Kathmandu:

A total of 94 artists — both upcoming and senior — have come together for a joint exhibition of 95 of their paintings and sculptures at the exhibition titled ‘Sangaalo’ at the Nepal Art Council. Organised on the occasion of the first anniversary of the Nepal Fine Arts Forum, the programme was inaugurated on June 20 by Madhav Kumar Nepal, general secretary of Nepal Communist Party (UML), with former minister Pradip Gyawali, parliamentarians and

senior artists also gracing the occasion.

The paintings are mostly rendered in acrylic on canvas with diverse themes being explored.

“Most of them dwell on contemporary themes. Some have used the traditional art form, while some have used modern,” observed senior artist Shyam Lal Shrestha, who also has his painting on exhibit.

Shrestha is among the list of well-known names in the Nepali art circle displaying their works there like Shankar Nath Rimal, Sashi Bikram Shah, Ragini Upadhyay, Ratan Kumar Rai, Batsa Gopal Baidhya, Uttam Nepali, Kiran Manandhar, among many others. Some of the artworks are the artists’ trademarks.

Speaking at an hour-long programme that preceded the exhibition, chief guest Nepal said that although he hardly knows a fig regarding ‘art’, nonetheless he believed it needed to be promoted. He urged the artists to expose the pain of the nation and its people while directing their efforts at creating a sundar (beautiful) Nepal.

Also speaking at the occasion, former minister Gyawali regretted that the proposal for three academies for fine arts has got stuck in the Parliament due to other exigencies, but was hopeful it would soon come to fruition.

The exhibition is on till June 26.

Different dimension:

KATHMANDU: In her first solo exhibition Fragmented Memories, Shweta Shakya tries to bring out her understanding of the multi-perspective nature of things. Prof Dr Bhadra Man Tuladhar, Registrar and Dean at Department of Fine Arts, Kathmandu University inaugurated the exhibition at Baryo Fiesta on June 19.

Mostly on mixed media, her collection of 55 paintings focuses on the theme of chaityas and the unnoticed aspects of daily life. She has used wooden boxes, plywood, canvas and paper as her support.

“I used to have a linear thinking of the very old chaityas. But later on I realised that mine was

just a perspective of it.

It has many more dimensions than we can think of,” Shakya said explaining her choice.

The exhibition is on till the June 23. — HNS