Our first Liang Yi Talks of 2017 will be an unusually interactive one, designed to introduce visitors to the world of thangkas, or Tibetan Buddhist paintings. While thangkas are important teaching tools in Buddhism and are often studied as form of meditation in order to help one draw closer to enlightenment, their intrinsic beauty and artistic value inspire even non-believers. Our speaker is Kim Chong, the principal and art director of the Munsel Thangka School of Art, and one of the few female practitioners of this art form and specialist in the Karma Gadri style of thankga painting. Before Kim's lecture, visitors will be led through a tunnel of disorientation, to prepare them to enter into a different realm. Kim will then speak briefly about the history of thangkas as well as her training in it, before hosting an extensive Q&A session in front of a small exhibition of selected paintings.