By Phurbu Thinley
Dharamsala, April 3: Tashi, a Tibetan living in exile, and Sarah, a graduate in East Asia studies from USA, have teamed up to open Dharamsala’s first gallery at McLeod Ganj devoted to showcasing contemporary Tibetan art.
The town of McLeod Ganj in Upper Dharamsala is known worldwide for the presence of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, where he has resided since fleeing Tibet in 1959. Often called the “Little Lhasa” after Tibet’s capital, most Tibetans live here.
Located in the north Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, this mountain city was offered as a shelter to the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan people in 1959 by the then Indian prime minister after Tibetans fled from China, fearing political, religious and social persecution by the Chinese Communist government.
Since then, while struggling to restore freedom in Tibet, Tibetan exiles here and elsewhere around the world have been constantly striving to preserve the identity, culture and history of the Tibetan people that are facing uncertain future in their own homeland.
“We believe that it is essential that the Tibetan society in exile is not stay and existing, but thriving and engaging with the global community. With that in mind, we have started this social enterprise, Peak Art,” say Sarah and Tashi
Their “shared passion for the Tibetan culture” and Tashi’s experience running a business in the town shaped the creation of Peak Art.
They say Peak Art was created with the aim to serve the community, and to inform visitors of the unique and remarkable creativity that the Tibetan society in exile possess.
“Peak Art provides a venue for artists to sell their work so they are able to support themselves as they continue to develop their art, and continue to thrive,” says Tashi.
As part of its grand opening function on Friday evening, Peak Art collected art pieces showcasing works by four remarkable Tibetan contemporary artists living in exile, including one born in Tibet. The collection includes 14 pieces in various mediums including oil, acrylic, and watercolor.
The four artists Tenzin Dakpa, 25, Lobsang Dorjee, 36, Tenzin Gawa, 26, and Sonam Wangchuck, 28, were all present at the opening event. While Wangchuk was born in Tibet, the other three were born in India.
Each artist finds inspiration in different contexts and their art reflects their individuality and diverse prospective. Tenzin Dakpa’s favorite artist is Leonardo da Vinci and one of his favorite pieces is the Mona Lisa. Tenzin Dawa was inspired to paint walking through a busy market in Old Delhi. Lobsang Dorjee is entirely self-taught and works with varied themes, such as the Dalai Lama and global warming. Sonam Wangchuck is passionate about painting traditional Tibetan themes; he does so in order to share the richness of Tibetan Culture with his viewer.
“We understand this community to be a dynamic one, one where new thoughts and ideas come to the forefront daily,” says Sarah, adding “By providing the artists of this community with empty walls they are able to share these new and exciting ideas.”
As of now, Sarah and Tashi have plan to replace the art exhibition at the gallery at least once every six weeks.
Peak Art is located on Temple Road bellow Café Nirvana (where TWA’s stitches of Tibet was located) and is open Monday through Saturday 10:00am to 7:00pm.
For more information, write to: peakartgallery@gmail.com
