Toward Enlightenment: The Sacred Art of Tibet &
Universe of a Deity: A Tibetan Sand Mandala
April 1, 2009–June 14, 2009

UAM installation view

In conjunction with the historic fourth visit to UC Santa Barbara by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama in April, the University Art Museum announces an exclusive presentation of historic and living art of the Himalayas. Toward Enlightenment: The Sacred Art of Tibet prime examples of Tibetan paintings from the 14th to 19th centuries. The exhibition highlights the multi-level functioning of the art and its themes of transformation of the profound into the worldly with a strong emphasis on depictions of teaching. These paintings echo the purity and precision of visionary buddhas, bodhisattvas, archetypal deities, lama portraits, and protectors.

Accompanying this historical exhibition will be the living Tibetan tradition of painting with sand, Universe of a Deity: A Tibetan Sand Mandala. Over the course of one week (April 20-25), monks from the Drepung Loseling Monastery will work publicly in the Museum to create a colorful, detailed sand mandala. A symbolic representation of the universe, a mandala presents a three-dimensional realm in the bold geometry of two-dimensions. Created over time with precision and focus, the sand mandala is ultimately destroyed in a ceremony, reminding of the transience of life.

This unique combination of ancient imagery and contemporary ritual coincides with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama’s on campus teachings, Friday, April 24 (sold out). A free public reception and viewing in the Museum will occur following the teachings from 4:30-6:30. The following day (Saturday, April 25, 3:00 pm), return to witness the extraordinary dissolution ritual, as the monk’s effort is ritually destroyed and returned to nature. Join the monks for the procession which culminates in releasing the sand into the Pacific Ocean.

A slide show of the creation of the Tibetan Sand Mandala can be viewed in a seperate browser window by selecting the follow link: Universe of a Deity Slide Presentation

Toward Enlightenment: The Sacred Art of Tibet and Universe of a Deity: A Tibetan Sand Mandala represents the free, public programming coinciding with the visit by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. This will be the fourth visit His Holiness has made to UC Santa Barbara, and the first since an endowed professorship – the XIV Dalai Lama Chair in Tibetan Buddhism and Cultural Studies – was created in his honor in 2001. Two ticketed teachings by the Dalai Lama at the UC Santa Barbara Events Center, on Friday, April 24,“The Nature of Mind” (9:30–11:30 a.m.) and “Ethics for Our Time” (2:00–4:00 p.m.), are sold out.

Toward Enlightenment: The Sacred Art of Tibet was organized by Ariana Maki of the Rubin Museum of Art, New York in conjunction with the University Art Museum, UC Santa Barbara.