Exhibition > Thangkas

In Tibetan Thangka means “to be rolled up” and this is an essential aspect for a people who are basically nomadic. These religious pictures painted on cotton or silk and soaked in natural glues are coloured with mineral or vegetable pigments prepared following strict traditional rules. When painting is finished, the main part, called “the mirror” is bordered with brocade. Thangkas are found in monasteries usually hanging above small altars. Images of divinities must be respected in their iconography, appearance and attributes, as the divinity itself will descend and live in the Thangka during the rite of consecration performed by a Lama. At this point the Thangka becomes an object of worship, to be viewed and recognised by the worshippers entering into a symbiotic state with the divinity. Thangka painters must not make any personal interpretation of the subject nor change or forget any of the attributes, nor make any aesthetical improvements, as the only aim must be to create an effective religious image.

René Vernadet is a French mountaineer, professional photographer and filmmaker; he also has extensive knowledge of Tibet and its culture. After twenty-two journeys to Tibet and to regions of Tibetan culture, he devoted himself to the study of Tibetan Buddhism and the ancient religion of Bön

Inauguration Thursday 29 April at 11 am
Palazzo Trentini, Via Manci 27