Art works of three generations under one roof

By Aashish Mishra,Lalitpur, May 14: At the Wind Horse Gallery at Moksh, Lalitpur hangs a painting by artist Umesh Shrestha. Titled ‘Between Devotion and Holy Touch’, it features five Buddhist prayer wheels fixed on what presumably is a monastery wall under an 

orange canopy.

According to the artist, who is a former member of the assembly of the Nepal Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), this is his effort to show the need to connect metaphysical devotion with physical sensations like the touching and spinning of prayer wheels, the need for elements to break the barriers of isolation and come together 

to form a whole.

“After all, love without devotion, attachment without love and trust without attachment is like a plastic flower – lifeless,” 

Shrestha expressed. 

An endorsement and an exhortation for connection, it is very fitting then that this work is on display at Moksh as part of the ‘3 GEN… Under the full moon’ exhibition that aims to bring three generations of Nepali artists – the seniors who paved the way, the middle-aged professionals and the youngsters making their mark – together under a single umbrella. Out of the total 26 artists who have participated in the exhibition, 11 are over 60 years old, eight are between the ages of 40 and 60 and seven are between 

20 and 40. 

Shrestha came up with the concept and the title for the exhibition and the event was coordinated by veteran artist and founding chancellor of NAFA Kiran Manandhar. In his statement published in the catalogue for the exhibition, he said that ‘Under the full moon’ was an “integrated attempt to share the rich experiences of the seniors and take inspiration from the 

young artists”.

He wrote, “I take this exhibition as the renaissance of respect, unity and love among the artists … This respects and honours the masters and creates brotherhood among fellow artists.”

His ‘Painting’, a collage distinctly Manandhar’s (notably because he has made his own name, written in the Ranjana script, a part of it), is also on display at 

the exhibition.

Meanwhile, artist and art educator Sushma Rajbhandari helped coordinate with the participating artists.

Known for her symbolism and for presenting spiritual subjects using modern techniques, her ‘Ganesh’ is also on show at 

Wind Horse.

As per the catalogue, the ‘youths’ – that is, those under 40 – are represented by Anita Bhattarai and her arresting ‘Tara with Wings’, Kaushal Shrestha’s fusion of Japanese manga with Nepali heritage ‘Hope’ and ‘Magic Awakens’, Prabin Shrestha with his dreamlike ‘Landscape’, Rajesh Maharjan’s vivid ‘Manjushree’ and Surya Dudraj’s thought-provoking ‘Respect the Time’, among others. 

Among them, Kaushal is Umesh’s son, adding a literal dimension to this exhibition’s theme of intergenerationality. Meanwhile, Anita Bhattarai is a member of the exhibition’s 

curatorial team.

Visitors to the exhibition will be able to see a flow in the artworks on display and an intermingling of the artistic styles and choices of the three age groups. Some canvases encapsulate vibrant statements while others contain personal reflections. Some demand the viewer’s attention while others meekly request it. Some require interpretation while others introspection.

People who have no knowledge of art or those seeking to pick up a brush as a hobby may also find the exhibition valuable. As Shrestha put it, “There are a variety of styles from a variety of artists here. This will hopefully show people that they can employ any method to express themselves and that there is no one style for art.”

The paintings on display at the exhibition are also up for sale, he informed.

‘3 GEN… Under the full moon’ opened on May 5 and will go on till May 26.

The participating artists are Bipin Kumar Ghimire, Gautam Ratna Tuladhar, Govinda Lal Dangol, IB Malla, Kiran Manandhar, Krishna Manandhar, Radheshyam Mulmi, Ragini Upadhyay Grela, Shashi Bikram Shah, Shyam Lal Shrestha, Vijay Thapa, Hari Jung Bomjon, SC Suman, Dr. Seema Sharma, Sushma Rajbhandari, Uma Shankar Shah, Umesh Shrestha, Anita Bhattarai, Gaurav Ratna Tuladhar, Kaushal Shrestha, Prabin Shrestha, Rajesh Maharjan, Ratna Shakya, Shankhar Shrestha, Surya Dudraj and Sushmita Kunwar.