Phenpo Yulnga Khari-Khangsar
Our Lineage
Living Lineage Atelier comes from a family tradition of Tibetan thangka painting associated with Phenpo Yulnga Khari-Khangsar.
This lineage has been carried through generations of artists, preserving the sacred forms, proportions, techniques, and devotional discipline of Tibetan Buddhist painting.
The lineage is not presented as a symbol of status, but as a responsibility: to continue, protect, and pass on the knowledge entrusted by previous generations.
Master Sonam Rinchen and Master Rinzin Paljor
7th and 8th Generation Masters
Master Sonam Rinchen was a highly respected Tibetan thangka master active in Lhasa during the early-to-mid 20th century. Associated with the institutional title of U-Dze, or Head/Senior State Artist, he served as a major courtly and state artist connected to the institution of the Dalai Lama in Lhasa. He was a master of the New Menri, or Men-sar, style of thangka painting, known for precise iconographic proportions, vivid mineral pigments, detailed composition, and gold work.
His son, Master Rinzin Paljor, continued this artistic lineage as a master thangka painter, sacred fresco muralist, and lineage holder. Through their work, the family’s sacred painting tradition was preserved and passed forward with discipline, devotion, and responsibility.
Master Jamphel Wangchuk and Master Tenzin Dhargay
8th and 9th Generation Masters
Master Jamphel Wangchuk was a Tibetan thangka master, spiritual practitioner, and father of Master Tenzin Dhargay. Although much of his life unfolded through the hardships of mid-20th-century Tibet, he preserved the family’s sacred painting tradition through practice, discipline, and devotion.
Through his guidance, Master Tenzin Dhargay received the foundation of the family lineage before continuing his training with Master Rinzin Paljor and carrying the tradition forward as a ninth-generation thangka master.
9th Generation
Master Tenzin Dhargay
Ninth-generation Tibetan thangka master
Master Tenzin Dhargay is a ninth-generation Tibetan thangka master from the family lineage of Phenpo Yulnga Khari-Khangsar. He trained within his family lineage under his father, Master Jamphel Wangchuk, and later apprenticed under Master Rinzin Paljor during the Kalachakra Temple project in Dharamshala.
His work reflects decades of experience in Buddhist sacred art, iconographic knowledge, traditional painting discipline, restoration, and cultural preservation. As the senior artist of Living Lineage Atelier, he continues to guide the work of the atelier and the next generation.
10th Generation
Tenzin Kalden
Tenth-generation Tibetan thangka artist
Tenzin Kalden is the tenth-generation artist continuing the family lineage through study, practice, and direct guidance. His role is to help preserve the family tradition, support the development of Living Lineage Atelier, and continue learning the discipline of Tibetan thangka painting under his father’s guidance.
Alongside his artistic training, he also supports the operational development of the atelier, helping create a stable foundation for the lineage to continue with care.