Who We Are
About Vermillion Arts
Founded in 2008 in the exile Tibetan community of Dharamsala, Vermillion Arts exists to ensure that the sacred arts of Tibet remain alive, practised, and freely transmissible.
Our Mission
Art as Living Heritage
Tibetan traditional arts are not museum artefacts. They are living practices — breathing, evolving, and inseparable from the spiritual and cultural life of the Tibetan people. The displacement of Tibet's people since the 1950s has created an urgent imperative: to ensure that these traditions are documented, taught, and actively practised wherever Tibetans have made their homes.
Vermillion Arts was founded on a simple conviction: that the best way to preserve an art form is to teach it. We believe that when a student picks up a brush, a casting tool, or a bamboo pen and learns to use it in the traditional way, they become — in that moment — a living link in an unbroken chain stretching back hundreds of years.
Authenticity
All techniques follow lineage-authenticated methods, not simplified modern adaptations.
Accessibility
Anyone who comes with curiosity and commitment is welcome, regardless of background.
Community
The school is a gathering place for Tibetans and friends of Tibet worldwide.
Continuity
We train the next generation of artists who will themselves become teachers.
Our Story
Fifteen Years of Practice
From an informal weekly painting circle to a school with 800 graduates and an internationally recognised gallery.
2005
The Idea is Born
Tenzin Norbu, working as a solo artist from a rented room in McLeod Ganj, begins hosting informal weekly painting sessions for young Tibetans and interested travellers. Word spreads quickly.
2008
Vermillion Arts Founded
With support from the Tibetan Cultural Heritage Foundation and three private donors, the school opens in its current Jogiwara Road location. The inaugural intake includes seven students. Sonam Rinchen joins from Kathmandu to establish the sculpture studio.
2011
Gallery Opens to the Public
The Vermillion Gallery is inaugurated with an exhibition of thangkas by Tenzin Norbu and Dechen Wangmo. Over 400 visitors attend the opening weekend. The gallery becomes a cultural anchor in McLeod Ganj.
2014
Textile Arts Department Founded
Pema Dolkar joins as Head of Textile Arts, establishing the weaving studio and appliqué thangka programme — the first structured teaching of these disciplines in the exile community.
2017
International Residency Launched
The artist residency programme begins with two inaugural residents from Germany and Japan. The exchange deepens Vermillion's international reach and brings fresh perspectives to the community.
2020
Digital Archive Project
A three-year project to photograph and document over 600 historical thangkas in monasteries and private collections across the exile community begins, building a freely accessible research archive.
2024
Fifteen Years & 800 Graduates
Vermillion Arts celebrates its fifteenth year with over 800 students having completed courses — from day-long workshops to year-long intensive programmes. The school's alumni practise on six continents.
Our People
The Vermillion Arts Team
Tenzin Norbu
Founding Director
Dechen Wangmo
Senior Artist & Faculty
Jigme Tsering
Administrative Director
Sonam Rinchen
Head of Sculpture
Pema Dolkar
Head of Textile Arts
Rigzin Choedon
Calligraphy & Paper Arts
Dr. Karma Phuntsok
Scholar in Residence
Yangchen Lhamo
Gallery & Exhibitions
Supporters & Collaborators
Partners & Supporters
Vermillion Arts is grateful to the institutions and foundations that support our work through funding, collaboration, and advocacy.