We are thangka painters from Shigatse,
painting brings us joy and stillness.
The world knows we paint with minerals and gold,
but please do not misunderstand:
We do not use precious materials to inflate the value of our work — no, that contradicts our values.
Nor do we offer gold to any god — enlightened beings need no offerings.
It is not merely about following tradition,
more importantly, we honor these substances as gifts of nature —
witnessed by ancestors, by those yet unborn, and by all living beings.
Through them, we converse with heaven and earth, with the past and the future.
The slow, careful preparation of these materials is our practice.
We make no vows to the void.
We choose to walk — through pigment and line — toward the Buddha’s path,
and through our paintings, share the stillness with you.