Bertrand Cayla was born in 1954 in Sallanches, Haute Savoie, France.
In 1972 he was accepted into the ‘Academie des Beaux-Arts de Paris’ where he studied drawing for 2 months. He continued to train as a self-taught artist in sculpture and painting. During the 1980’s he created a series of small sculptures for a ceramist in Haute-Savoie. He later worked in the textile industry in Paris as a designer.
Inspired by Buddhist philosophy he took ordination in 1992 and for the next 12 years he lived as a Tibetan Buddhist monk at Nalanda Monastery near Lavaur, France. It was during this time he created a 1m high Kadampa Stupa and established the tsa-tsa mould collection at the monastery which still produces statues and moulds for centres and practitioners all over the world. He assisted Peter Griffin in creating the large Buddha statue at Jamyang Centre in London.
Between 2001 and 2006, at the request of Lama Zopa RInpoche, he created a large 3m10 high statue of Green Tara, a female aspect of the Buddha. In June 2008 it was exhibited at the aFiac Modern Art Festival TRANS RITUELS 2. In July 2009 the bronze cast of the statue was taken to it's mountaintop setting at Osel Ling Retreat Centre in Spain.
In 2006 he was commissioned to make and paint a life size sculpture of the Tibetan king, King Songtsen Gampo for the altar at Maitripa Univeristy, Portland,Oregon USA.
During 2007 he spent time training in oil painting with a well known and much experienced English artist who shared with him his knowledge and techniques, during which time he painted a series of large oil on canvas of Roses, Animal Life and Still Life.
Currently Bertrand Cayla is working on a life size clay sculpture of Ganapati, a Buddhist deity, which will then be 3D scanned and enlarged to create a 4m high resin statue. He will then paint the finished version and will be housed at Nalanda Monastery. He is also working on two large oil on canvas 'thankas', one of Padmasambhava and one of Lama Tsong Khapa.
He still lives close to Nalanda Monastery in the Tarn, France with his partner and 4 year old son.
biographie
Bertrand Cayla est né en 1954, à Sallanches en Haute-Savoie.
En 1972, il fut admis comme auditeur-libre aux Beaux-Arts de Paris, où il étudia le dessin pendant quelques mois. Puis il continua sa formation comme autodidacte en sculpture et peinture. Dans les années 80 il créa une collection de statuettes pour un céramiste et travailla dans l’industrie du textile comme dessinateur.
Inspirée par la philosophie Bouddhique il pris l’ordination en 1992 et vécu les 12 ans suivant comme moine bouddhiste au Monastère Nalanda, près de Lavaur. Pendant cette période il créa un atelier d’art au monastère qui est encore engagé à produire des statues et des moules pour les centres et pratiquants bouddhiste intéressés.
Entre 2001 et 2006 il a réalisé une grande statue de 3m10 de haut, un aspect du Bouddha sous forme féminine, Tara Verte. La statue sera reproduite en bronze pour un centre de retraite en Espagne cet automne. En Juin 2008 elle était exposée au festival d’art contemporain de Fiac.
Depuis maintenant un an il se consacre à la peinture à l’huile. Il étudie cette technique avec un peintre de grande expérience qui lui a offert de partager ses connaissances.