That was the first time Kunkyap Tashi got remuneration. He was very happy and he returned home with a yak. Kunkyap Tashi thought he had mastered painting, so he returned home. And he thought he fulfilled his promise to his mother.

The whole village praised his success. Later, he started to paint for villagers.

But in that winter, all his paintings fell off just in one night. At first, Kunkyap Tashi didn’t know why as he did apply glues correctly.

At last, Kunkyap Tashi figured out that the low temperature in winter was the main cause.

Kunkyap Tashi made some paintings of tara and Padmasambhava and was paid with 25 yuan. A sum of money equivalent to a monthly salary. At that time he didn’t take painting styles into consideration.

Master Thanglha said his works were of karma gar bris and menbris styles. As they see, Master Thanglha’s paintings feature vivid figures and background of karma gar bris style.

Master Thanglha told Kunkyap Tashi that mineral pigments were as rare as gold. In history, when a monastery was constructed, people went to Tsang to collect mineral pigments. Those pigments were called “Tibetan blue.”

Master Thanglha had some pigments and gave Kunkyap Tashi a spoonful.

Today, Kunkyap Tashi still maintain it. The pigments they use today have a short life, several months or years at most. In good environment, they can be stored for several years. That’s the extreme limit.

Apart from that, there are teti and tebu, pigments imported from India and bought from the inland. As those two pigments are prevalent, “Tibetan blue” is rarely used. Within about 300 years, “Tibetan blue” almost become lost.

Pigments imported from India and purchased from the inland and modern pigments have replaced “Tibetan blue,” a long-life pigment which can perfectly exist for hundreds of years.

As time passes, it can even become brighter. From swearing to mother to returning home with success, Kunkyap Tashi fulfilled a mission.

Later, he planned to do business in Tibetan crafts. He went to Lhasa and started a new career.

At his hometown, as many people mine alluvial gold, Kunkyap Tashi engages in business in this field. More than that, he also runs business in medicine.

Eventually, he’s become a merchant. Kunkyap Tashi plays several roles including painter, teacher and merchant. He had aspired to found a plant for a long time.

Although Kunkyap Tashi couldn’t speak Chinese, he went to many places, including Lhasa, Chengdu, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Xi’an and Beijing. Some of his colleagues could speak Chinese, but some couldn’t.

Once they were at an art museum in Beijing. Writing brushes and pigments were sold on the second floor. He saw one type similar to mineral pigments. Kunkyap Tashi couldn’t speak Chinese and asked his companies to inquire its name and origin.

Finally Kunkyap Tashi learnt that it was a kind of mineral pigment imported from Japan. Later, he convened painters to paint thangkas using mineral pigments.

At that time, in Lhasa, there were several painters. He invited them to Chengdu.

It should be in 1988 or 1989 that Kunkyap Tashi rented a place as his studio in Chengdu and invited them to paint thangkas there. He doesn’t remember its location.

None of them had experience. In hot summer, there were many mosquitos. They suffered diarrhea, heatstroke and the like. Their skins were covered with mosquito bites.

With no solutions, Kunkyap Tashi had to send them back. He mailed those pigments to them, hoping they could continue painting. Those painters were karma gar bris stylists. From then on, Kunkyap Tashi started to concentrate on karma gar bris.

Based on the Epic of King Gesar, he designed those figures, scenes, weapons, and horses in the Thousand Gesar-themed Thangkas. It’s difficult to depict human postures on a war horse.

He used those figure paintings in Romance of the Three Kingdoms for reference with Epic of King Gesar as a basis. Kunkyap Tashi didn’t simply copy those paintings. He employed Tibetan-style forms of art, and localized the characters.

To localize figures, they painted Tibetan robes, ear rings and long hairs, all elements of a Tibetan look. He used them as prototypes of Gesar. In this way, they were able to paint detailed figures.

Kunkyap Tashi told them he wanted to paint karma gar bris thangkas. So they nicknamed him “karma gar bris,” citing that he mentioned it again and again. That’s why they nicknamed him as “karma gar bris”.

The style is very vivid, life-like and impressive. Karma gar bris paintings can delight viewers. They’re profound and very attractive. The location of mountains, rivers and houses is carefully arranged like realism paintings. And images like trees are extremely life-like. That’s the highlight of karma gar bris. Kunkyap Tashi loves this style very much and can’t stop mentioning it again and again.

Thanks to teamwork, they completed those thangkas. Those team members have already become leading karma gar bris painters.

Migmar is a master painter of karma gar bris. But in the past, he was a menbris painter. Because of his influence, he gradually turned to karma gar bris. Many have been influenced. Another example is Lhamon, a master painter.

Some were responsible for sketching and some for coloring. Many processes were involved.

In 2003, they cooperated with Garze prefecture government. By that time, he had contacted many organizations but no one wanted to be a partner. So he himself funded this project.

Gong Jianzhong, incumbent chairman the culture bureau, was the county magistrate of Derge. Kunkyap Tashi introduced this project to Gong Jianzhong. Gong Jianzhong encouraged him to cooperate with the government. Kunkyap Tashi was willing to do that.

At last, the government proposed to paint the thangkas. He also tried to cooperate with the prefecture government. With such a huge project, the prefecture government decided to support him.

Later, the UFWD and experts encouraged ethnic minorities to present a gift for Beijing Olympics.

At last, they were designated. Many experts and officials visited them and asked them to complete painting before 2008.

It started in 1995 and ended in 2007. A dozen years. They painted 1,288 thangkas in total. There were also many apprentices. Some single painters became married and then had a baby. And then those babies became teenagers. Both Kunga and Gyangkar participated in the project.

In this way, they completed those thangkas.

>> The Karma Gar Bris Follower I

>> Watch the video interview on Champa Talk Show, please click here!