14 Years, One Wish: The Thangka Artist Who Wants to Be Seen

He spent 14 years learning thangka painting — now he wants the world to see it differently.

Meet Sonam Wangdan, a young thangka artist from northwest China's Qinghai province.

He started learning thangka at 14, a centuries-old painted tradition passed down through generations. For many, thangka is religious art. For Sonam, it is also a "living archive" of Tibetan culture, capturing history, legends, medicinal knowledge and everyday life in every brushstroke.

He grinds natural minerals to make pigments, hand-stretches wool canvas, and may spend seven to eight months finishing a single one-meter piece. "Thangka taught me how to be with myself, "he says," and that is my understanding of spiritual practice."

Today, young artists like him are adding modern twists: depicting natural scenery of the Tibetan places, to raise environmental awareness, and even adapting thangka motifs onto bookmarks and phone cases. "Many young people get curious from a small item, then discover the deeper story," he explains.

Looking ahead, Sonam hopes thangka will earn wider recognition as a distinct art form, allowing global audiences to fully grasp thangka's core cultural essence.