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Green
Tara (1995-1996) Kathmandu, Nepal. On natural pigments on handmade
cotton canvas. |
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The
Legend says that when Avalokiteshvara,
'the great compassionate', looked upon earth he wept as he saw all the suffering
and out of his tears emerged the White Tara representing longevity and the
Green Tara representing compassion in action. |
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The
Green Tara
was my first Tankha painting which I started after completing two years of practise.
I worked on this painting continuously for a period of five months. The Tara
and Tohrana (the animals, lotus and decoration which surround Tara) were copied
from the 11th century Green Tara at Cleveland Museum. The cave, lake, trees
etc were inspired from other paintings of approximately the same period. |
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Work
started
by making the cotton canvas which becomes fine and flexible from rubbing over
and over again with an agate stone. Next the crushing of the pigments, made
from various semi precious stones, for example malachite for the body and azurite
for the blue cave surrounding Tara. Gold, which is polished, is used for the
jewellery. First a rough outline is painted with ink. The canvas is then painted
layer upon layer and finally the shading, eg on the body, is completed using
semi-transparent pigment which we call the 'juice' of a pigment. |
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Buddhist
Iconography painted on canvas that can be rolled becomes
highly transportable. These paintings are instrumental in the teaching of
Buddhism. For many thousands of years such paintings were made with natural
pigments and animal glue. This is the technique taught to me by Roshan Sakya,
the renowned Newar tankha painter living in Kathmandu, Nepal. These images
are full of symbolism, for instance the positioning of the fingers reveal
different meanings. Tara is not sitting in a full lotus but in the position
known as lalita sana which symbolises the Green Tara's compassion going
into action. There are many different attributes pertaining to flowers and
animals. For example the blue flower represents purity. The muckers, (the
pink trunked animals), are composed of five different animals thereby taking
on qualities of each of them. |
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I
give special thanks to my teacher Roshan Sakya, and to Elizabeth & Chino
Roncoroni for their unfailing guidance and support. |
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The
Green Tara
Tankha is at present in the temple building at Lalita - Centre of Creative Activities,
Acebo in southwest Spain. For further information about the centre and their
current programme please go to http://www.lalita.net |
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