This is a 1995 film documenting a trip made to Sikkim by the well-known Indian graphic artist, Sarbajit Sen. It is an impressionistic and poetic reflection on the country and the thangka painters that he met aloing the way.
We see Sikkim as it was in the 90s, and we see the dedicated artists who were working on their paintings before it became a really commercial proposition, just out of faith in their tradition.
The film looks also at the artists painting the modern day, and at that time, largely untouched scenery of Sikkim, so it has an extra dimension to it, being concerned with naturalism as well as religious works of art.
This is the first of a number of films about the thangka painting tradition which I hope throws light on its evolution, especially during the present century, and where it may be heading in the future.
if the video does not appear on the page, try reloading the page; and if that doesn’t work, leave a comment so I can update the page (the comment is not published)
to see an album of screenshots click here