Drawings from Dharamsala : For Sungdue Kayb

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Towards the last two months of my last visit to India in the spring of 2012, I encountered the Tibetan community in exile in India experiencing painful news of their people self-immolating in fire one after another in China-occupied Tibet. My experiences in the past visits in India (drawing a cremation site in Varanasi, documenting fire pits, cremation alters, and contemplating on life and death around fire) synchronized with this particular movement, an extreme way of ‘offering’ their bodies to ‘fire’ for asking freedom and peace.I could not help drawing large and small drawings as emotional response and with a sense of mourning.

After coming back to Vancouver, the self-immolation kept happening and I felt that my personal and professional task is not finished.

I have come back to India to continue to document and draw under the same theme. tomoyoihaya@hotmail.com

2 December 2012

For Sungdue Kayb

December 2nd, 2012.

For Sungdue Kayb, a 17 yrs old father. He self-immolated in Bora town, Sangchu, Labrang Tashikhyil region. Circulated picture of him is on his horse, a green field is behind him.

Yesterday, the sunset sky here was full of rainbow colours and golden light was shining from the ridges of clouds. You are riding your white horse to that sky, in that blessing field of light.