In 2007 I traveled to the Norbulingka Institute in Dharamsala, India, an organization dedicated to preserving Tibetan arts culture, and that train and employ Tibetan refugees who make the arduous journey from China to India.
Besides their screen printing shop, they have four main facilities where Tibetans learn traditional craftsmanship in wood, metals, textiles and painting.
I worked together with some of these artisans for three months, with the goal to come up with some new products that celebrate a hybrid of modernity and traditional Tibetan culture. Besides a few small wood thingamajigs, I was real happy with the outcome of the wrapping paper which we made out of overstocked handmade Tibetan paper; I spent a good four weeks working on 8 different designs, most of which were some variation of the Lotus, a reoccurring theme in Tibetan culture. I used some of the same drawing techniques i learned at the museum while drawing the green lotus’ which can be pretty time consuming, but the effect was definitely worth it!
If you are interested in the paper, contact the Institute directly:
