BOOK:Thomas Laird-Murals of Tibet,Taschen Publications

Thomas Laird Murals of Tibet Taschen PublicationsHidden amidst soaring snowy mountains, deep valleys, and desolate deserts are some of the greatest treasures of Buddhist culture and Tibetan heritage. For more than a decade, photographer Thomas Laird traveled Tibet’s plateau to capture the land’s spectacular Buddhist murals in all their sublime vastness, intricacy, and their spiritual, emotional, and psychological enrichment. Deploying new multi-image digital photography, Laird compiled the world’s first archive of these artworks, some walls as wide as 10 meters, in life-size resolution. The publication “Thomas Laird. Murals of Tibet” by Taschen Publications assembles Laird’s portfolio in extra-large format with six fold-outs, printed in five colors including gold. Featuring both complete murals and copious details, it immerses readers into these precious, extraordinary masterpieces. In recognition of this World Heritage landmark and preservation of Tibetan culture, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama has signed all copies of this Collector’s Edition. In the 528-page scholarly companion book, Buddhist writer and academic Robert Thurman takes us through this transcendent journey with detailed text on the murals’ spiritual significance while captions from experts Heather Stoddard and Jakob Winkler shed light on the storylines and artistic context of each image. Binding contemporary photographic technology with ancient traditions, this book is at once a majestic art piece, a major milestone in the appreciation of Buddhism, a precious monument to Tibetan culture, and a vital source for the contemplative arts and sciences. There are 3 Editions: Art Edition (No. 1–40), with a hand-gilded print on plaster Buddha Shakyamuni, Gyantse Kumbum (ca. 1420), in a handmade hardwood frame with 23.75-karat gold.  Art Edition (No. 41–80), with a hand-gilded print on plaster Green Tara, Gyantse Kumbum (ca. 1420) in a handmade hardwood frame with 23.75-karat gold. And the Collector’s Edition (No. 81–998). All the books are each signed by Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, with a bookstand designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect and humanitarian pioneer Shigeru Ban.-Efi MichalarouThomas Laird, Murals of Tibet, Taschen Publications Thomas Laird, Murals of Tibet, Taschen Publications Thomas Laird, Murals of Tibet, Taschen Publications Thomas Laird, Murals of Tibet, Taschen Publications Thomas Laird, Murals of Tibet, Taschen Publications Thomas Laird, Murals of Tibet, Taschen Publications Thomas Laird, Murals of Tibet, Taschen Publications Thomas Laird, Murals of Tibet, Taschen Publications Thomas Laird, Murals of Tibet, Taschen Publications Thomas Laird, Murals of Tibet, Taschen Publications