Celebrating the beauty of Tibet
Seen through a photographer’s lenses, Tibet makes for a compelling subject, with its vast green plains and locals dressed in vibrant traditional garb. It’s not unusual to see all ages of monks on bicycles and horses — or pulling an Easy Rider. “There’s something unexpected and magical about seeing a monk stuck in traffic on a motorcycle smiling and waving to you as you’re walking down the street,” says Toronto-based physician/photographer Roman Elinson.
Elinson was in Yushu, Tibet, in 2004 and again in 2007, as part of medical missions to provide care to Yushu’s poor. According to international charity organization ROKPA, one doctor in Yushu cares for an average of 16,860 inhabitants. The photographs Elinson took on those missions are now part of an exhibition titled Beauty in Yushu, on at Toronto’s Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre.