Tibetan Beauty

by Yi Mei

In early October， more than 200 works of art devoted to Tibets beauty were displayed in the eastern exhibition hall of the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing. The exhibits were selected from submissions to the Second “Beauty of Tibet” Painting Contest. Held biennially， the competition welcomes submissions from professional and amateur artists nationwide， aiming to showcase the people， scenery， life and changes in Tibet. Of 3，180 paintings submitted by 1，102 painters， five received gold awards， 10 silver， and 15 bronze， as well as 20 outstanding awards and 100 excellence awards. The works spread across 18 categories such as oil on canvas， ink painting， woodcuts， Tibetan thangkas and watercolors. Along with the exceptional submissions， 50 special works were also invited to be displayed in this exhibition.

Tibetan painter Tangse Dawa received an excellence award for her work titled On the Road. This name hearkens to the novel by American writer Jack Kerouac， which depicts travels of the soul and an arduous spiritual journey， but Tangse Dawas work presents a lighthearted scene.

“I saw a fisherman in Jumpa Village of Chushur County carry his cattle skin boat home，” Dawa explains. “He was in a good mood， singing while walking. Shouldnt life be just like this？” Tangse Dawa means“crystal moon” in Tibetan， and her painting style is fittingly graceful and tranquil like moon light. “My subjects are the world and people around me，” she continues. “The beauty of Tibet lies in its people living happy and peaceful， yet passionate lives. Their happiness deeply moves me， so I hope to use my brush to pay the joy forward to more people.”

Like Dawas work， each work includes a story behind it， portraying the charm of the mysterious land in language that transcends spoken words. Jin Yu is a professional painter who specializes in Tibetan scenery and people， so much so that he has ridden a bicycle across the land. His Smile also nabbed an excellence award in the contest.“Tibetan people are modest and resilient，”he asserts. “Their clear eyes seem full of kindness. When I traveled around Tibet and needed a place to sleep， I just entered a house randomly. The hosts were always hospitable and never asked for money. In return， I would leave them some medicine or stationery I brought with me. The relationship we formed was so honest and innocent. ”

“Art is an international language， but more than language，” asserts Wang Pijun， president of Tibet.cn， one of the organizers of the contest. He hopes that the “Beauty of Tibet” Painting Contest can help more people understand Tibet. “We present Tibets historical， cultural and artistic heritage as well as its development and the new lives of Tibetan people to domestic spectators as well as the world. Not only does this event promote Tibetan culture， but also the exchange of various cultures. ”

The award-winning works of the first“Beauty of Tibet” Painting Contest were successively exhibited in cities including Berlin， Hamburg， Sydney and Canberra. Salons were also held to enhance communication between artists and attendees， enabling more foreigners to better understand Tibet. Outliers of this exhibition will also be displayed overseas.