Q. Tell us about your background. Where did your life as an artist begin?

I was born and raised in a middle-class family in Hemis Shukpachan village. I studied till class 4th. I grew up with my five siblings and I was the most active one. During my school days, I was very interested in painting and drawing. I use to draw something or the other in my notebooks. More than books I was busy and interested in drawings. So the art was hidden in me when I was young. Thus, I started my career in this art at a very young age. 

Spon Rigzin was my teacher. He was well known for his knowledge and art. Being a student of his was a dream come true. I stayed with him at Khalatse and learned for 9 years and 5 years in Mangu. Both of us worked together in different villages. I always have that feeling of learning more. I was never satisfied with my work. After my master passed away, I was left with a feeling of incomplete knowledge. After that, I decided to learn from Tsetrul Rinpoche. I traveled all my way to Delhi and pursued him. Tsetrul Rinpoche told me that if you are a student of Spon Rigzin and there is nothing to teach you further. He said you have learned from a great teacher. I insisted and requested and stayed for one week and learned. 

I always wanted to help and work for the poor; this is what I learned from my master to lend a hand to the poor and needy.  

Q. How did you develop your interest in this art? Who is your mentor? 

My interest in this art was from a very young age. And I pursued the whole knowledge from my mentor Tsewang Rigzin known as Spon Rigzin, a very well-known teacher. He was basically from Lingshed but had stayed in Khalatse. He was very humble and always has a soft corner for the poor and needy. His works can be seen in many monasteries and places in Ladakh. My dedication and passion for the work have increased more and more because of the encouragement and motivation from my master and my parents.

Q. What obstacles do you face in making and exhibiting your work? Are there other members of your family who are artists? 

My grandfather used to be an artist after that it’s just me from my family. If we talk about obstacles then yes that was during my learning stage. Another obstacle is that the working period is seasonal in Ladakh and it takes too long to complete a statue. We can only build big statues in the summer season because of the availability of raw materials, labour, and suitable weather. 

Q. What are your biggest achievements?

I have worked and built many statues in different villages. There is no big achievement to mention but yes, the most blessed day was the day when His Holiness Dalai Lama honored my work and awarded me. During the consecration of Diskit Chamba (Maitreya), His Holiness praised my work and said that the statue is flawless. I was also awarded for the outstanding contribution in Buddhist Culture, Art, and Sculpture in IFBHL 2015.

Q. How does the actual sculpting process work for you? How does it typically take? Do you sculpt with clay? What type of material do you prefer to use and are these materials available in Ladakh? 

The process of sculpting with clay undergoes many processes. When we prepare the idol we need to make it hard with clay and Pag ( a mixture of cloth and flour) after it dries up we empty it to put the scripts. Even if it consumes a lot of time it is the best material to build. I prefer clay work more than any other materials. The bronze idols are also made but the material has to get from Nepal. We don’t get the material here. Today we get many fake materials in the name of bronze. They are iron polished as bronze.  

The sculptors of Nepal and Bhutan are very talented in making bronze idols. In Ladakh, we are in lack people who got this talent.

Q. Over the last many years you’ve been working on so many statues in Diskit, Ney, Likir and many more tell us something about these statues? 

In my whole life, I have worked on many idols. I worked on different numerous small statues at different places. The big statues of Diskit, Likir, etc need a reference or help of an engineer. I prefer taking the help of an engineer because the work gets easy and the idea of the cement, iron rods becomes clear. There is a calm assurance in the work if I take an engineer’s help while building.

Wangail Tsering is an engineer who has always helped me in my projects. He is the man who gave the foundation and interior shapes whereas I gave the outside look of the projects. In all the big projects, the helping hand of Wangail Tsering made my work easy and less burden. This is because all the cement and iron rods are taken care of by him.

The Maitreya statue (Chamba) of Diskit took six whole years to complete. The statue is 110 feet. The Buddha of Ney is 80 feet and it took around 2 years to complete it. The making of the statue of Lord Buddha is quite easy as compared to the Maitreya. The Maitreya statue of Likir is 72 feet and it took 2 years to complete it. It was built in 1997. All the statues were raised and built with cement and iron rod.

Q. Tell us about this art? How did it come and prevailed in Ladakh? 

As far as I know the art has been in Ladakh for many years. This art has been in existence for thousands of years because I have repaired many idols made in the time of Lotsava Rinchen Zangpo. Clay, cotton, and straw are the material used in those times. The process of making has transformed a lot. This has taken a change from my teacher's work. The use of material and the Pag ( a mixture of cloth and flour) has taken a new form in the making of a new shape. The statues are better and in good shape.

Q. It seems that this art is vanishing from Ladakh. What will be the impact if we don’t keep this art alive in Ladakh? How can we preserve it?

Today the time has changed, the sense of responsibility is seen very less among the youth. We are in a time where almost everyone is after earning money. We hardly see youths who are concerned for the noble cause. Everyone is after name and fame. The only thing that goes through the mind is how to get status in society, how to earn money. The future is very bleak if this nature exists and develops more in the coming years.

One way to preserve this art is by teaching or imparting this knowledge to more students. Nawang Tsering from Tia, Sonam Skalzang from Wanla, and I are the three students of Spon Rigzin, on whom he has put a lot of hope and trust. Today we are imparting our knowledge further to keep his teaching alive. Along with that different associations and societies should promote it more. There should be a need for concern towards this art. I feel that associations like LBA and LGA should work on keeping this art alive in Ladakh.

Q. Are today’s younger generations interested in it? What are the big differences you see in today’s generation as compared to the past years?

Yes, we do have a scope in this art. Today the youths have degrees in their hand and yet struggle for jobs. What I feel and see is that the knowledge about this art is more like the graduates and postgraduates. 

Today’s generation is more profit-oriented and they are impatient. They need everything quickly. Nowadays after all the teaching, many discontinue the work and get into other government fields. So, very few take the knowledge further and impart it to others.

When we were young we were happy with the food served by our master but today’s generations are very trendy with the time. Though my students are very grounded and happy with what I serve.

Q. How can we develop the interest in this art among the youth?

In today’s time, art can be developed among the youth by the involvement of different associations, societies, and government in it. If we won’t make the importance of the art known there will be no interest in it. 

Q. Till now how many students you have trained? 

 I prefer to teach to students who are from weak economic backgrounds. Many don’t approach because of the notion that remuneration will be asked. I never ask anything from my student in return. I just gave breakfast and lunch to them. 

I have taught twenty students. My focus is to let the art established and developed by teaching students from far-flung areas of the Ladakh region. I have taught students hailing from Changthang, Nubra, and Sham. I am looking out to teach students from Zanskar and Wakha Mulbek. I always ask my students to give this knowledge without any remuneration. Taking remuneration will create a hurdle for the one who is interested in the art. The effort is to train more and more students. 

Twelve students of mine are continuing the same field. If I name a few of my students who are forwarding this knowledge are monk Konchok Thabdol in CIBS, Tsering Paljor from Tia, Nurboo from Matho, and others. 

Q. Are there any reference books you have written for future use to keep it alive?

I have only one reference book passed on from my master. That is the only book to which all the students are referring. Like I said before, for the future every effort is to teach more and more students and forward it further. 

Q. What are you working on now and what are your plans for the future? When did you make your first sculptor?

The first statue of my life is Lingshed Chamba. Presently I am teaching the students, and I do have some more projects to work on. This summer, a 70 feet statue of Jambeyang (Manjushree) has to be constructed in Tia. The years are passing on and if I live long then a statue of Buddha is planned in Wanla and Lingshed.

Q. What other forms of creativity do you like, other than sculptor? 

 The only thing that interests me is sculpting, though I have tried as a carpenter, made traditional shoes, did thanka painting but this is the only thing which suits me the best because of my passion and interest in it. 

Message to the Readers

There is a need to develop this art along with the other developments. This art will develop only if the concerned association puts effort and take it seriously otherwise this art will vanish from Ladakh. There will be a time when we have to get the sculpture from outside places like Bhutan and Nepal.