Kathmandu, September 9

High walls around private residences, offices and enterprises and public places, once defaced by writing of political slogans and pasting of movie posters and painting of party symbols are now being used to carry social change messages thanks to a group of youths who had turned them into colourful canvases of mural arts across Kathmandu.

Until a few years ago, the family of AC Shrestha in Kupandole was sick of seeing political slogans and movie posters defiling their compound wall and making the street look ugly. A group of young artists later painted beautiful designs on the wall. “Since the paintings depict social messages and we find them beautiful. Now event those who littered the wall have stopped doing it again” he said.

The paintings are based on a wide range of  social themes and express human emotions, including frustration over politics, urge for human and animal rights and resistance to violence of all kinds. The arts portray people from various walks of life, all of which look very close to real.

A revered artist and assistant professor at  the Centre for Art and Design, Kathmandu University, Sujan Chitrakar, is excited to see young talents working to express their ideas through mural paintings. He wants the young generation to dig further into the older form of art to exactly know what the youths are doing.

“Murals must not be used to replace ancient arts. This new form of expression rather should be used as a tool for preserving ancient arts.”He also expressed his concern about commercialisation of mural paintings.“It’s encouraging to see different agencies approaching mural artists for commercial use of their artworks, but no pressure should be placed on them to do that.”

“Although it’s difficult for have a sustainable income through such works, various projects and agencies are now showing their interest in hiring mural artists to convey their messages”, Kiran , founder of Art Lab, said.

Dibesh Raj Shrestha, a professional graphic designer and a devoted mural artist, said people had started showing interest in mural artworks and that was something mural artists should be upbeat about.

He, however, said painting murals for others is different from creating their own mural artworks espousing their vision and imagination.

Shrestha said, “Artists drawing artworks from their own hearts to convey social messages and painting for others as per their will are certainly different propostions .”