's, with the booming business of Tibetan Arts such as Thangka painting and Carpet weaving, a large number of young tamang people from different parts of Nepal were drawn to work in the factories & workshops. Prakash was no exception, eagerly pursuing his apprenticeship as a Thangka Painter. He began learning the basics of Thangka coloring at his home with one of his elder cousins, eventually coming to Katmandu in search of a job. Katmandu wasn't like it is today. There weren't many commercial houses to rent out for the people coming from outside the valley. He settled in Soyambhu with at least 6 people sharing a single room.

He joined the Dharmadhatu Foundation in 2000, receiving instruction in Buddhist iconography, traditional drawing methods of deities, and continues to take classes in Buddhist study, Thangka Painting, and Tibetan language.

Today Prakash holds the position of senior coordinator in the Foundation and guides other artists in their study and work.

Tsering Phuntsok

Tsering Phunstok was born on June 6, 1983 in Mustang, Nepal. His lineage of Dharma is Nyingma and his lineage of art tradition is Karma Gadri.

From as early as he can remember, Tsering dreamed of becoming an artist. When he was seven years old, he was admitted into one of the prestigious schools in Pokhara for Tibetan refugees, specializing in English and Tibetan studies. Having only the desire to paint, Tsering left school just after completing Grade seven and returned to his home in Mustang.

Tsering then came to live with his Aunt in Boudha, Katmandu. Knowing of his love to paint, she introduced him to the master Thangka teacher, Tenzin, and supported him through his studies. Tenzin now 39 was a student of one of the prestigious artists of Tibet, Lopsang Phuntson, who was a personal artist for His Holiness Panchen Rinpoche (Late Panchen Lama XI).

After completing three years of study, Tsering painted Je Tsongkhapa Rinpoche and continued with several thangkas of Buddha, Yidam, Dakinis and Dharmapalas for lay adherents of Buddhism and also for qualified Buddhist masters. He has also worked as a monastery painter, painting murals of Buddhist deities in his home village in Mustang, as well as in numerous monasteries in Katmandu, most recently in the Kopan Monastery. Today Tsering is working hard as a mural painter. When he has no job of such kind he sits back with his canvas, brushes and colors to create his masterpieces. He sells his thangkas especially to Buddhist practitioners.

Tsering is married to Yangzin, a woman from the same village in Mustang and has a 2 daughters. As an only son, Tsering now 25, is responsible for the support of his parents as well as his wife and daughters.

The Katmandu market is saturated with fake commercial Thangkas made for tourists, thus degrading the quality and meaning of Thangkas. Tsering teaches traditional Tibetan Thangka painting to both commercial artists and other new learners of traditional art to ensure that the correct tradition of thangka creation is handed down. He is teaching at the Dharmadhatu Foundation.

Buddha Ram Lama

I was born in small village of the Tarai (Southern Plain) region of Nepal in the year 1982. I studied school in my village and passed S. L. C. (grade 10) in the year 1998 and came to Kathmandu for a college education. I began to paint thangkas as soon as I arrived in Kathmandu under the guidance of my elder brother Prakash, as it was the only accessible work for me.

I have been associated with Dharmadhatu Foundation since its establishment two years ago. Now I am working here as artist and student of both Buddhism and Buddhist art.

Muna Moktan

When I was fifteen, my uncle who is a thangka painter agreed to teach me as I did not want to stay in school, but I wanted to learn a craft. He was trained by another person in the village, but even this was unusual. There are not many thangka painters typically in villages. I only knew two things about thangkas then. I knew, one, that this was something they call a thangka. And two, that it belongs to Buddhist stuff. We were a Buddhist community, yes, but that is not how we thought of it then. It was just part of life. I had thought sometimes of being a nun, when I saw nothing else for me to do, so because of this interest I had, my uncle took me around to ceremonies, and I began to learn a little about Buddhism.

When I was seventeen, I decided to leave my village, Makawapur to come to Kathmandu. I am the first girl to leave my village and the first girl from my village to paint thangkas. I found a job in a thangka workshop. I was the only woman among 6 men. I was told that for a woman to be painting thangkas is a bad thing, that it will bring her bad merit. But each year I see the number of women thangka artists increasing, so now I know that this is not true.

Now, I am twenty, and I live with five other women. All Tamang women, all thangka artists. I am helping other girls with transition from village to city; I am setting them up, and finding workshops that I know will not mistreat them, finding them places to stay. I check in on them and know that they are okay. And their parents are proud; they say our girls are better than our boys! They are bringing us money and taking care of us. So I, too, am happy and proud. My goal is to help other women thangka artists. If I work hard, I am helping to make it easier for others. This is just the start. This is only the beginning.

Serap Lama

I am Serap Lama. I come from a very remote northern mountain region of Nepal. I haven't got chance to study much in the village due to the lack of school in my village. I came to Dharmadhatu Foundation two years ago. I was admitted to school but I refused to study because I decided to study Buddhism and Buddhist art of thangka painting. Now I am able to do some part of the painting work in a painting, specially shading works which is very intricate and difficult to learn. In future I would like to be good artist and also practitioner of Buddha dharma.