The Norbulingka Institute has a beautiful new website!
I first met Tibetan appliqué work at the Norbulingka Institute in 1992 while engaged in volunteer work with the Tibetan Planning Council in Dharamsala, India. I was part of an economic development team touring some of the refugee community’s handicraft centers, together with the founder of a company marketing Tibetan products in the US for both commercial and cultural preservation purposes. I still remember the awe I experienced when I came in contact with the vivid colors and rich textures of these forms. For me, it was like Amish quilts met spiritual awakening in an explosion of joy and beauty! I loved the intensity of the colors, the energy of the forms, the profundity of the tradition. And I determined that day to learn to make these artworks myself.
It took a while to find a teacher, and I never did study at Norbulingka. My teachers were Tenzin Gyaltsen and T.G. Dorjee Wangdu. But I have always retained great respect for the Norbulingka Institute as the seed inspiration for my career. And I’m so pleased to see their new website, which beautifully displays their work with grace and integrity. I wish them the best in their efforts to preserve and enrich Tibetan artistic traditions.
The Norbulingka site is indeed lovely! I hope many people see it and are as inspired as I have been and as you are.
Hi,
I was searching for information on Norbulingka and came upon this site. I read that you did not study there, but I am wondering if you have any information on if they accept foreigners…I’ve emailed them through their website, but yet to receive a reply. I am interested in Thangka Painting and I have been searching for a few years and Norbulingka has really grabbed my attention. Any information on the school or Thangka painters is appreciated.
Thank you, Melia Cornell