Tulkus 1880 to 2018 is an artwork by Paola Pivi.
Tulkus 1880 to 2018 is bringing together photographic portraits of tulkus dating from the early days of photography right up until today. In Tibetan Buddhism, a tulku is the recognised reincarnation of a previous Buddhist master (a highly accomplished teacher or lama, e.g. H.H. the Dalai Lama or H.H. Karmapa) who is able to choose the manner of their rebirth and can often reveal the place of their next birth by means of cryptic clues.
This project (a work in progress) aims to achieve a comprehensive survey of most, if not all, tulkus belonging to the various Buddhist and Bonpo schools, in all the areas of the world where Tibetan Buddhism is practiced. A complete photographic archive of this kind has never been compiled before.