Cosmic Body: Principles of the Buddhist Figure

Subject
Painting
Location
Jinze Arts Centre
Dates
2025.2.17 - 2025.2.28
Tutor
Jamyang Lodro Rinpoche
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This course gives a brief introduction to the principles of Buddhist portraiture in Thangka paintings of the Jonang lineage. Taking the proportional system used in images of Buddhist deities as its entry point, the course will instruct students in the methodology of painting figures that embody the Buddhist ideals of perfection and wisdom. The modelling and composition of Thangka painting founded on a system of philosophical and aesthetic theories, including a specific measurement system which originates from the Buddhist concept of the Wheel of Time (Kalachakra). This is a system of theory and practice that is highly compatible with the modern natural sciences. Students will study important elements of Jonang Thangka paintings, including the concept of measurement (proportion of body and five facial features), line, and color, and will engage in hands-on practice. Students also will be able to study related Jonang artworks on view in the Jinze Art Centre to deepen their understanding of the arts and philosophy of Buddhist portraiture. 

Tutor biography

Jamyang Lodro Rinpoche

Jamyang Lodro Rinpoche was born in Qinghai in 1974. He is the 47th Lineage Master of the Jonang sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Over the past twenty years, Jamyang Lodro Rinpoche has been devoted to the preservation and development of Jonang culture. In 2010 he founded the Rangbala Jonang Intangible Cultural Heritage Learning Centre for cultural research and application in Sichuan Province. The Centre teaches Tibetan traditional music, Thangka painting, traditional medicine, and carving crafts to local youth. The Centre's academic and artistic value has been recognized nationally, and major Chinese academic institutions, including Renmin University of China, Tsinghua University, Zhejiang University, and Capital Normal University, have established teaching and research sites at the Centre.