KATHMANDU:

The Nepali and Bangladeshi art scene is feeding off of each other in celebration of the latter’s independence day.

In a workshop put together on March 21 at the Nepal Art Council, seven Nepali artists and nine Bangladeshi artists created art works around the theme of Bangladesh’s 37th Independence Day on March 26. The complete works are now being exhibited at the Light and Shade Art Gallery in Thamel.

“The theme was on independence,” said Rafique Sulayman, organiser of the workshop from Buriganga Arts and Crafts. “They painted Bangladesh landscape, cityscape, its disasters, cyclones...”

The exhibition was inaugurated on March 22 by Bangladeshi ambassador Imtiaz Ahmed and an honorary guest Ahmed Reza from Jahangirnagar University.

It was easy for the visiting artists to paint their country’s sceneries, but the Nepali artists painted from their memory of previous exhibitions and photographs. Since the backdrops of the two countries are quite different, it was a refreshing change from the Himalayan mountains scenes of Nepal to the rivers and fishing and village scenes of Bangladesh.

The exhibition is also showcasing carvings by Habiba Akther Papia, whose skills have not missed the Western art critics. Her sculptures mainly attempts to show feminine strength in the deconstructed human shapes in wood, stone, bronze and wax.

Though this is not the first exhibition held in Nepal around the theme of Bangladesh independence, this time there were two unique additions to the workshop exhibition itself.

“The amazing part of the exhibition is that for the first time we could exhibit renowned SM Sultan’s work in Nepal,” said Sulayman.

To add more variety, there is a photo exhibition along with the painting exhibitions called ‘100 Nations’. The photographs by Obaidullah Mamoon are documentary of Native Americans’ life in 21st century.

The gallery is also exhibiting a huge collection by Nepali artists at the same time, so there is something for every type of art lovers.

The exhibition is on until March 26 — HNS