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Angkor, Cambodia [17 pictures]
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From the C9th to the C14th the plain between the Great Lake and the Kulen plateau was the site of the greatest building programme ever undertaken. This consisted of what are rightly called "Temple Cities" and "Temple Mountains" as well as hundreds of smaller shrines, hospitals, palaces and thousands of humble dwellings. Many of these structures are still today emerging from the jungle, their purpose often unknown. |
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China [17 pictures]
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South of the famous "Yellow Mountains", Huangshan, in Anhui province, the hills hide a number of remarkable villages. In these remote settlements, during the Ming period (C14th to C16th), wealthy merchants and imperial scholar/officials built dwellings and temples of refined grace and on a lavish scale. The relative poverty of present day Anhui has saved many of these buildings from the destruction that is so common elsewhere in China. |
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From Hidden Lands [21 pictures]
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Many cultures have a tradition of "hidden valleys", secret places that will only be revealed under special circumstances. The buildings and artifacts documented here are visions from imagined places, inspired by elements from lands accessible to all. |
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Katmandu Valley [31 pictures]
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Kathmandu Valley shelters in the middle hills of the Himalayas. Its fertile soil and temperate climate has nurtured rich and highly developed civilizations for thousands of years. The Newars devotion to a particularly complex form of Tantric Buddhism and Hinduism has produced an astonishing proliferation of religious structures, images and artifacts. These are the sophisticated physical expression of profound ritual and philosophical needs. |
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Kyoto, Japan [13 pictures]
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Kyoto was the capital city for most of Japan's history and is still widely regarded as the cultural heart of the country. It is home to hundreds of Buddhist temples, monasteries, and Shinto shrines; from tiny street corner offerings to complexes encompassing entire mountains. A mature minimalist aesthetic and attention to the beauty of natural materials informs both ancient monuments and small daily rituals. |
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Ladakh, India [41 pictures]
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When Ladakh was first opened to foreigners in 1974, Tibet was closed and suffering under the ravages of the Cultural Revolution. These drawings are some of a larger series made at that time and in the following few years. The Western Himalayan valleys provide a dramatic setting for the austere whitewashed simplicity of Tibetan architecture. |
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Mustang, Nepal [41 pictures]
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Mustang is a tiny "kingdom", politically part of Nepal but geographically and culturally belonging to Tibet. It is a high altitude desert occupying the upper reaches of the Kali Gandaki, the deepest valley on the earth. It lies on the border with Tibet, north of some of the highest peaks of the Himalayas. Cave dwellings that are dug into the cliff sides have a prehistory of more than 3,000 years, while Tibetan Bon and Buddhism have been present for over 1,000 years. Its extraordinary landscape and elemental architecture were forbidden to foreigners until 1992. |
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Swat and Kalash Valleys, Pakistan [17 pictures]
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Much of what made Swat valley so special is now made inaccessible, defaced or destroyed by the followers of fanatical mullahs. To the west of Swat the Kalash valleys sheltered an isolated remnant of mountain Animism that once spread from Europe to the Himalayas but which must sadly disappear under the intense threat of Islamic missionaries. Here is a small sample from more than 80 drawings completed in the late 70's. |
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Gallery generated by SPGM |