A group photo of Zhumuqiao and Changchub Phuntsog in front of the Potala Palace 

Zhumuqiao’s painting studio is in a common residence of about 100 square meters large. It is clean and tidy, laid with beautiful Tibetan carpets and decorated with potted plants and paintings. Anyone enters the studio is required to take off the shoes first.  

Setting foot in the studio, you can see eight or nine people scatter in the soundless studio, each with a piece of canvas in front. Some people are drafting, some coloring, some drawing the graduation works and some painting the booked works. It seems that there are only lines and color lumps in their eyes. 

 Zhumuqiao is painting Thangka. 

Zhumuqiao is the supervisor of this group of people. 

The 28-year-old Zhumuqiao was born in a herding family in Tibet’s Nagchqu Prefecture. He has been keen on Thangka’s myriads of Buddhas and brilliant colors since he was little 

He learned the basic Thangka painting knowledge from Sangjiao Phuntsok, inheritor of Karma Garbris Painting School at the age of 12, sculpture art of Buddha from Master Lozang at the age of 17and Thangka painting of Manthang Painting School from Dampa Rabten, inheritor of Manthang Painting School in 2009. 

With the background of Karma Garbris Painting School, Manthang Painting School and Buddha sculpture, Zhumuqiao is rich in innovation and creativity. 

Zhumuqiao is instructing Rinchen Pasang (an apprentice from Guide County, Qinghai Province) on his graduation work. 

After three exhausting years of painting, Zhumuqiao finished his Thangka work Vajradhara in 2015, which comprises over 100 Buddhas of different shapes. Anyone who sees the painting would be awed by its complex composition, smooth and clear lines, and bright and beautiful colors. 

By virtue of this work, Zhumuqiao has won many prizes in national, Tibet’s and Qinghai’s Thangka exhibitions and made his name in the Thangka filed. It is his magnum opus. Once a collector wanted to buy this work at the price of 1.3 million yuan, but Zhumuqiao rejected since he wants to keep it. 

Zhumuqiao’s family is not rich. Anyway, his family raised 20,000 yuan for his Thangka painting learning in Lhasa with Mater Dampa Rabten. However, he soon ran out of money for accommodation, pigments and canvas. 

To continue study, he went to sell flowers in the night fair and paint frescos in Qinghai. Though, life is tough. Zhumuqiao never thought of selling Thangka paintings to make money then. His teacher once told him that, “Focus on what you are learning instead of short-term successes and quick profits, otherwise you can accomplish nothing.” 

Zhumuqiao is exchanging Thangka knowledge with his apprentice Sangnga Tenzin (middle) from Shannan’s Lhozhag County and Pema Dondrup (right) from Yunnan’s Dechen County. 

In this way, all his pains and efforts paid off. With fame, now Zhumuqiao’s works can be sold at good prices. He opens a studio and recruits apprentices. He hopes to support the poor apprentices within his power by providing them with free accommodation or lending money to them. 

A Thangka painting needs several weeks to several years of patience and skills. The prolonged producing time requires painters’ obsession with Thangka and perseverance. 

Likewise, Zhumuqiao also told his apprentices to focus on the current work rather than imagine the promising future. To create a tranquil and fresh environment for Thangka painting, Zhumuqiao requests that the studio should be cleaned in time and everything in the studio should be in good order. 

To better instruct the apprentices and broaden his own horizon, Zhumuqiao usually goes around to collect materials and acquire inspiration. In addition, he takes his apprentices to monasteries and introduces the frescos’ painting art and creating techniques to them, which is favored by the apprentices. 

Besides teaching, Zhumuqiao also insists on painting. His works integrate the exquisite charm of Karma Garbris Painting School and ethnic and religious customs of Manthang Painting School. He is good at incorporating contemporary art techniques and Han elements of traditional Chinese painting into his works, which endows his works with fresh conceptions, multiplex themes, versatility and innovation. 

Zhumuqiao plans to hold a personal Thangka exhibition next year. He wants to bring more elements like flowers, birds, fish, insects, mountains and rivers to his works and make Thangka paintings more accessible to ordinary people. 

Zhumuqiao and his student are painting Thangka and sharing experience in Hor Thangka Studio. 

The seven-year old Tashi Dawa, Zhumuqiao’s youngest apprentice from Nagchu Prefecture, is learning Thangka painting knowledge. 

Awards Zhumuqiao has won 

A group photo of Zhumuqiao and Mr. Wang (right), a collector for his Thangka paintings 

A group photo of Zhumuqiao and Master Dampa Rabten from Rongchag County 

Mi Shu, a student of Hor Thangka Studio from northeast China, is introducing his Thangka painting.