Himalayan Style

Author Claire Burkert and Photographer Thomas Kelly are collaborating on a book that celebrates a range of Himalayan architectural styles and design. They explore sacred spaces and indigenous styles of built structures found in Tibet, India, Bhutan and Nepal. A section on contemporary style in the Himalayas includes distinctive new museums, public gardens and fine crafts. An introduction by acclaimed Buddhist scholar Robert Thurman points out the cultural and spiritual foundations of Himalayan aesthetics. The book is entitled Himalayan Style and is due to be published by Roli Books, Delhi, in 2011.

Thomas L. Kelly first came to Nepal in 1978 as a USA Peace Corps Volunteer, and has since worked as a photo-activist, documenting the struggles of marginalized people and disappearing cultural traditions all over the world.  His editorial work has appeared in publications worldwide, including, the New York Times, Time, Newsweek, National Geographic.  He currently represents Hinduism Today and is based  in Nepal. His wife, Carroll Dunham is the Founding Director of Wild Earth Pvt. Ltd www.wildearthnepal.comNepal.com

Thomas Kelly has researched and photographed the books: Sacred Landscape-Pilgrimage in Tibet: In Search of the Lost Kingdom of Bon, Tibet: Reflections from the Wheel of Life; The Hidden Himalayas; Kathmandu: City on the Edge of the World, Abbeville Press, N.Y., N.Y., Fallen Angels: Sex Workers of South Asia, The Tibetan Book of the Dead, Roli Books Int. New Delhi, India,) Millennium: Tribal Wisdom and the Modern World, Viking Penguin, N.Y., N.Y. and Cultural Traditions on Hinduism-Sadhus, Cuerpos Pintados, Santiago, Chile. www: THOMASLKELLYPHOTOS.COM

Claire Burkert is an expert on crafts preservation and design. In Nepal she founded the Janakpur Women’s Development Center, which preserves and promotes the Maithili painting tradition. For many years she worked closely with ethnic minorities in Vietnam to revive traditional textile traditions and to help adapt them for new markets. With The Poverty Alleviation Fund she has assisted artisans in Tibet to develop and promote their crafts. She has written extensively about traditional art, crafts, and dress of Asia. She is based in Kathmandu with her husband Thomas Schrom, a designer and specialist in restoring Himalayan buildings.

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