1000-Armed Avalokitesvara by Mukti Singh Thapa

This gorgeous painting by master artist Mukti Singh Thapa is of 1000-Armed Avalokitesvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. Painted in the Tibetan style, this emanation of Avalokitesvara has 11 heads and 1000 hands with 1000 eyes on the palm of each hand. The 1000 eyes allow Avalokitesvara to see the sufferings of all sentient beings, and the 1000 hands allow him to reach out to help them. His mantra is the ever-present ‘Om Mani Padme Hum’ that you hear chanted throughout the Himalaya. This wonderful piece displays Thapa's mastery of Tibetan style through its rich color palette, creative composition and use of traditional iconography.This original thangka, or paubha in Nepal, is painted in the traditional manner with ground mineral pigments on primed cotton canvas. For example, the blues are painted with lapis lazuli and the greens are composed of malachite. The gold ornaments, such as the crown and jewelry, are painted painstakingly with 24 carat gold. A painting of this size will take