Himalayan Art Resources

Artist: Khazi Lhazo & Derivative Styles Page

Khazi Lhazo Masterworks

Subjects, Topics & Types:
- Description (below)
- Painting Sets
- Painting: Traditions & Styles
- Terminology & Classification of Style Names
- Artist Index
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Video: Khazi Lhazo

Khazi Lhazo was born in a small village in the Kongpo region. The name 'khazi lhaso' means the 'artist of Khazi' village. His real identity has not yet become clear. It is known that he was one of two artist brothers named Tsering and Tsetan Puntsog from a village named Tsogo, next to a lake of the same name. The artist Khazi Lhazo had the childhood name, or nickname, of Adha Ani. In their early lives they were both monks at Pasho Monastery which is a branch monastery under the Tatsag Jedrung. Khazi Lhazo traveled with Tatsag Rinpoche, Yeshe Tenpa'i Gonpo (1760-1810), both to China (Yonghegong Temple, Beijing) and to Lhasa. After the Tatsag Rinpoche passed away in Lhasa, Khazi Lhazo left the area, due to the jealousies of local artists. It is said in some oral histories that he worked at the Dege Parkhang Printing House for awhile. He later moved to Khazi village in Kham where he met a village girl and married.

Khazi is the family name of Taglung Tangpa Chenpo and Khazi village was in the past a stronghold of the Taglung Kagyu. In later times it was absorbed under the sphere of Dagyab Monastery of the Gelug order of Tibetan Buddhism.

Located very close to the Gelug Monastery of Dragyab, Khazi Lhazo earned a living by painting. The name of the master artist from whom he learned to paint is not known. He is however referred to as Trulpa'i Lhazo which means Emanation Artist. This is an epithet commonly given to the names of master artists whose real names remain lost to time.

(The names and brief information on the life of Khazi Lhazo were provided by Gendun Danba, a Tibetan Art Historian that currently lives in Chengdu, China).

Jeff Watt, 3-2007 [updated 7-2012, 5-2017, 10-2017, 10-2018]