Jhimmai on display

By A Staff Reporter.Kathmandu, June 21: A three-day multidisciplinary art exhibition titled Jhimmai opened at the Nepal Art Council, Babarmahal on Thursday. 

The exhibition is a collaboration between photographer Nabin Baral, visual artist Bishnu Pariyar (Shree), and storytelling collective Radio Photo Patrika Sathi (RPPS).

Centered around a single moment captured 13 years ago in Suridobhan, Dolakha, the exhibition unfolds through three artistic mediums, photography, painting, and documentary film.

The exhibition tells the story of a woman whose candid portrait was taken in a tea shop during Baral’s journey toward Tsho Rolpa in 2010.

The exhibition features the original colour photograph by Baral, a painted interpretation of the same moment by Pariyar and a documentary excerpt by RPPS that chronicles the years-long journey to return the image to the woman.

While the woman in the photograph was never asked her name at the time, her presence left a lasting impact on the artist. 

Her image became a creative cornerstone for Baral, once he returned to again and again as his artistic voice evolved. 

In time, the absence of her name became a symbol of a deeper artistic debt of how art can immortalise a moment without ever fully knowing the life behind it. 

Through its deeply human narrative, Jhimmai invites viewers to engage not just with the artwork, but with the person and the pain behind it. 

The exhibition is open daily from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm until June 21.