Tibetan Thangka Artist Lhakpa Tsering: Preserving a Generational Legacy for the Global Stage
Lhakpa Tsering, a 57-year-old master of traditional Tibetan Thangka painting from the Tibet Autonomous Region, has spent decades dedicating his life to the preservation and promotion of his family’s artistic heritage.
Born in 1967, Tsering was introduced to Tibetan religious art at a very young age under the guidance of his father, Kunzang Namgyal, a renowned Thangka painter. At just ten years old, in 1977, he began formal training in the traditional painting techniques with a local art cooperative in the Chengguan District of Lhasa.
He first gained significant hands-on experience by participating in the restoration of murals at the Potala Palace between 1977 and 1979. Following his father’s passing in late 1993, Tsering took responsibility for more than 50 of his father’s apprentices. In 1994, he established the “Gangjong Sangye Norbu” Thangka Studio, serving as its director while continuing to fulfill commercial art orders, including the production of over 400 Thangka scrolls and embroidered pieces for both domestic and international markets.
His expertise has earned him widespread recognition. In 2010, he represented the “Mentang” painting tradition at the Shanghai World Expo. In 2012, he participated in the Chengdu International Intangible Cultural Heritage Festival. In 2016, he traveled to Nepal upon invitation to attend the first China-Nepal Cultural Exchange Conference.
In recent years, Tsering has focused on education and heritage restoration. In March 2020, he was entrusted by the Lhasa Municipal Bureau of Cultural Relics to carry out the restoration of murals at a secret chapel in Lhasa and to inspect the murals at the Reting Monastery in Lhünzhub County.
In April 2023, fulfilling his late father’s final wish, he established the “Lhasa Sodchung Thangka Art Center” to ensure that the family’s traditional skills continue to flourish in the modern era. He has also set up a cultural experience and training base in Beijing, offering opportunities for domestic and international enthusiasts to learn and practice the art form.
Most notably, in September 2024, Tsering assisted researchers from China’s Central Nationalities University and the Palace Museum in Beijing by conducting on-site measurements of Mentang-style Thangka proportions, providing crucial scientific data for future research. In May 2025, he was invited to participate in a specialized academic course on “Mural Conservation and Restoration” at the Palace Museum, showcasing his craft and knowledge to heritage experts from around the world.
Tsering remains committed to the future of his craft. “I am writing a new chapter in Thangka art together with all the students at my center,” he stated. He plans to expand collaborations with museums, educational institutions, and cultural heritage organizations to build broader platforms for exchange and innovation, ensuring ancient Thangka art continues to thrive with renewed vitality for future generations.
