Page 16 - ARUBA TODAY

A16 LOCAL
Monday 19 February 2018

Tibetan Artist Presents Art & Painting

ORANJESTAD - Karma Phuntstok (1952-....) is a Tibetan artist presenting
the art and painting of Thanka. In the light of the International Day of
Mother Language, Biblioteca Nacional Aruba, Departamento di Cultura
Aruba and Instituto Pedagogico Arubano invite everybody from 6:30 PM
to enjoy this creative and interesting event. MirtoLaclé, cultural gestor,
will take care of the introduction of a special evening where he will ex-
plain the relationship between Language (literature/linguistics) and art.

What is Thanka Painting?
A tangkastnet, or also called thangka, tanghka, thanka, is a Tibetan
paintingof Buddhists on cotton, cloth or skin. Normally the images are of
Gods, scenes or Buddhist mandalas. Karma Phunstok was born in Lhasa,
Tibet. Together with his family he had to flee to India because of the in-
vasion of China in Tibet. There he studied painting art. In 1973 he learned
the traditional art of Thanka painting in Nepal. From that time on he
produced paintings with the theme of Buddhism in Tibet. In 1981 Karma
migrated to Australia where he still lives in the ‘bush’ of the Northern
part of Kyogle with his wife and child. Collectors from all over the world
purchase his paintings and they were published in various magazines.
His paintings show a combination of traditional techniques and sym-
bols with modern inspiration. Karma’s art is very unique and dynamic.
His way of life and life experiences are to be traced in his art, from his
childhood in Tibet to the refugee life in India to his life in Australia’s na-
ture. This combined with his admiration to his Holiness, Dalai Lama. The
international artist has a private collection that goes around galleries in
the world.