Tibet and the 14 Dalai Lamas

The 14 men who have borne the title of Dalai Lama since 1391 are the unifying theme of the exhibition. The individual Dalai Lamas are depicted in paintings and sculptures. Historical documents, films and photographs offer an exceptional image of these leaders. A great number of the objects stem from private collections which have seldom or never been shown to the public before.

Date: through 6 May 2007

Venue:Wereldmuseum in Rotterdam, Holland

Goddess: Divine Energy

The first major exhibition in Australia to explore the many manifestations of the divine female in Hindu and Buddhist art. Over 150 exquisitely carved sculptures and delicately composed paintings from India, Tibet and Nepal, dating from about 2000 BCE through to the 20th century, have been gathered from collections around the world for display.

Opens:October 13, 2006 - January 07, 2007

Venue:Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery Road, The Domain, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia

TIBET – Monasteries open their treasuries

Ancient works of religious art from the treasure houses of Tibetan monasteries, palaces and museums (some dating back as far as 1,500 years) are on exhibition at the Villa Hügel in Essen, and most of these priceless objects have never before left the "Roof of the World," making this a unique cultural opportunity. Around 150 exhibits – sculptures, scroll paintings, various forms of mandalas, ritual objects and temple decorations – provide a palpable impression of the variety of artistic styles in Tibet. The Deutsch version and Press Photos.

Opens:August 19 - November 26, 2006

Venue:Villa Hügel, Essen, Germany

Master Tangka Painter Samten Dakpa

An exhibit of some 30 spectacular tangka paintings by virtuoso Tibetan artist, sculptor, architect and teacher Samten Dakpa.

Opens:August 17 - November 10, 2006

Venue:Tibet House, New York

Demonic Divine in Himalayan Art

Central to Himalayan religious beliefs is human transformation from negativity – nourished by ignorance, egotism and other personal demons – to spiritual liberation.  Demonic Divine explores the ferocious deities believed to aid us in that journey, with over 50 works of art that span 600 years in one of Asia’s most remote cultural enclaves.  Tibetan-style hanging scrolls, an illuminated manuscript, ritual bronze sculptures and carved masks represent beings that have a protective and beneficent role in Tibetan Buddhism, as well as the region’s native religion called Bon.  Their dramatic color and writhing forms distinguish this region’s religious art from the quiet elegance of Chinese and Japanese art.  Organized by the Rubin Museum of Art, New York, the exhibition provides an opportunity to experience the rich and sophisticated concepts that form the foundation of Himalayan art.

Opens:September 23, 2006 – December 17, 2006

Venue: Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix, Arizona

HOLY MADNESS: Portraits of Tantric Siddhas

This exhibition surveys the art and legends of some of the most colorful characters in South Asian and Himalayan civilization, a group of men and women called siddha, meaning those who are spiritually accomplished. Portraits of these holy men and women are rendered in painting, sculpture, and photographs drawn from museum and private collections worldwide.

Opens: February 10 – September 4, 2006

Venue: Rubin Museum of Art, New York

Empowered Masters: Tibetan Wall Paintings of Mahasiddhas at Gyantse

Some of the most important Tibetan Buddhist monuments to have survived the ravages of history are the temples and chapels at Gyantse in Southern Tibet. In a chapel on the upper floor of the Palkhor Tsuglagkhang there exist superb wall paintings of the legendary eighty-four mahasiddhas - tantric adepts who, through effort and practice, have attained perfection and are endowed with extraordinary powers.

Opens: February 10 - May 15, 2006

Venue: Rubin Museum of Art, New York




Warriors of the Himalayas: Rediscovering the Arms and Armor of Tibet

This exhibition is the first comprehensive study of armor, weapons, and equestrian equipment from the Tibetan plateau, a subject that has remained virtually unexplored until now. Many rare or previously unknown examples of helmets, body armor, swords, horse armor, saddles, and stirrups are exhibited and published here for the first time. Dating from the 13th to the 19th century, these objects include some of the finest examples of Himalayan ironwork decorated with gold and silver and extremely rare leatherwork embellished with paint or lacquer.

Opens: April 5, 2006 – July 2, 2006

Venue: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

 


What is it? Himalayan Art

Himalayan art is new terrain for many people. This exhibition is intended to serve as a guide through this exhilarating landscape. It is organized into four sections, each addressing one of the following basic questions about Himalayan art:

WHERE IS IT MADE?
WHY IS IT MADE?
HOW IS IT MADE?
WHAT IS GOING ON?

Opens: October 28, 2005

Venue: Rubin Museum of Art, New York

The 14 Dalai Lamas
Tibetan reincarnations of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara

The main exhibition on the 1st floor of the Ethnographic Museum presents the 600-year history of Tibet as personified by a single line of some of its leading historical figures. Displayed in a succession of rooms and smaller spaces are historic treasures that relate to each of the 14 men who have wielded spiritual and secular power.

Dates: August 4, 2005, through April 30, 2006

Venue: Ethnographic Museum of the University of Zurich,
Pelikanstrasse 40, CH-8001 Zurich, Switzerland

Photography Exhibition
“His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama – Journey to Peace”.

The photography exhibition on the 2nd floor features the work of Manuel Bauer, a Swiss photographer and a Tibet specialist. Click here to visit The Pictorial Portrait Project.

Dates: August 4, 2005 - January 8, 2006

Venue: Ethnographic Museum of the University of Zurich,
Pelikanstrasse 40, CH-8001 Zurich, Switzerland

Eternal Presence:
Handprints and Footprints in Buddhist Art

Examines the visual manifestations and devotional contexts of handprints and footprints in Buddhist art and culture, primarily Tibetan.

Dates: October 17, 2004 – January 9, 2005

Venue: Katonah Museum of Art, Route 22 at Jay Street Katonah, New York, USA

To travel:
Honolulu Academy of Art, Hawaii
February to June 2005

Rubin Museum of Art, New York City
June 4, 2005 to September 4, 2005

San Antonio Museum of Art, Texas
September to November 2005.

Rubin Museum of Art
New York's newest museum, opened October 2, 2004 offers visitors an opportunity to explore the rich artistic heritage of the Himalayas and surrounding regions.
  Female Buddhas:
Women of Enlightenment in Himalayan Art

As an intrinsic part of life, gender identity is a powerful tool for exploration of the divine in the visual culture of the Himalayas. The pantheons of the major religions of the region—Buddhism, Hinduism, and Bon—abound with Buddhas, goddesses, and meditational deities whose divinity is framed as distinctly feminine.
Date: June 4, 2005 - January 15, 2006
Venue: 6th Floor
  Eternal Presence:
Handprints and Footprints in Buddhist Art

Examines the visual manifestations and devotional contexts of handprints and footprints in Buddhist art and culture, primarily Tibetan.
Date: June 11, 2005 - September 4, 2005
Venue: 5th Floor
  Tibet: Treasures from the Roof of the World
Rare treasures, borrowed from three of Tibet's foremost cultural institutions, features woven silk and appliqué textiles, paintings, sculpture, ritual objects, garments and books.
Date: February 19 through May 8, 2005
Venue: 5th and 6th Floors
 

Methods of Transcendence
Imagery embodying the most profound insights of Himalayan thought are graphically symbolized through imaginatively formed human figures and mandalas.
Date: October 2, 2004 - January 10, 2005
Venue: 6th Floor

  Portraits of Transmission
The transmission of culture, art and the religions of the Himalayas and Tibet are represented through poets, statesmen, doctors, philosophers, religious figures and kings.
Date: October 2, 2004 - January 10, 2005
Venue: 5th Floor
  Demonic Divine: Himalayan Art and Beyond
These ferocious deities are often benign agents and protectors. The exhibition probes this paradox in Himalayan art: how compassion can often take on a fierce form.
Date: October 2, 2004 - Spring 2005
Venue: 4th Floor
  Perfected Beings, Pure Realms
A variety of idealized human forms set in lush landscaped surroundings filled with flowers, light, and opulence symbolize the human aspiration for abundance and well-being.
Date: October 2, 2004 - Spring 2005
Venue: 3rd Floor
  Sacred History: Portraits and Stories
Drawn from times before history, the art of the Himalayas is based on sacred traditions of the Buddhist, Bon and Hindu religions. These are made manifest as idealized portraits and stories of founders and their followers.
Date: October 2, 2004 - Spring 2005
Venue: 2nd Floor

Salvation: Images of the Buddhist Deity of Compassion
Explores the widespread importance of the Buddhist deity Avalokiteshvara—also known as Guanyin, Kwanum, and Kannon—across Buddhist Asia. Avalokiteshvara, the primary source of Buddhist salvation, was the subject of extraordinary works of devotional art in various forms across many cultures. Spanning 1,500 years, these works represent the finest creative achievements of India, Central Asia, China, Korea, Japan, and Tibet.

Dates: August 14, 2003 – July 5, 2004

Venue:
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA

Seeing Lhasa
Rare photos, early film & previously unseen paintings reveal British perceptions of a pre-Cultural Revolution Tibet.

Dates: September 7, 2003 - November 2004

Venue: Pitt Rivers Museum, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PP, UK

Tibet: Treasures from the Roof of the World
More than 200 examples—all with close associations with the Dalai Lamas and Tibetan nobility—demonstrate the amazing sophistication of art created for the most important leaders of this great world culture.

Dates: October 12, 2003 - May 16 2004

Venue: The Bowers Museum of Cultural Art, 2002 North Main Street, Santa Ana, California, USA

To travel:
The Houston Museum of Natural Science in Houston, Texas
October 16, 2004 - January 8, 2005

The Rubin Museum of Art in New York City
February 8, 2005 - May 8, 2005

Asian Art Museum of San Francisco
June 12, 2005 - September 11, 2005

Other cities may be added to the tour.

Himalayas: An Aesthetic Adventure
Based on an exhibition first seen at the Art Institute of Chicago—features 163 Buddhist, Hindu and Bon paintings and sculptures created between the 7th and the 19th centuries.

Dates: October 18, 2003 - January 11, 2004

Venue: Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., USA
Masterworks of Newar Art
Features some of the finest Nepalese Buddhist paintings of the 20th century from the collection of Robert Beer.

Dates: November 21, 2003 - March 2004

Venue: Tibet House, 22 West 15th Street New York, New York, USA
Guardians of the Laws: Chinese Luohan Paintings
Originating in India, the concept of "Luohan"—enlightened beings exempted by the great Buddha from the cycle of rebirth in order to act as guardians of the law—became a part of Buddhist cultic worship in China, where a small number of monks who were considered to have realized enlightenment, were selected to be luohans.

Arranged in chronological order, this exhibition presents 22, late 12th to 18th century works as well as an 8th century T'ang ewer and describes major trends in the evolution of luohan paintings as executed by both regional or court professionals and followers of literati traditions. The exhibition also includes a discussion of current scholarship about the Eighteen Luohans. Four related album leaves and three works of calligraphy are on view in the adjacent East Corridor.

Dates: December 2, 2003 — May 23, 2004

Venue: Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution,
Washington D.C., U.S.A.
The Flying Mystics of Tibetan Buddhism
This truly unique exhibition features Tibetan art which depicts the literary and oral legacy of levitation and flight among Tibetan mystics.

Dates: January 25, 2004 - August 8, 2004

Venue: Oglethorpe University Museum of Art
4484 Peachtree Road, N.E. , Atlanta, Georgia, USA
The Circle of Bliss: Buddhist Meditational Art
Showcases 150 masterworks from public and private collections from around the world, including 40 museums.

Dates: Feb 6, 2004 – May 9, 2004

Venue: Columbus Museum of Art, The Ohio State University, 304 Mershon Auditorium, 1871 North High Street, Columbus, Ohio, USA
Visual Prayers
Sacred Tibetan Buddhist Tangka Paintings

Dates: February 26, 2004 - April 3, 2004

Venue: St. Lawrence University, Canton, New York, USA
A Wrathful Deity
Examines the ferocious appearance of the great wrathful and semi-wrathful deities, their symbolic gestures and implements, displaying their power to tame destructive forces.

Dates: March 22, 2004 – August 22, 2004

Venue: Asia Society and Museum, 725 Park Avenue at 70th Street New York, New York, USA
Works of Siberian Sculptor Dashi Namdakov
Unique and exotic sculptures of horsemen, warriors, shamans and Buddhist lamas reflecting ancient Siberian and Central Asian cultures -- but with traces of Indian, Iranian, African and American influences.

Dates: Opening in April 2004

Venue: TIBET HOUSE U.S. 22 West 15th Street New York, New York, USA

Paradise and Plumage: Chinese Connections in Tibetan Arhat Painting.
Beginning in the 14th century, there were regular exchanges between China and Tibet of painting traditions and motifs. The exhibit illustrates this artistic interchange by juxtaposing paintings and objects from China and Tibet of the fourteenth through eighteenth century.

Dates: September, 2004 - December, 2004

Venue: The Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery, at Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY

To travel:
The Rubin Museum of Art
150 West 17th Street, New York, New York, USA
January 2005

 



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