Kathmandu:

A special art exhibition on the occasion of the twelfth anniversary of Commercial Artists’ Association of Nepal (CAAN) and to mark Arniko Memorial Day was inaugurated at the Singh Art Gallery on January 7 by Minister for Culture Tourism and Civil Aviation, Pradip Gyawali.

Minister Gyawali also also unveiled a special portrait of Arniko as a young man.

The exhibition showcases over 30 works by 16 selected artists who are above 65 years in age.

Artists Dil Bahadur Chitrakar, Tek Bir Mukhiya and Mahendra Anand were felicitated for their contribution to Nepali art at the inaugural function, while letters of appreciation were given to all 16 participating artists.

A minute’s silence was observed in memory of artist Anil Lama, who was killed in Jana Andolan II.

At the programme minister Gyawali said that art and culture play a fundamental role in the shaping of a country’s identity, and added that since we cannot ignore technological advances, we should start incorporating it without losing our Nepali-pan.

The exhibition showcases each artist’s trademark style. From Uttam Nepali’s abstracts to Hem Paudel’s birds to Krishna Gopal Ranjit’s serene Buddha created with smoke, it has the veteran artists’ best works on display. One cannot ignore Hari Sharma’s skill translating mythological characters and incidents on canvas to Bhadra Ghale’s simple work with charcoal.

The exhibition is for a week.