Drokpa Zine Issue 1: Resilience

Issue No. 1

An eZine for Tibetan Creatives

2021

Resilience

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Foreword Drokpa Zine, Issue 1, March 2021 The Drokpa Zine is an initiative that stemmed from a simple tweet between the founders Tenzing Lhamo and Urgyen. A few online calls later, a draft was started, social media was set up, and a fitting name was chosen for the zine: The Drokpa Zine.

‘Drokpa’ in Tibetan means Nomad, a word that perfectly captured the lived experience and a core cultural identity for our people both inside and outside Tibet. In the ongoing journey of Tibetans, we try to make sense of the world around us. We aim for Drokpa Zine to provide a unique outlet to express and connect: a space curated by and for Tibetan Creatives.

The theme for our first issue is ‘Resilience’, which was chosen due to it being natural and critical component of living nomadically. Our submissions for this zine, had us blown away by the absolute diversity of perspectives in the pieces. Resilience may come naturally to a people that have lived for centuries in the cold and isolated “roof of the world.” It certainly has helped us persevere in the uncertain years following the occupation of Tibet. Not to mention in the face of a pandemic and racial injustice that has exposed many social inequalities.

In this age of social media, you can’t bat an eye away from the Black Lives Matter movement. Some outlets and groups have unfairly created twisted narratives about BLM that diluted its message for equality. What this year has given us at Drokpa Zine is to acknowledge that Black lives DO matter and still matter to this day.

Being Tibetan has given us a political status that many of us did not ever want in the first place. But that goes the same to the black lives lost to police and transphobic violence. Resilience starts with reflecting and uplifting not only our voices but the voices Treyvon Martin, Ashanti Carmon, Tamir Rice, Mike Brown, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and many more.

We thank you for taking the time to read our zine. Enjoy!

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Table of Contents Foreword..........1 Submissions......5 Yangdzom Lama...6 Tamdin Wangyal...12 Yangdol Namgyal...18 Tenzin Tsering...20 Urgyen Badheytsang...22 Tenzing Lhamo Dorjee...24 Tenzin Lhamo...26 Creatives’ Bios...30 Acknowledgement....34

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Submissions

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Yangdzom Lama

“Deer Goddess Comforting the Ignored Lady” Mixed Media (Gouache, Watercolour, Oil paint and pen) on paper

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“Tibetan Woman with Baby Buddha” Oil Paint on Wood

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“Happy Face Sad Face” Oil paint on wood

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Tamdin Wangyal

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“Untitled” Photography

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“Untitled” Photography

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“Untitled” Photography

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Yangdol Namgyal

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“Compassionate Resilience” Digital

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Tenzin Tsering

“Resilience” Digital

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Urgyen Badheytsang

“In the beginning, there was resilience” Digital

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Tenzing Lhamo Dorjee

“The Next Day” Digital

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Tenzin Lhamo

“Resilience’ Comic Strip” Digital

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“This piece is about how conflicting it feels to have my culture exploited for fantasy purposes without having Tibetan people being acknowledged/employed/represented.”

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Yangdzom Lama I’m a London-based artist who recently graduated from UEA after having done an English Literature with Creative Writing course. I’ve always had a passion for drawing and creating images; art, for me, is therapeutic and therefore an interesting form of meditation. Most of my work showcases animals as from a young age I’ve had a fascination with the natural world, and through my art I want to explore our relationship with animals.

I also am curious about human psychology, and so some of my works might be expressions of human suffering.

Tamdin Wangyal I am Tamdin Wangyal , self-taught and an aspiring digital photographer based in Delhi, India. I came to India from my hometown back in Tibet, Ngari in 2005 and have been struggling to settle in India. Currently I am a college going student in India.

I have been shooting in black and white mode as my personal choices because I find more power in it and helps me a lot to tell

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my story to the viewers.

Yangdol Namgyal My name is Yangdol Namgyal Bhutia, I am a tattoo artist, illustrator and painter, based in Sikkim, India. My works revolve around Tibetan style and I am also studying Thanka painting under a Sikkimese Lharipa. I intend to preserve Tibetan culture through modern mediums like tattooing and illustration, whilst studying the sacred techniques and philosophy behind Thanka painting. For me, art is not just aesthetics, it is also an intellectual and spiritual pursuit.

Tenzin Tsering I am Tenzin Tsering (Tenzoni), a multi-disciplinary artist and illustrator based in Toronto, Ontario. I love comics, characters, and color which is greatly reflected in my work. I draw inspiration from current trends and explore the relationship between my everyday life and cultural heritage

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Urgyen Badheytsang Co-Founder

I am Urgyen, visual communications designer with a Bachelors in Graphic Design from OCAD University. I strive to make meaningful design, utilizing my extensive background in nonprofit and community engagement work with close to a decade of art directing and management ranging from successful international campaigns to government advocacy.

Tenzing Lhamo Dorjee Co-Founder

I am Tenzing Lhamo Dorjee, a cartoonist, illustrator, and designer. Born in Vancouver, Washington, I use my skills in storytelling and humor to connect with other Tibetans around the world. With a BFA in Design at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, my most well known comics include “My Tibetan Tendencies”, “Taboo Tibet” and “The Lily.”

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Tenzin Lhamo I am Tenzin Lhamo, an aspiring animation director and visual development artist. Currently, I am a college student studying animation at MICA in Maryland. I come from a small Tibetan family who immigrated from Nepal, and hope to tell stories about people like me and around me.

Acknowledgement We’d like to take a moment to thank all of you who have contributed and supported us in making this zine! The founders (Tenzin Lhamo Dorjee and Urgyen) had a short conversation over Twitter at some point last year that it’d be great to have some sort of a zine where Tibetans could express our thoughts about issues and our ongoing lives in a creative comic. And a few online meetings later, we came up with this zine! We are more than delighted with the response and the beautiful and thoughtful contributions by artists and writers alike. And there will be more! Our hope is to release at least one issue every year, and open doors for more creative projects together in the years to come.

Thank you! Thukje Che, and Tashi Delek!

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Links and Information Website: www.DrokpaZine.com Instagram: DrokpaZine Twitter: DrokpaZ Facebook: Drokpa Zine

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About the Cover Art:

About the Cover...

In late May, following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, groups were protesting against the police violence all throughout the Seattle area and in particular the International District/Chinatown neighborhood. These illustrations depict the duality of both the resilience of the protesters using their voices and the resilience of the community during a viral pandemic.

- Tenzin Lhamo Dorjee

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