Blaze and Sublime — A Preliminary Study on the Aesthetic Characteristics of Red Tangka

Abstract

The red Thangka not only reflects the Tibetan people’s reverence and yearning for the vitality of life, the brilliance of the sun and the purification of the deity, but also contains the artistic pursuit of fierce and lofty emotions. Through the systematic analysis of 150 works of 20 red Thangka artists, this paper reveals the multiple symbolic meanings of red in red Thangka and the regularity and difference of emotional expression. The results show that the selection and collocation of red is not only the inheritance of traditional Tibetan aesthetics, but also the innovation of modern aesthetic trends. The combination of schematic design, line use and composition form a fiery and lofty aesthetic style of red Thangka. The aesthetic characteristics of red Thangka not only provide us with a new perspective to better understand Tibetan culture, but also provide a rich mass foundation and creative inspiration for the artistic creation and cultural inheritance of red Thangka in the future. The research results confirm that the artistic creation and cultural inheritance of red Thangka have important practical significance and academic value in the sustainable development of Tibetan art and culture.