The Artistic response to Exile

University Degree Creative Arts and Design

The Artistic response to Exile

After Tibet became the Chinese colony, Tibetan exiles attempted to create a new way of art alluding to their roots. There are a number of images of the fourteenth Dalai Lama that spread around the world to show, in fact, that Tibet still exists, but in another place. The ‘capital in exile’ can be found in Dharansal in Himachal Pradesh (India) which is the centre of the exiled community. It consists of the government of exile, monastic institutions and the palace of the Dalai Lama.

Therefore, for me, the art of Tibetan art in exile primary depicts the life style of Tibets exile and finds a new identity, which influenced by politics. In addition, the aspiration of creating a new Tibet is a new development. However, how Tibet in exile becomes an independent country?

“An exilic elite of religious figures and artists, writers, performances and musicians has been at the forefront of the promotion of what is in fact an invented tradition of what it means to be Tibetan after 1959: an invention defined in terms of the imagined communities of Tibetan Buddhism and neo-nationalism.” ( Clare Harris, In the image of Tibet, Tibetan painting after 1959. p.42)

At the present time, the development of Tibetan culture and the invention of Tibetan tradition can be seen in the art, for example, in painting. The paintings of exiled artists are concerned with the belief in that Tibetan Buddhist cultures as the most valuable factor in Tibetan tradition. There are many artists ,who are fascinated by painting the image of Dalai Lama:

The Characteristics of the painting of the Tibetan exile and The schools of Art

In my opinion, finding the identity of ‘ New’ Tibet in exile is challenging. It is, perhaps, difficult to form a new image of Tibetan exile, whilst their nationality remains Tibetan. They are unable to leave their history behind and create a new culture. Therefore, it is essential to return to the original culture. Thus, the word ‘ Tradition’ is as important for Tibet in exile as the creation of Tibetan neo-nationalism. However, what can they do for developing and promoting their culture? The Tibetan in exile seem to have developed their culture via creating the art, such as, paintings. The art is not only the representative of ‘new’ Tibet in exile, but it can help Tibetans, who were born in India to visualize the image of Tibet, in motherland. There are four well-known institutes teaching art in the exile : The Namgyal monastery, The library of Tibetan Works and Archives, The Library Art School, and the Norbulingka cultural centre.

2.1 Namgyal monastery

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2.1 Namgyal monastery

Jampa Tseten is an artist who has been recorded as a ‘ personal friend’ of the Dalai Lama. He was asked by the Dalai Lama to design a new religious building in Dharamsala and produced some paintings for decoration of the Namgyal temple. The original reason for selecting ‘The Three Kings’ as a subject for historical painting was to be raised an awareness of Tibetan historical tradition, and he painted it in a delicate and spiritual way. (Picture 5) The Three Kings are the historical figures, with are painted in a new style. In the painting, is well presented by the use of vivid colours, a realistic landscape with perspective. Furthermore, it shows the artist skilful technique in using three- dimension. The Three Kings are seated on the beautiful thrones decorated with the engravings of the animal figures as a religious symbol, for example, elephants and peacocks. The Three Kings are in a heavenly environment and with a Himalayan mountain background. Two figures, on the left and on the right side, are presumably Padmasambhava and Shantarakshita, the important Buddhist Gods.

However, Jampa was later refused permission to further paint in Dharamsala. The reasons were his views and his style of realistic paintings, which was considered as non-Tibetan. Moreover, this style was suspected to have a connection with Social Realism. One thing that comes to my mind is why the style of his painting has become an issue. Is he a Social Realist person? and if so, why did he leave Tibet for Dharamsala? Why did he join the Social Realism in the beginning?

In addition, Harris suggests the reason for this mistake, was unclear. The characteristics of Jampa’s painting are based on his education in China. In fact, Jampa did not intend to opposite the Tibetan exile’s view, because, in later year, he became a realist artist rather than being with Social Realism.

Hence, this painting of the Three Kings remains an unfinished, until next period. The difficulty of painting ‘The Three Kings’ are apparently concerned with the politics in the Tibetan exiles society. This can raises the question of what style of exiles arts should be used for painting in exile. The answer probably likes in the repainting of the ‘ The Three Kings’. In the end, a junior artist, called Rigzin Peljor, painted the replacement in 1992. The characteristic of Peljor’s work is the use of the Menri style, which is a combination of various styles from the history of Tibetan painting.

2.2 The Library of Tibetan work and Archives

The architecture of the library is in traditional Tibetan style and it was built as a museum for collection of objects from the exile. The library is supported by the Dalai Lama as being the centre of his ‘ preservation in practice’. The library’s staffs also have information about Tibetan history pre-1959, particularly, in terms of political events. The library contains published religious and works, cultural material under the imprint of exiled researchers. Moreover, there is another library, which is the central institute of the school of art, called the Library Art School. The school focuses on teaching the Thangka style of religious painting.

2.3 The Library Art School

The Library Art School has placed the emphasis on painting in the Merni style, or original Tibetans style of religious painting, as found in the works of Sangay Yeshi, one of the teachers. Sangay Yeshi studied religious painting from the age of seven with the support of the Dalai Lama. However, the style of Sangay’s painting differs from the original Merni style. The Merni style was successfully developed during the period of the fifth Dalai Lama. ( 17th century). In the his book, the Art Book, Robert E. Fisher, writes that “ And early in the seventeenth century a leader of great skill assumed the position of Dalai Lam, as the fifth in the succession, his achievements earning him the sobriquet of Great Fifth ( 1617-82). His efforts helped create a national system of cohesion, if not a balance between secular and religious forces and a great age began for the country.” Fisher’s description mentions the success of the fifth Dalai Lama in creating new art form. At that time, it was known as a new Menri style or an international style of painting, which can be seen in the monastery of Tashilunpo. The characteristic Merni style in the seventeenth century is decorative painting, which shows a Mongolian influence.

Therefore, the ‘Merni’ style in the seventeenth century is not conservative painting unlike the Merni style of painting in the twentieth century. The Merni paintings in exile in Dharamsala have placed the emphasis on simple form and peal colours and have become conservative paintings.( picture 6)

In addition, there is another school outside Dharamsala, which is the centre of the school f of arts and crafts.

2.4 The Norbulingka Cutural centre

It is called the Norbulingka after the Dalai Lama’s summer palace in Lhasa. It is a school for training students who would like to practise Tibetan arts and crafts. The building is designed in a Japanese style. The main temple is built in a pre-1959 style. However, other buildings show a modern style, which are obviously in a less traditional form. In terms of teaching arts and crafts, the style of painting differs slightly from that of Library Art School. Tenpa Choepel is the master artist and teacher at the Norbulingka centre. Although, he mostly produces the religious paintings in the Merni style, he tends to teach his students to paint in ‘ authentic’ style. Interestingly, the students of the Norbulingka Cutural centre have to learn to create the iconography of deities in individual styles.

As, for non-Dharamsala- based artists, their works play a role in both Tibetan and Indian styles, which brings to their paintings a feeling of the exotic. In this way, we can say that non-Dharamsala artists are freer to develop their art as they try to distance themselves from the authority of Dharamsala.

These above examples show the characteristics and styles of the paintings in exile. They are all based on the subject of religion and in the Merni style, which has become the official style of the exile.

See Clare Harris, In the image of Tibet, Tibetan Painting after 1959, p 64