Photographer Olivier Adam and his partner Dominique Butet, who is a journalist, have been documenting the path of Buddhist nuns in the Himalaya region for more than eight years. The photographic work Daughters of Buddha began in five nunneries in North India, near Dharamsala, where His Holiness the Dalai Lama and thousands of Tibetans found refuge in 1959 after the Tibetan Uprising. In 1987, the Tibetan Nuns Project (TNP) was founded, seeking education and development aid for Tibetan nuns in India. The TNP project was instrumental in the opening of primary schools and later nunnery schools for higher education. The nuns’ level of education has been growing thanks to the project; they could practise philosophical debates previously reserved for monks only. Moreover, the nuns could study Buddhist philosophy. In December 2016, for the first time in history, twenty nuns will receive the so-called Geshema degree, the equivalent to a Doctorate in Buddhist philosophy. Based on that, they will be qualified to teach in nunneries. Having been a great supporter of gender equality in Buddhism, His Holiness the Dalai Lama will take part in the graduation ceremony.
Taking place in Kinsky Palace, which is also the venue of the permanent exhibition The Art of Asia, the exhibition is organised by the National Gallery in co-operation with the non-governmental organisation [MOST ProTibet](http://www.protibet.cz/) which has been fulfilling its mission to support the education and improvement of the living conditions of Tibetan children, seniors, and Buddhist monks and nuns.
You can support the project by purchasing special prints at the exhibition and through the website [www.buddhovydcery.cz](http://www.buddhovydcery.cz/). Profits will be donated to MOST ProTibet for their development activities to support education and improve the living conditions of the Buddhist nuns in nunneries in North India. The project also strives to preserve Tibetan culture and traditions.
[Olivier Adam](http://www.olivieradam.net) (1969) is a freelance photographer and a teacher at the Auguste Renoir School of Photography in Paris. Olivier belongs to the humanist tradition; in his work he focuses on documenting the sacred and human aspects. His pictures are regularly published in English and French magazines, and he also regularly works for the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, taking pictures during the Dalai Lama’s European travels. Olivier and his partner Dominique Butet co-operate with various non-governmental organisations on many charity projects to support Himalayan nuns.
The exhibition is held under the auspices of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, in co-operation with the non-governmental organisation MOST ProTibet, and is part of the associated programme of the [Forum 2000 Conference – Festival of Democracy](http://www.forum2000.cz/en/homepage).
Photographs: Olivier Adam
Text: Dominique Butet
Exhibition Curator: Irena Šorfová
Graphic Design: Hedvika Marešová
free entry
Organizers
