National Fine Arts Exhibition to begin on Thursday

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, May 27: The National Fine Arts Exhibition -2082 is scheduled to begin on Thursday, on the occasion of the Republic Day.

Organising a press conference on Monday, Nepal Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) announced that a two-week-long art exhibition will be organised featuring artists from across the country. Paintings, sculptures, and installation art across various art disciplines will be displayed. 

Naradmani Hartamchhali, Chancellor of the Academy, said that while artists contribute to promoting art and even to the economy, there is no exact data on them. He said that a survey and profiling of artists will be conducted in the future, and a research will be carried out in the field of art.

Vice-Chancellor and Executive Coordinator of the Exhibition, Lal Kaji Lama, highlighted the history of the National Fine Arts Exhibition. He said it would be organised in the form of a festival and aims to preserve the originality of art forms and bring indigenous art into the mainstream.

Member Secretary of the Academy, Devendra Kumar Kafle ‘Thumkeli’, said that this year’s exhibition would be enriched by artworks from marginalised and minority communities of Nepal, including the endangered Raute community, along with works from various traditional and contemporary art styles.

Under the theme ‘Social Transformation: A Movement Through Fine Arts,’ the Academy previously held the Provincial Fine Arts Exhibition-2081 across all seven provinces.

 From these exhibitions, selected and non-competitive artworks will be included in the National Fine Arts Exhibition-2082, featuring 606 artworks by 571 artists.

 Along with the exhibition, NAFA has also announced the names of artists and award winners during the press conference. 

This year, ‘Araniko National Fine Arts Academic Honour’ will be awarded to senior artists Dr. Seema Sharma Shah and Mangal Lama. This honour includes a cash prize of Rs. 150,000 and a certificate.

The ‘Fine Arts Promotion Award’ will be given to the Federation of Handicraft Associations of Nepal and artist Pratima Pandey.

The ‘National Fine Arts Writing Award,’ which includes Rs. 60,000 and a certificate, will be awarded to Saroj Bajracharya.

The ‘National Fine Arts Journalism Award’ will be presented to Shiva Tamang of Gorkhapatra Daily and journalist Hemant Gautam, each receiving Rs. 30,000 and a certificate.

The ‘Best National Fine Arts Award’ will be presented to Binamra Dangol (in traditional painting) along with a cash prize of Rs. 100,000.

Likewise, various other artists, representing various genres of art, will also be awarded during the inaugural event of the exhibition. 

The evaluation committee for the ‘National Fine Arts Exhibition-2082’ includes Dr. Seema Sharma Shah, Radheshyam Mulmi, Uday Charan Shrestha, Purna Prasad Hyoju, Tara Prasad Ojha, Ram Narayan Mahato, Prabin Shrestha, Dharma Raj Shakya, Arina Tamrakar, Nabendra Limbu, and Pratima Thakali.

The Academy has also announced that all individuals, institutions, and personalities who significantly contributed to the successful organisation of the Provincial Fine Arts Exhibition -2081 will be honoured during the event. 

The exhibition, which will run until June 13, is supported by the Nepal Tourism Board as a promoter.