By Aashish Mishra
Lalitpur, Sept. 25: A collection inspired by, created from and visualising ‘Sambeg’ – artist Sangee Shrestha’s solo exhibition holding the title which means strong emotions opened at Gallery MCUBE, Mitra Road, Lalitpur on Friday.
Featuring 38 visuals which include ink, mixed and acrylic works, Shrestha seeks to contemplate the momentum of human emotions, individual memory, influence of time and daily experiences of the past two years, Manish Lal Shrestha, curator of the gallery has said in his review of the display.

In Manish’s sentence, the emphasis lies on the “emotions and experiences of the last two years,” said Sangee.
“The last two years were a tumultuous time for us in Nepal and across the world. Because of the pandemic, many had lost their jobs, their friends and family members and were unsure of what would happen next. These are a product of that time,” Sangee explained the birth of her latest works.

Conceptualised from, or rather through, the pandemic and realised during the lockdowns and prohibitory orders, the visuals capture the fear, anxiety and anguish of the time but give them a profound touch of optimism. Through the use of colours and shades, she signals light and warmth. In her own words, she has sought to give a message of hope with the images. And that is what the whole exhibition, to last two weeks, centres around – hope.

With this exhibition, Sangee has also appeared to re-present herself as evidenced by her novel use of her trademark geometric faces.
The 2018 National Award winner has always chosen to feature these faces in her work to signify the mechanisation of the contemporary world. However, so far, she had only ever featured one face per painting. This time though, she has featured more. They are also more fragmented and more varied – implying a greater cleaving of the human condition and the deep angst and feelings the coronavirus pandemic and brought on.
This change was also spurred on by the artist’s own self-discovery. “During the lockdown, I got a chance to be with myself, to reflect on all the things I did before the pandemic and all the things I missed while at home. I myself felt the ‘Sambeg’ that poured itself out onto the paper in these different forms,” Sangee said, pointing to the paintings hung on the walls of the two floors of the gallery.

Perhaps because of this, the artworks do not preach hope, they share it, recommend it and relate to it. They communicate that they know what the viewer is going through because they went through the same.
Theology has also found a place in Sangee’s work with depictions of Buddhism and Hinduism blending themselves into the images on display. “Many people turn to the gods in times of uncertainty. That is why I included elements like the Buddhist chant of ‘Om Mani Padme Hum’ and the Durga Yantra in these arts,” Sangee explained.

All the 38 paintings on display are for sale with prices ranging from Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 1,50,000. However, commerce is not the primary intention for the exhibition. “I don’t want to just sell them to buyers from my home and off the wall. I want people to see them and feel hope,” Sangee explained.
The exhibition ‘Sambeg’ will remain open till October 8 from 11 am to 7 pm at Gallery MCUBE, Mitra Road, Chakupat, Lalitpur.