About

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Master painter and craftsman Lama Gyurmed was born in Tanay, Tibet in 1969.  His family sent him to the Mindroling monastery upon the invitation of the head monk to study painting and traditional arts when he was 15.  Gyurmed's first teacher was from Kham (Guangzhou) located in Eastern Tibet.  After initial study, he went to live with his principal teacher, Lama Tsekyab in order to fully absorb the rich tradition of Tibetan painting, of which his teacher was master.  The famous paintings of Korkyim Monastery were created by his teacher, during the period when Tibetans were once again allowed to worship and rebuild their temples and monasteries. 

 While still young Gyurmed became an adept in Tibetan ritual and monastery traditions.  He became manager and rule keeper of the monastery and lead chants at Mindroling until 1998.  He painted or assisted in the restoration of hundreds of the temple paintings.

 In 1998 he was invited to teach painting at the Shanshung Institute in Italy, one of the most important Tibetan Buddhist centers outside of Tibet.  He spent the next two years teaching Westerners traditional Tibetan art and sculpture.  During his tenure at the Institute he studied Italian and English and wrote an important history of Tibetan Art in Tibetan.

  Lama Gyurmed made his first trip to the Unites States in 2001.  Upon his return to Tibet he conceived and began the G.L.A.S. Foundation, a Tibetan run NGO devoted to the promotion of traditional Tibetan arts in Tibet itself.  It is focused on the establishment of a Tibetan Art School (TAS) in Southern Tibet, the first of its kind. (link to GLAS website) In 2005 he returned to the United States to raise money for the school and to continue his teaching of Tibetan traditions and practices to Americans.  He currently resides in Santa Fe, NM with Yudrun, his wife and Trinley, their one year old child,.