Past Exhibitions
Repatriation Collection (March 13- April 21, 2008)
Sertrap,
literally "possessor of golden cuirass," is the terrific form of the
Dharma protector Tsangpa Drakpo, Fierce Brahma, who is peaceful and white, and
wears a conch in his hair. In one text Sertrap is said to have been born from a
ray of light emitted from Brahma's heart. Sertrap was apparently a favorite of
the Kadam Order. This tangka has a lama figure, Ngog Loden Sherap, a Kadampa translator
whose reincarnations are found as the lamas of the Dagyab monastic university
near Chamdo in Kham, the highest Gelukpa reincarnation in Kham. Sertrap is thus
the special protector of this monastery as also the influntial Nyagre college
in Drepung universsity in
SACRED EARTH (December 13th, 2007- February 28th, 2008)
Photographs by Martin Gray
Acclaimed photographer and anthropologist Martin Gray spent the last 20 years on an amazing pilgrimage: he visited 1,000 sacred sites in 80 countries around the world. In Sacred Earth: Places of Peace and Power, his journey unfolds in a remarkable compilation of images that reveals just how devoutly pre-industrial cultures everywhere worshipped and respected our Earth.
From the Western Wall to the Great Mosque of Damascus, Mt. Olympus to Assisi, Tibet's Potala Palace to Hawaii's Mauna Kea, Teotihuacán in Mexico to the Golden Temple in Amritsar, these are the awe-inspiring places from which all the world’s great religions sprang, along with our finest culture, art, and architecture.
Gray’s stunning photographs provide unique insight into why these powerful holy places are the most venerated and visited sites on the entire planet.
NATURAL VITALITY (October 4th- November 30th 2007)
Paintings by Kongtrul Jigme Namgyel
Kongtrul Jigme Namgyel’s training in the arts began at an early age with the practice of calligraphy, music, ritual dance and other traditional Tibetan arts. After his introduction to Western culture, he became increasingly interested in modern art, particularly abstract painting and the work of Picasso and Kandinsky. He began painting under the guidance of his teacher, Yahne Le Toumelin in the mid 1990’s.
Ms. Le Toumelin, who is based in Dordogne, France, teaches a unique style of oil mixed with glue, applied with special palettes. Kongtrul values abstract painting as a complement to his meditative discipline. His training in abstract painting evolves directly from his training and experience in meditation.
A life of retreat reflects in the work, and in turn, the work speaks of the value and importance of a life dedicated to cultivating wisdom. As he notes, meditation and art share the same creative source.
GRASSLANDS OF EASTERN TIBET (July 23rd- September 23rd 2007)
Photographs by Barbara Paul
This photo exhibit illustrates the unique lifestyle of Amdo nomads of Eastern Tibet. Set in the high landscape of the Tibetan Plateau these images show the joy the nomads experience at summer festivals and in their daily and religious life.
Ms. Paul photographs people living in remote regions of Asia and Africa. She is attracted by their ethnic dress, tribal and religious customs, festivals and daily way of life. She is always reminded that despite cultural differences, all people desire friendship and have similar hopes and aspirations.
REPATRIATION COLLECTION (February - June 2007)
Highlights from our Repatriation Collection, originally known as the Tibet House New York's "Museum Without Walls Project". All generously donated to Tibet House by collectors, museums, foundations, dealers, Tibetan families, and anonymous benefactors for eventual return to the Tibetan people. This year's show will feature tangka painting and statuary, showcasing our latest acquisitions.
Of the new acquisitions we might note a recently and anonymously donated stunning 14 inch high 15th century gilt bronze statue of Shakyamuni Buddha depicted in the classic "touching the earth to bear witness" mudra.
Expect, as well, to see a striking and vibrant Medicine Buddha tangka (pictured on the cover) donated to the collection by Mr. Carlton Rochell, a beautiful tangka of myriad Buddhas graciously donated by board member Navin Kumar, and several tangkas generously donated by board members Michael McCormick & Beata Tikos.
MASTER THANGKA PAINTER SAMTEN DAKPA (July 2006 - January 2007)
Paintings by Samten Dakpa
"Samten Dakpa's artwork is one of the most impressive bodies of work I have ever seen of traditional Tibetan art forms such as tangka painting," says Robert Thurman, Tibet House's President.
Samten uses traditional techniques but imparts great precision and delicacy of line and color to his paintings. With touches of humor, he depicts his visions of the magical world of the Tibetan gods and seeks to convey the peacefulness and balance that are the core of the tangka tradition.
DREAMING TIBET (April 20th - June 16th 2006)
Paintings by Rima Fujita
"Rima Fujita tells children about the importance of compassion and non-violence which we Buddhists have practiced and treasured for a long time," the Dalai Lama writes.
"Wonder Garden is a heart-warming tale that is told through a girl's dream." Dr. Thurman adds, "Rima has done a beautiful job of telling this compassionate story to children, whose hearts are still open enough to realize the power of simple acts of kindness."
The art is from Wonder Garden: A Tale of an Old Dog and a Baby Rabbit, published in 2004, and Wonder Talk: A Tibetan Folktale, published in 2001. Wonder Garden includes forewords by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and Robert A. F. Thurman, President of Tibet House U.S.
LANDMARK EXHIBITION WISDOM & COMPASSION (1991 - 1998)
WISDOM AND COMPASSION: THE SACRED ART OF TIBET
An international exhibition organized by Tibet House Curated by Marylin M. Rhie and Robert A.F.Thurman.
The ground-breaking exhibition Wisdom and Compassion: The Sacred Art of Tibet is comprised of approximately 190 masterworks of Tibetan art from the 9th to the 19th centuries, curated by Tibet House U.S. President Robert A.F.Thurman, Jey Tsong Khapa, Professor of Indo-Tibetan Studies at Columbia University, and Marylin M. Rhie, Jessie Wells Post Professor of Art and East Asian Studies at Smith College.
The exhibition is organized in three main sections -Tibetan Sacred History (beginning with Shakyamuni Buddha and the great Arhats, Bodhisattvas, and Dharma Kings),Tibetan Buddhist Orders, and theTibetan Perfected Worlds.
This international exhibition was co-sponsored with the Asian Art Museum and opened in 1991 in San Francisco.The show was assembled from approximately 34 private collections and museums in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Russia, and Asia. From 1991-1998 Tibet House toured this exhibit worldwide to some of the world's most prestigious museums throughout three continents.
Wisdom and Compassion: The Sacred Art of Tibet concluded its tour in the fall of 1998 with its eleventh city venue in Taichung, Taiwan. The accompanying catalogue is 480 pages including 338 full-color plates and has become a standard reference book for Asian Art scholars and connoisseurs worldwide. Published by Harry N. Abrams, Inc., (1991; expanded edition 1996), the catalogue has been translated into German, Spanish, Catalan, Japanese, and Chinese. The catalogue is available through Tibet House and fine art booksellers.
"Wisdom and Compassion is surely the greatest show to date for the art of Tibet as Westerners know it; but it also has been a powerful vehicle toward winning converts to the beauty of Tibetan religion and culture." It is certain that the exhibition has had a major impact on the field, creating new audiences and collectors and a greater awareness of both the spiritual and the aesthetic richness of Tibetan art."
Orientations Magazine
October 1998