hangka scrolls go on show in Hong Kong
Artworks reflecting traditional Buddhism drew an enthusiastic response from Hong Kongers during the five-day Qinghai Thangka Painting Exhibition, which wrapped on Wednesday. The exhibition presented a series of scrolls portraying events in the lives of the Buddha and of bodhisattvas.
The Tibetan scrolls were traditionally painted with natural pigments like coral, gold and sapphire or embroidered with silk.
The exhibition team from the co-sponsoring Qinghai Culture and Tourism department showcased between 70 and 80 pieces of painted and embroidered Thangka at Hong Kong Central Library.
“To become a real master in Thangka painting, you have to practise for decades” said Qu Zhi, who has been painting for more than 40 years and is the 10th generation Thangka painter in his family.
In addition to the paintings, the exhibition featured pottery, traditional costumes, and silver and bronze ware from the Regong region of Qinghai province.
Chan Yung, the honorary president of the Hong Kong Celebrations Association and co-organiser of the exhibition, says that although Hong Kong is geographically distant from the province next to Tibet, Hong Kong people have a strong interest in Qinghai.
Religion is also a contributing factor to the interest in Thangka. According to the Home Affairs Bureau, Buddhism is one of the largest religions in the city, which counted more than 1 million Buddhists in 2016.
“Besides their use in religious practices, many people in Hong Kong love to collect Thangka for their artistic value,” Chan noteds.
During the exhibition, viewers also watched as artists sketched, painted and embroidered Thangka.
Auction prices of Thangka have increased dramatically in recent years, with the highest bid soaring from HK$30.87 million (Bt121.6 million) in 2002 to a record HK$348.4 million in 2014 for a single piece, according to auction company Christie’s.
Buddhism art in Regong was listed as an intangible cultural heritage in 2009 by Unesco.
The second day of the exhibition draw more than 100 people, many of them awed by the detail in the Thangka and the unique technique used to create them.
“This is a very special art that’s not commonly seen in Hong Kong,” said Maria Leung, a 28-year-old who came with her boyfriend. “There are so many details in the paintings.”
“Hong Kong people know how to appreciate Thangka, and that makes me very happy,” added Qu Zhi, director and Thangka master of Regong Longshu Art Academy in Qinghai province, who has exhibited his artwork in Japan, Taiwan and elsewhere. “Viewers in Hong Kong understand the context behind the pieces better than others and pay greater attention to the details of the artwork,” Qu commented.
Fresh from a recent trip to Tibet, Lisa Cheung, in her 50s, also enjoyed the exhibition. “I love their choice of colours, they make the whole picture so bright and so beautiful.”
Besides the exhibition, visitors also enjoyed a folk dance drama titled “Thangka” at Hong Kong Coliseum for free. The show, which has been performed more than 39 times since 2017, was included in 2018’s CCTV New Year’s Gala as a showcase of Qinghai’s Tibetan ethnic culture.
