Dharamsala artists in Chennai, India

Art in Exile: Painters from Dharamsala exhibiting their paintings

at

Lakshana

Art

Gallery

Chennai

-[Sunday, August 20, 2006 14:47]

By Lobsang

Imagine that you are walking into one of the biggest art gallery witnessing an exhibition by some prominent artists and selling their works just like a hot cake. It is not a fiction. It is a reality. Tibetan painters from Dharamsala have arrived in Chennai city with load of paintings few days ago.

At one point, they were strucked whole day at a remote railway station due to excessive rainfall which literally flooded every rail track. Fortunately, they arrived safely though their train was 15 hours behind the schedule time.

The city of Chennai has never heard of any such exhibition, where many paintings were sold even before official opening. These four painters have brought 53 pieces in total and so far they were able to sell more than 25 pieces. It is their first exhibition in Chennai and I wonder how do they managed to sell such a huge number when it is a common phenonmena that new aspiring painters do not do well at the begining of their career. That is why I said it is like walking into an art exhibition of great artist. These four painters are good infact, really good to compete with other good painters. The subject composition, their colour mixing, tonal movement like red on orange, purple on blue, yellow on green etc etc flood your eyes with colours, yet staying peacefully when the yellow over head light hit them warmly.

As you enter the gallery, something holiness- something blissful is enveloping you from every side. One will find as if you are entering a holy shrine. Buddha painting lies at the centre encircled by Boddhisattvas paintings and all of them residing on Shangrila mountians. One might say he or she has visited a pilgrimage not an art exhibition.

This painting exhibition was held at Lakshana Aart Museum which was infact inaugurated by MF Hussian one of the greatest Indian painter of our time. Lakshana Aart Museum has provided the space free of charge for 5 days and promised to do other Tibet promotional work later in the future. This particular show was inaugurated by Guests of Honour like Padmashri award winner Painter and Art director Mr. Thota Tharani and other important public figures in Chennai. The show will end on 24th August 2006.

When this exhibition was planned some months ago, the artists were bit nervous. One artist told that, it was due to tireless effort of Ms Aasha Reddy popularly called Aunty Aasha, that, this show was successful. Steady inflow of art lovers and buyers pushed through the main door even after the closing time. Such a public attention. It was a wonderful day and the resident of Chennai will never forget this grant successful painting exhibition.

A BIT OF

TIBET

: Four young artists from the world' s

rooftop

are in the city to exhibit their art

Source: The New Indian Express
By Sujata Chakrabarti
BEHIND the sparkling eyes and mischievous smiles, it is difficult to fathom that they are four artists of remarkable quality. Tenzin, Tsering, Tezin and Migmar are now putting up in a quaint little village called Tibetan Children's Village that the Indian Government has set up for Tibetan refugees at Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh. These four young men are part of an extremely close-knit community, and through art they keep their traditions and culture alive, despite residing miles away from their native land, Tibet.

Thirty years old, Tenzin Namgyal was all of seven years when, due to the prevailing conflicts in Tibet, he was smuggled into India, away from the eyes of the border security forces. He can only recount hazy pictures from his childhood, growing up among the lush greens of his motherland. Tenzin dabbles in modern art. Shades apart from the traditional Tibetan art, where the Thangka illustrations were difficult to interpret, through his art he wants to convey the rich cultural heritage of his country that is simplistic in nature.

Tsering Gonpo is 31-years-old and he came to India when he was eight. Landscape is Tsering's special love. Through his canvas, we are transported to the vast expanse of Tibet, with roaring winds kissing the barren bosoms of the mountains. Explaining the notable absence of greenery on the mountain slopes, he says, ''I intend to portray the different layers and shades of the mountains, limiting the colours I use to browns and purples, and play around with the light and shadow effect.'' At present, he is working as an illustrator for books prescribed for the Tibetan Medical Institute at Dharamsala. He says, ''I go to the Himalayan slopes to search for botanical samples and look for art in them.'' Tezin Jamyang uses oil on canvas to bring to life the places he has travelled to. Through a riot of colours, nature breathes the pulsating breath of life to his paintings.

Twenty-eight-year-old Tezin has travelled to high altitudes like the icy slopes of Ladakh, the green mountains of Kinnor in Himachal Pradesh, and places that bear a resemblance to the nature and climate of Tibet. Chuckling as he recalls the days when he picked up the paintbrush, he says, ''My parents loathed my drawings.'' Migmar Wangdu, like every Tibetan, exiled from his homeland, aspires to see Tibet independent from military rule one day. He says, ''I am a staunch believer in Tenzin Namgyal, Tsering Gonpo, Migmar Wangdu and Tenzin Jamyang
Buddhist philosophy. Through abstract art, I express how rich the culture of Tibet is.'' Amidst excited giggles, interspersed with streaks of nostalgia in their eyes, they talk about the sunny days in Dharamsala, the girls sporting rich brocades on the aprons worn on the traditional costume, the chupa, dancing away to the frenzied beats on the day of Losar, and the Tibetan New Year that falls between February and March every year.

An exhibition and sale of the paintings of the four artists will be held at the Lakshana Museum of Aarts, No 8, Judge Jambulingam Road, Mylapore, from August 19 to 24, between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.