KATHMANDU:

For all the art lovers, Siddhartha Art Gal-lery has brought an exclusive and enthralling collection to celebrate it 20th anniversary. The gallery, which has organised about 250 exhibitions of both national and international artists, is exhibiting art works by world reno-wned Austrian artist Soshana, whi-ch is once in a lifetime chance for many art lovers of Nepal to see this Pablo Picasso discovery’s work.

This not-to-be-missed exhibition showcases around 40 creations of an artist who has around 3,000 creations to her credit.

Soshana’s work includes different mediums like oil, acrylic, ink and has a variety in all aspects. While some of her paintings just give a hint of pain and loneliness through subtle lines that make a human face, there are others done with ink on paper which portrays realistic human life. The wide range of subject matter in her creations gives a peek into the life of an artist who has spent her life by travelling extensively. On one hand there are these portrayals of war, then on the other there are these paintings that depict people from Kabul to Paris.

Her use of colours is beyond imagination that creates landscapes ranging from a desert to sunrise from Thailand to Nepal. The way she has used lump of colours to depict different characters in a painting is charismatic.

The collection also includes unique collage called Riders and a couple of paintings done with sand on canvas, which shows her excellent use of mixed technique.

The one element prevalent in most of her creations is loneliness and fear, which represents the artists’ inner expression and her experience in life like the Holocaust. At the inauguration Sangita Thapa, curator of the gallery, talked about her journey with the gallery, which was established to “give voice to both young and senior artists and to promote contemporary Nepali art”.

Senior artist Uttam Nepali said, “Soshana, who is still painting even at the age of 80, is an inspiration for all young artists to remain devoted to their art as all an artist wants is to keep the art alive.”