Thangka master Niangben often spends weeks or even months completing a single piece, depending on its size. He said that painting thangka is time-consuming and demands sincerity and patience. PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY
Once he was a 12-year-old boy painting strokes and grinding pigments from dawn till dusk. Now, four decades later, Niangben stands as a thangka master, passing on the ancient technique to a new generation.
Thangka artist Niangben. PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY
Niangben recently concluded his latest exhibition, Inheritance and Beyond, in New York, presenting 16 pieces that celebrate Tibetan Buddhism — a culture deeply tied to the Xizang autonomous region, known for its towering mountains and sweeping river valleys.
The exhibition, held at the Rockefeller State Park Preserve art gallery in Pleasantville, New York, in the Hudson Valley, mirrors the essence of Northwest China — particularly Qinghai province, and Xizang in Southwest China — with its picturesque terraces, plateaus, rivers and mountains at a gentler elevation, making Niangben's art "feel like home".
"I felt truly proud, as an artist, bringing such rich cultural heritage to the United States and the world," Niangben, 53, told China Daily.
"It's more than just art, it's a record of history. This painting tells the stories of the past. I want more people to see the value of thangka art and culture. My goal is to bring thangka to the world so that those who've never seen it can understand its beauty," he said. "I believe people will appreciate it, learn to preserve and build upon it, and share it," Niangben said at the exhibition's reception, wearing traditional Tibetan clothing that he said represents himself and his culture.
Avalokiteshvara With One Thousand Hands and One Thousand Eyes by thangka master Niangben. Painted on cotton, Niangben used pure gold and other mineral pigments for the colors. PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY
In August 2006, Niangben founded the Qinghai Huangnan Regong Painting Institute, the first thangka art institute in the region, where he serves as director. The institute provides opportunities for children from low-income families and “left-behind” children (those who remain in rural areas while their parents work in cities) to learn thangka painting. PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY
