Kalu Kumale, known for his meticulously crafted wrathful deities, has a humble demeanor that belies the rage and indignation his creations evoke. His journey...
Serene artist of wrathful divinities
Date : Jan 22, 2022
Kalu Kumale's father was a farmer who, like his neighbors, made earthenware pots during the quieter seasons. Kalu, as a child, played with clay and, like other children in his community, seemed destined for a similar existence. With limited schooling and resources, Kalu started making animal figures in his teenage years and then transitioned to sculpture when a local artist, Sangh Ratna Shakya, needed help with a sudden increase in workload.
In the 1950s and 1960s, many Tibetan monks and refugees fleeing the Red Guard brought antique sacred images with them, many of which were damaged. For two decades, Sangh and Kalu restored these statues. Kalu was particularly fascinated by the fierce, wrathful figures and learned to sculpt wax models in that specific, tantric style.
Kalu's work ethic and commitment to his craft led him to create statues for monasteries across Asia, Europe, and the United States, including a piece for the fourteenth Dalai Lama. His work is also displayed in the Victoria & Albert Museum. In his later years, he received numerous awards for his contributions to Newarese art.
The images above show eight manifestations of Guru Rinpoche or Padmasambhava, which were crafted using the lost wax method, chiselled, and fire-gilded.
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