One of the great Gelug monasteries in Lhasa known for its debates on the philosophy of Tibetan Buddhism.
"This monastery, that was about 5 km to the north of Lhasa, had been founded in 1419 and consisted of a a large complex of buildings, more like a small town, and even had a main street through the middle. Though much of the monastery still bore the scars of the damage inflicted by the Chinese during the cultural revolution, there was a lot that had been restored and in use by about 100 monks. At one time there had been a population of over 5,000 monks at the monastery.
Thousands of dogs were allowed to roam at will, due to the Buddhist belief that they are reincarnated humans.
In the past, the monks here became famous because they would spend years perfecting the martial arts, so they could be hired out as bodyguards to the wealthy.
To paint the picture above I climbed up onto the rocks at the back of the monastery where I was able to complete it unnoticed by anybody. A real pleasure." - MH
The Sera Monastery, north of Lhasa, 1988
All items are produced from original paintings by Martyn Hanks.
Prints: Size is A4 (8.27" x 11.69"/210 x 297mm). Printed onto high quality 245gsm fine art watercolour paper to give the print an authentic look and feel. Supplied in a textured off white mount size 12" x 16" (305 x 406mm), backed and sealed in a clear cellophane wrap and delivered in a protective carton to ensure it reaches you in perfect condition.
Cards: Size 7" X 5"/178 x 127mm. Packaged in a clear cellophane wrap with a top quality 150gsm self-seal white envelope.