FEATURE

Brush Strokes in Exile

By: Chukora Tsering Agloe
On 10 December 2006, Dharamsala, the quiet hilly resort of Kangra valley, the residence of the Dalai Lama woke up to witness an art exhibition organized by the Tibetan Artist Association, comprising largely of amateur painters at the Tibet Museum hall. The Kalon Tripa Prof Samthong Rinpoche cut the red ribbon and then the exhibition was thrown open for art lovers and admirers.

Of late few maverick artists, avant gardist of our community have come to introduce a new type of art in our exile community. They called their art as ‘Tibetan contemporary art’, but is it a beginning of new aestheticism or is exile provoking them to pour out their emotions in the form of new expressionism?

It may not sound blasphemous to state that in the past history of Tibet, the art’s sole vocation has been to serve the spiritual quest of our uniquely endowed ancestors. Very rarely did the art in the snow land capture and illustrate the sketches of mundane world. One of the biggest gifts of exile is its openness and test of adversity where art and literature thrive in unexpected corners of the world. The brush strokes in exile have just given a birth amidst chaos and the shifting sands of exile, amidst hopes and despairs of Sino-Tibetan monologues. At least art has reached and agreed upon some aesthetic dialogue and may be trilouges (coined), perhaps.
For long the Thangka paintings had defined and epitomized the art in the old Tibet. I would rather claim that hagiographical art of Tibet has a rich tradition but it acutely fell short of innovation and experimentation. For centuries, one same brush stroke has been passed down the generations of painters steeped in conventionality and rigidity, leaving them with little room for individual talent and the play of brush strokes.
The murals and Thangkas in stupas and monasteries enveloped us in an air of spiritual reflection on life but not so much of aesthetics and delightful indulgence of brush strokes as far as painters are concerned. In this background, the recent art exhibition organized by four young Tibetan contemporary artists at the Tibet Museum hall breathed a new lease of life for art lovers in general and critics in particular.

Last year, a similar art exhibition was held at the same venue. It was an attempt to introduce what artists themselves call a ‘contemporary Tibetan art’ to the general public. This time there is more response from the public much to the delight of painters and critics.

Nowadays more and more artists embrace art and at the same time interest amongst general public is on the rise. Years back, I heard a name of one modern artist, Sodon but now we have more artists and is counting. It is a wonderful sight to witness modern art being taken up seriously by more painters as an expressive medium and received by a growing audience.

At one point of time in our art history, the Tibetan people instantly associated art to the portrayal of the images of Buddhas and Bodhisatvas in their blessed realms. The art in murals and Thangkas had been to depict the lore of fabled mythologies of adepts and saints to inspire the people to lead a religious life of a faithful. Art was trapped in the four walls of monasteries, on murals and wall hangings patronized by religious clergy, aristocratic elites and well-to-do individuals in the society. From an exclusivist tradition to l’art pour l’art, (English rendition of French Art for Art sake) it is simply a remarkable transformation in a story of a nation steeped in extreme paradoxes and contradictions.

Jamyang
In 1960s, the luminary Robert Smithson, an avant gardist greatly influenced the Land Art movement. Judging by the brush strokes and emotions poured by Jamyang in his paintings, they seem to reflect an influence from the Land Art movement, however as an impressionist, his key concern and prime aim appears to be capturing a still life of what he sees and observes. It is in this sense that he differs from Conceptualist philosophy of art giving core importance to concepts that stands behind the art rather than a finished caricature on a canvas. He is undoubtedly a fine product of “impressionist” school.

“All of my paintings are on nature, scenery and physical structures. I never paint abstract paintings,” said Jamyang, a self taught impressionist in exile. He derives his inspiration from nature, landscapes and physical structures. Strangely, for him a painting is something like writing poetry on a blank page, taking a brief sojourn in exotic and pristine locations such as Ladakh, Spiti and Kinnaur to derive inspiration and make them raw material for his paintings. He admits that he spend a lot of time watching and gazing at natural landscapes and scenery before he captured them on a canvas and his brush strokes to tell a tale out of them.

His journey with painting began during his early childhood years at TCV School. After finishing his school, he sat for competitive entrance exam in order to receive formal groom from the Delhi Art College for three painful years. On all three occasions, he was not selected. Unfortunately, only thirty candidates are selected out of one thousand applicants. He didn’t make through but his passion to paint remained intact, strong and undaunted by failures. Then he returned back to regular Bachelor’s Degree at Chandigarh College but at the same time he started painting during his leisure time. It was during those days that he got opportunity to learn Fine Art from Jamia Islamia College in Delhi, a short diploma course. Since then he took up painting seriously.

Like the myriad shades of his brush strokes, he worked in Security Department of the Tibetan Government in Exile for three years and had been closely associated with Students for Free Tibet (SFT) for six years. His finest moment of career came in 2005 when he launched his maiden painting exhibition in Delhi at the India International Centre where more than 80% of art pieces were sold and bought by Indian art buyers and collectors. “The success of my maiden exhibition greatly boosted my morale and self-belief. For the first time I felt determined to succeed as a full time painter,” he said modestly.

The impressionist quips, “I began my painting career as a self-taught painter. It is now more than eight years since I have been painting as an amateur.”

Migmar Wangdu Shasar
A painting depicting the Great Fourteenth Dalai Lama and Mahatma Gandhi reflects a heavy influence of surrealism. I would rather comment that Migmar Wangdu Shasar’s creations show a heavy immersion in Tibetan cultural roots as halos, an image of ocean in calm stillness, giving a direct reference to the His Holiness, the ocean of wisdom, a peace dove representing both His Holiness and Mahatma Gandhi as the iconic advocator of peace in the history of mankind. The fish popping up from a sea, a symbol of their loving kindness and compassion, a paper boat floating on the sea, an undying anthem of floating hopes and optimisms, a courage to withstand storms and upheavals of our demonic contemporary.

He belongs to Conceptualism, a school of art headed by icons like Dan Graham, Hans Haacke and Douglas Huebler who were greatly influenced by Fluxus movement of the twentieth century. An art that comes from within, a lonely inward chatter, an idea, a concept and then an art piece is being immortalized on a canvas of time.

This surrealist was born in Bylakuppe, south India, in a refugee camp, a TCV alumni, trained in Fine Art from Punjab University, worked in Norbulingka Institute for four years where he published a pictoral book entitled “The Dalai Lamas of Tibet”, “Tibetan Traditional Costumes” and “Ritual Dance Mask”. Pressed by his sheer urge to create an art style of his own, he left the job at Norbulingka and went on to paint as his instincts dictated upon him. “My style of painting is neither an impressionism capturing the still life, nor an abstract painting, but it is figurative,” said the surrealist.

Beaming with optimism, Migmar sees a good prospect for art in coming years as more people are showing interests and many young people flocked to him to ask questions on Contemporary Tibetan Art. He further adds that there are Tibetans settled abroad, who come forward to buy the paintings, as a surest sign of newfound interest within the Tibetan community towards art. Finally, he believes that at the moment it is extremely difficult to make a living out of painting alone but the situation will change in the years to come.

Tsering Gonpo
Art and the science of healing can poise on a harmonious tension. Tsering Gonpo is one such artist. He was born in Tibet and then came to exile in his early years. An alumni of TCV school, had one year stint in Fine Art Major in Punjab University, then he later studied “Botanical Fine Art” under doctor Dawa from the Tibetan Medical and Astro Institute, who has been his illustrator for the last ten years on the series of Tibetan Medicinal Plants.
He admits that, “I don’t have a particular style of painting as such. I just pick up the brush and paint on canvas of anything that comes to my mind. At this moment of my career, I am yet to arrive at a stage where I can carve out a style of my own, I think it will take few more years of experience and hard work to discover and create my signature brush stroke. At the moment I am just painting landscapes and abstracts”.
On the future prospect of the Tibetan Contemporary Art, Mr Gonpo said, “I do see silver lining only if the economic status of the Tibetan people improves. However, if situation were to remain same as it is now, then it would be very difficult for the Tibetan painters to eke out a living alone on painting. As of now, Indians and foreigners show deeper interest and appreciation towards our works”.

Tenzin Namgyal
In the corner of exhibition hall, the artist Tenzin Namgyal showcases two of his art pieces, sketches of still life. Through a simple touch of his strokes and familiar contour of ideas, his painting conveys complex package of autosuggestions, a true caricature of expressionist art. “I feel greatly satisfied when people come forward to see and appreciate our works. The poet conveys his inner thoughts and feelings through similes and metaphors and so do we painters express our feelings on a canvas. It is very much a similar act of creative ritual. So I feel it is very important for painters to showcase their art to general public through organizing exhibitions of this kind,” said the expressionist.

Tenzin was born in Tibet and then ‘smuggled’ to India as he described it. He received formal education from TCV School and then later he received training from Fine Art at Kurushetra, Chennai. He also had a diploma in Multi Media and at present he is working at EDRC, Dharamsala as a graphic designer and illustrator. He also teaches Computer lessons for the Teacher Training Course.

According to him, the general public’s response and interest on art had grown to some extend considering what situation has been in the last few years. However, a true appreciator of our art is still a very handful few, as it demands both knowledge and expertise on their part. At the moment the general public appeals more to realistic painting than the abstract ones. But there is a clear indication of people showing more interest and appreciation towards our works. I think the Tibetan Contemporary Art will gain respect and recognition that it truly deserves.

The notable elements in Contemporary art in the western world are its treatment on contentious issues in society and being very vocal of matters affecting the masses. Amongst all, the iconic feature of Contemporary art is its daring and relentless spirit, critical of socio-cultural changes, playing with new trends and ideas and pushing the limit of art to new heights. One of the remarkable aspects of our Contemporary Tibetan Art is that it never goes out to seek identity as it is the case in most of the art movements. The Tibetan artists are at great ease with their Tibetaness but I do not mean that they are trapped in narrow fragmented world. Nevertheless, it is just the end of the beginning. I want to leave my final tag line to our Contemporary Tibetan art: Art, thy time hath cometh.


He is the Editor, an Amateur Poet, and Art Critic.

Note: Please check TIBETODAY's January issue to read whole story with the images.