The Secret Murals of the Lukhang Temple

Overview

In 1981 Professor Namkhai Norbu, returning to Lhasa after more than 20 years, made the first photographs of what were then considered the most secret images of Tibet, the 18th-century murals of the Lukhang, a small temple located behind the Potala Palace which contains what has become known as the Sistine Chapel of Tibetan Buddhism. An esoteric wunderkammer, the images of the Lukhang present a panorama of Tibetan culture in the 1700s and an authentic visual guide to enlightenment. The exhibition brings together a selection from the over 100 photographs made by Prof. Namkhai, luminous reflections, that Rinpoche captured, fleeting moments that represent all that remains of some of the murals of the Lukhang, treasures now lost.