Buchung Kaydrup Tsering

Kaydrup Tsering, the youngest of four sons, was born in Lhatse, in western 
Tibet in 1974. The son of a farmer and a government secretary, he attended 
school up until he was twelve and learned to read both Tibetan and Chinese. 
He continued his education with his father after that point. Meanwhile, his 
talents for drawing and painting became evident. He taught himself to draw 
by copying religious paintings in the monasteries around his home, traveling 
further afield as he grew older. By the age of seventeen, he had four 
drawing students, all of whom were older than him.

While still a teenager, Buchung (The nickname means ^Syoungest son^T) began to 
travel through the villages of Upper Tsang offering his services as a 
painter. He would spend from several weeks to a couple of months in each 
village, hiring himself out to execute decorative paintings on the walls of 
local homes. In this way, even as a young man, he was able to contribute to 
his parent^Rs support.

As part of the effort to undermine the independent identity of Tibet, it was 
not uncommon during the Cultural Revolution for Communist Party cadres to 
cut off the hands of painters^R and other artists. As a consequence, the 
traditional forms of painting are increasingly rare in Tibet. Many of the 
stylistic lineages have been disrupted and qualified teachers are afraid to 
teach younger students. It is for this reason that Buchung decided to leave 
Tibet for India.

Together with his wife, Chungla, he walked from his hometown to the Nepal. 
Since the Chinese patrol the border regions and arrest escaping Tibetans, 
they had to travel during the night; this arduous journey took twenty-seven 
days. Upon reaching Nepal, they gave away many of their heavier possessions. 
The Nepalese police robbed them of what remained. Eventually, they were 
taken to a refugee center operated by the Tibetan government-in-exile where 
they were given food and a set of clothes. Within a week they had reached 
Dharamsala, the seat of the Dalai Lama^Rs government.

Buchung apprenticed himself to an accomplished painter from the Tsang style 
of thanka painting, learning how to draw the deities, how to prepare the 
scrolls for painting, and how to prepare the paints according to the 
traditional customs. He has now completed his studies under this teacher and 
once again, he has students of his own.

Presently Buchung lives in Dharamsala, India. He hopes to continue 
practicing painting there for five more years, after which time he wants to 
return to Tibet to pass along his skill and understanding of the traditions 
to the next generation.

He will be very happy to execute any commissions. Costs will depend upon 
your specifications.