Amdo Jampa

CHINA, Qinghai, Huangnan

Born in Jainca county of Huangnan, Amdo Jampa was a Tibetan painter who showed great affinity for art as a child, and learned by observing thangkas, butter sculptures, and frescos in temples. He became a novice monk at the age of 7, and at the age of 15 he went to study at Labrang Monastery in Gansu. Inspired by a black-and-white photograph of the Ninth Panchen Lama at Labrang Monastery, he began trying to emulate the effect of light in his portraiture work.
At 25, Amdo studied at Drepung Monastery in Tibet and focused on the theory and practices of traditional Tibetan art. Four years later, he returned to secular life and made his living as a street artist in Lhasa, Tibet. After meeting the great Tibetan scholar and artist, Gendun Chopel, he was influenced to move towards a more realistic painting technique. By fusing traditional Tibetan detailing and patterns with a westernized photorealistic approach, he developed a unique style, becoming the first realistic portrait painter in Tibetan art history.
In 1954, he was requested to create a thangka painting of Mao Zedong. He was later appointed as the court painter for the Dalai Lama, painting the portraits of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Dalai Lamas in the Potala Palace. In 1959, because of political unrest, he retreated to Drepung Monastery and spent his time painting thangkas. Norbulingka Palace houses two of his masterpieces, First Turning of the Dharma Wheel and Enthronement Ceremony of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama. Additionally, he was tasked with creating illustrations for the Tibetan-Chinese Dictionary, which included around 120 images portraying religious articles, clothing, tools, and daily utensils. An immensely influential artist in Tibetan paintings, Amdo established a school in 1999 to share his techniques with aspiring artists.