Student art exhibits usually showcase student art. But, Lindsey Greising’s exhibit on display in Shwayder Gallery 023 throughout March showcases photographs taken by children in Tibet.
The exhibit, “Undeveloped: Images by Tibetan Youth,” includes 20 images all taken on disposable cameras by a group of 12 boys, ages 8 to 12, who live in a Tibetan monastery.
“Through the kids’ enthusiasm and excitement over this project, I realized the incredible power to triumph over hardship and find faith in a brighter future,” says Greising, a senior international studies and political science major. “The kids also taught me a lot about their culture and the importance of Buddhism in their lives.”
Greising was in Tibet during winter interim for Project Dharamsala, one of DU’s international service-learning programs. For the past six years, DU has offered students a chance to volunteer in Dharamasala for three weeks.
“Tibetans continue their cry for international support,” Greising says. “Though the Chinese government continues a brutal occupation, the Tibetan people maintain peaceful resistance guided by their Buddhist principles.”
Greising wanted to see Tibet through the eyes of children, so prior to her departure, she called local camera stores asking for donations. Englewood Camera supplied eight disposable cameras and donated the developing, printing and framing for the exhibit.
Greising packed the cameras in her bags and hoped to find children to take photos. The director of Volunteer Tibet put her in touch with a group of boys at a local monastery.
“The boys likely fall into the category of the luckier people who have a stable place with food and housing security until they are much older. It appears that their greatest affliction would be loneliness,” Greising says.
“Some of the boys are as young as 8 and have left their families to pursue a life in the Buddhist tradition. It can only be imagined how difficult it is to be away from family, but it seems as the boys provide a decent support system for each other,” she says.
In fact, in the photos the boys are seen laughing, smiling and joking around amidst the sparse conditions and cold climate.
Greising hopes “Undeveloped” will become an annual project to raise awareness of Tibet. The free exhibit runs through the end of March; the gallery is open daily 12–4 p.m.