About the Artist

Temple decoration

As a parallel to Tashi’s training in Tibetan calligraphy, he worked as an apprentice to Sherab Palden Beru, a master in Thanka painting and temple decoration. The apprenticeship spanned some 15 years on the construction and decoration of the main temple at the Samye Ling Tibetan center in Scotland, although this sometimes employed modern techniques, like screen printing, the end result is classically traditional.

Tashi acted as a go-between, translating the instructions of his teacher to the direction and application of the elaborate designs in the temple. This knowledge was furthered with his visits to Tibet, Nepal and Northern India, where many new temples are still under construction.

On one particular trip to India, he was privileged to study under a master of ancient Sanskrit - an artistic form used in temple decoration, which is preserved by only a handful of practitioners in the world today.

Since the establishment and maturity of Tibetan Buddhism in the West, other centers have demanded a higher standard of interior design and decoration. This has lead Tashi to work on projects in Dublin, London and Brussels.
Tashi’s art direction of these projects employs others with skills, such as plaster casting and fine woodwork, sometimes-commissioning woodcarving and fine metalwork in Nepal.

Another area of work has been with Western interior design of private homes, for this Tashi often adopts a more minimal approach, toning down the typical bright Tibetan colour pallet, he considers space just as important as rich decorative pattern.

Photographs:

1. 400 ceiling panels at the Samye Ling temple of elaborate Dragon and phoenix designs, hand silk-screen printed 17 colour registration.

2. Painting a canvas for a large japanese style sliding screen.

3. A detail of a shrine at the London Samye Dzong Buddhist centre, floral patterns designed by Tashi and applied in gold and silver leaf. View more here.

4. Tashi as a young monk applying finishing touches to one of the large temple ceiling panels.