Thangka, or ‘scroll painting’ is the traditional form of Tibetan Buddhist art which depicts the life of the Buddha, various influential lamas, deities and bodhisattvas. Apart from their aesthetic value, thangkas today serve as a tool to transmit Buddhist philosophy and establish a cultural link between the audience and the ancient spiritual tradition.

Nick Dudka is exhibiting six thangkas. Two of which depict Tara, a female meditative deity who is often referred to in Mahayana texts as ‘the mother of all Buddhas’. The right leg of Green Tara extends down from her throne, symbolizing her ready willingness to come to the aid of all beings. White Tara radiates charity, compassion and wishes to save every being from the suffering in Samsara. The goddess Burji Lhamo is depicted with her right hand holding a precious vase containing the nectar that cures women who are unable to have a baby and gives children long indestructible life. Palden Lhamo is the only female deity among the powerful group of the Eight Dharma Protectors, and who, out of compassion, swallowed all she could of the world’s diseases.

Nick Dudka is an internationally acclaimed Thangka artist who has pursued extensive studies in Buddhist art history and philosophy across Russia, Mongolia, Tibet, Nepal, and India. He is currently teaching at the Institute of Oriental Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow, and is committed to the preservation and global promotion of Thangka art.