A tradition carried forward

For the Practitioner

A Thangka can inspire practice and devotion, support concentration, and help bring greater focus to visualization and meditation. For this reason, we place great importance on accurate iconography, traditional attributes, and the finest details of each deity. Using original Lhasa stone colors and following the refined principles of the Karma Gadri tradition, we create Thangkas that are made to support your Sadhana and meditation practice while preserving the authenticity of this sacred art.

Sacred art is not just a representation of symbols and ideas. It is a direct experience of inner peace, free from attachment to the illusory solidity of the ego and the phenomenal world.

Within Thangka painting tradition, it is utmost important to have a transmission of skills, knowledge and technique from a qualified master. It has a rich history of practices over 400 years and it has developed as a complete art of school. There is unique science, pattern and style of drawing lines, brush strokes and applying colors. The application of gold from where to whom and finely attuning the body of Buddha, Bodhisattva, Dharmapala, Dakini and Yidams.

For more than 30 years, we have been dedicated to learning, creating, and preserving the tradition of Thangka painting. Our journey began with our founder, Binod Lama, who, as a Buddhist practitioner, wanted to contribute something meaningful to Buddhism through the art of Thangka. From these humble beginnings, our work has continued to grow. Over the years, we have learned new techniques, refined our understanding of traditional iconography, explored creative approaches, and continued to deepen our commitment to preserving the ancient traditions of Himalayan sacred art.

From how to draw Buddha eyes to the scary fangs of protectors, the implements held by Yidams, or even the Varada Mudra (Gesture of Generosity) of Mother Tara—everything is defined and has a distinct style. And perhaps this is the beauty of Thangka painting, where you spend years learning and mastering the skills under the qualified master.

Just as Sumeru is foremost among the mountains,

Just as the Ganga is foremost among the rivers,

Just as the Sun is foremost among the celestial bodies,

Just as the Garuda is the king of birds,

Just as Indra is the foremost among gods

So is painting the foremost among the skills

Learning every line

To become a qualified Thangka artist yourself, it takes minimum six to nine years, given the rigorous everyday practice for eight to ten hours. We ourselves have often drawn about a thousand times merely to master a single line. In our twenty year journey as an art institute, we have evolved tremendously. Each year we have seen our style and technique grow richer, more delicate and balanced.

Our master artists have more than 20 years of experience in Thangka painting. Their experience has come through many years of disciplined practice, learning directly from qualified masters, and working continuously with the traditional methods of Thangka art. Even with decades of experience, the learning never stops. Our senior artists continue to study, refine their techniques, teach and guide younger artists, and share their knowledge through the work they create. This ongoing process of learning and teaching is an important part of how we preserve the tradition while allowing the art to continue growing.

We have been fortunate enough to come across our wonderful teacher, the Venerable Master Jamyang Phunstok, a Kharma Gadri specialist of Tibetan thangka painting. His lineage goes back to the great Karma Gadri artist Thanglha Tsewang of Palpung Monastery, Kham, Eastern Tibet. His guidance and knowledge has guided our team in creating meaningful traditional Thangka for the Vajrayana practitioners.

As an accomplished artist, you may be well aware of the way a single brush stroke can create a huge impact, from a graceful posture to a rigid, stiff iconography. The missing of a Vajra from a visualization deity can make our whole experience of meditation feel incomplete. Likewise, a contrasting landscape that doesn’t go along with peaceful deities such as Vajrasattava, Medicine Buddha, or Tara can make our visual practice session less pleasant. Therefore, we focus on nothing but the absolute precision in our thangkas.