About Us | Thangka Painting Studio in Kathmandu, Nepal
Buddha’s Art of Healing: Traditional Buddhist Art from Kathmandu, Nepal
Our Roots in the Heart of Buddhist Kathmandu
Our studio and gallery stand in Boudha, a short walk from Boudhanath Stupa. The stupa is one of the largest in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its great eyes look out in all four directions, a reminder that the Dharma is universal.
Boudha is surrounded by monasteries and a living Buddhist community, and it has long been a pilgrimage site for practitioners from Nepal, Tibet and around the world. Our artists work in this setting every day, close to the teachers, monks and traditions that the art comes from.
Preserving the Craftsmanship of Himalayan Buddhist Art
A thangka is a sacred painting. It follows exact rules for proportion, posture, symbols and colour, and those rules come from Buddhist scripture.
Starting to paint a thangka may be easy, but mastering it takes years of study of Buddhist iconography and decades of practice. True masters are rare and deeply respected. That is why our artists train under qualified masters before they take on the most demanding work.
Our studio works on three levels:
- Trainee artists spend about six months learning the basics: drawing, proportion and the meaning of the deities.
- Intermediate artists paint under supervision and refine their line work, colour and detail.
- Master artists paint the most detailed pieces and guide everyone else.
Our Founder and His Vision: Hom Bahadur Tamang
Buddha’s Art of Healing was founded by master artist Hom Bahadur Tamang, who began learning thangka painting from his elder brother at the age of eleven. Through years of practice, he came to understand the patience and discipline this sacred art requires.
His vision was to create a place in Boudha where young artists could learn from qualified masters, preserving this centuries-old artistic tradition of Nepal and Tibet for future generations.
Today, that vision guides our work:
- Preserving tradition. Young artists learn Buddhist iconography and traditional proportions before creating finished paintings.
- Learning from masters. Artists develop their skills step by step, progressing from trainee to intermediate and advanced work.
- Supporting artists and families. We provide opportunities for artists, including those from indigenous communities such as the Tamang, to build livelihoods while keeping their cultural heritage alive.
- Sharing Himalayan art worldwide. We connect practitioners, collectors, and retailers with thangka paintings created by artists trained in Kathmandu’s living tradition.