Lobsum Shangqug: Accomplished Tibetan Painter

QOIMEI & CHINSHANG LHAMO

The 10th Panchen Erdeni is seated on his holy throne. Holding the Diamond Club and bronze bells in hands, the kindly Buddhist master smiles and examines the landscape in the snowland with great zest and satisfaction. Around him are the majestic Kangdese and Qomolangmo peaks, and the Tashilhungpo Monastery which is his residence. These are part of the portrait that Lobsum Shangqug created to mark the first anniversary of the death of the Panchen. When it was published, hundreds of thousands of copies were sold. Lobsum Shangqug is a senior fine art editor with the Gonggar Mountain, a magazine published in the Garze Tibetan Ethnic Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan Province.

WORKING FOR PANCHEN MASTER. Lobsum Shangqug, born in Batang, was exposed to the monastic love for Tibetan Buddhist painting art from a very young age. During his middle school studies, he was attracted by frescoes in the Kangding Monastery, which was the site of his school. He kept copying them after classes, and then began studying fine art in the Kangding Teachers?School later. Upon graduation, he was assigned to teach fine art in Luohu Middle School. During his stay in Luohu, he went on copying frescoes in monasteries, and sought to learn the skills of master painter Dawa and Badain, a fine art teacher distinguished in painting. In 1986, he was transferred to work for Gonggar Mountain magazine, serving as a fine art editor. In August of that year, he had the chance to greet the visiting 10th Panchen Erdeni. Planting himself among the crowd, Lobsum Shangqug cupped his hands in front of his chest and worshipped the master with great respect. The 10th Panchen Erdeni was brought to the show of fine art works by Kamba master painters, and showed great interest in those of Lobsum Shangqug. When a show of tangka works by the Garze painters was held in Beijing in December 1986, the 10th Panchen Erdeni showed his interest in Lobsum Shangqugs works. In March 1987, Lobsum Shangqug was transferred to work for the Panchens Office in Beijing. He stayed there for three years, creating tangka paintings.

DILIGENCE LEADS TO MATURITY. The 10th Panchen Erdeni liked Lobsum Shangqug, who was then in his late 30s. When charged with the task of designing logos for the Aid Tibet Fund, the Tibet Ganggyain Development Corp. and the China Tibetan Language Higher Institute of Buddhism, Lobsum Shangqug worked day and night. The 10th Panchen Erdeni often had buttered tea and cookies sent to him. When logos designed by many others throughout China for the Aid Tibet Fund were brought to Beijing in May 1987, the one designed by Lobsum Shangqug was chosen and the 10th Panchen Erdeni personally informed him of the news. The master later used the logo as gift to some Party and State leaders. The logo created by Lobsum Shangqug for the China Tibetan Language Higher Institute of Buddhism was also chosen. Given this, he was invited to work as a Tibetan Buddhist painting art researcher in the Institute, and the 10th Panchen presented in person the Letter of Employment. The institute used some of his works as gifts to visiting guests. Lobsum Shangqug created the Eight Auspicious Treasures and the Eight Auspicious Things in 1988, and the 10th Panchen Erdeni collected them as treasures. When the 10th Panchen Erdeni went visiting monasteries in Tibet, Lobsum Shangqug went with him to visit master painters there. During their visit to the Tashilhungpo Monastery, the Panchen asked Master Painter Garchin Lobsang Gangcog to teacher Lobsum Shangqug, and the two were charged with creating frescoes for the holy stupas of the 5th-9th Panchen Erdeni. The giant portrait of the 9th Panchen Erdeni which Lobsum Shangqug created won the favor of the 10th Panchen Erdeni. Unfortunately, the 10th Panchen Erdeni died of a heart attack in January 1989, when he was sponsoring the consecration of the holy stupas for the 5th-9th Panchen Erdeni. Returning to Kangding, Lobsum Shangqug plunged into creating a portrait of the late master, and the famous work was born in one year!!

WORKS OF LOBSUM SHANGQUG

Tangdong Gyibo, and Shooting on Horseback: Collected by the China Art Gallery as first-class State art in 1986;

Boats in the Snowland, Performing Sword Dance, Arm Strong, and Harmony: Shown in Hong Kong in 1986;

Holy Monks, and Pure Songs and Dances: Shown at the China Ethnic Minority Art Show sponsored by the Ministry of Culture in France and Algeria in February 1988;

Autumn Comes to the Grassland: Shown at the 11th Asian Games Sichuan Provincial Art Show and the Second China PE Art Show in 1990, winning the Good Work award;

Boats in the Snowland, and Arm Strong: Shown at the First Ethnic Minority Art Show in 1990, winning the second-class award;

Auspiciousness, and A By-Gone Story: Shown at the Third Ethnic Minority Art Show, winning a second-class award;

Charm of Kamba: Displayed at the 8th National Fine Art Works Show;

Flower Dance: Displayed at the Provincial Fine Art Works Show in 1989;

Fully Dressed Herds Women, Charm of Drum Beating, Living Things, and Charm of Kamba: Shown at the 5th China Art Festival, with Charm of Kamba winning the Good Work award in the Sichuan Provincial Fine Art Works Show in 1999.