To provide young artists a platform where they can showcase their artistic talent, the exhibition ‘The Next 2024’ is on display at Takpa Gallery, Lazimpat. Flaunting the creations of 23 emerging artists, this exhibition features a variety of artistic expressions, including drawing, painting, mixed media, ceramics and sculpture.
TKP
It unites individuals currently
studying or graduating from various art colleges in Nepal, providing a stage
for them to explore the inquiries and contemplations of the upcoming generation
of Nepali artists.
Curator Roshan Bhandari, who completed
his undergraduate studies in painting at Pune University’s Bharati Vidhyapeeth
College of Arts in India, said, “A common notion among us is to dismiss any
works of young artists, thinking they don’t know what they are doing.” Through
this exhibition, he wants to challenge such thinking. He believes that to
showcase one’s creativity or to tell a good story, age doesn’t matter. “So, in
this exhibition, my main motive is to let these art students have a platform
where they can unleash their creativity. And also, to let me have the
opportunity to guide them in a proper manner.” Bhandari added.
The diverse art forms create a pleasing
spectacle at the gallery. After chatting with a few students, I learned that
through colours, textures, text and material, they have invoked their
particular ways of viewing the world. One such student, Nischal KC, walked me
to his installation titled, ‘Contemplation’, and said, “In my art, I’ve
employed water as a metaphor symbolising the powerful emotions and thoughts
that can engulf us. The moon serves as a representation of the tranquillity and
calmness the submerged figure seeks, while the fish embody small moments of
joy.”
Looking at the artwork, one can see
that the figure seems motionless, capturing the stillness influenced by intense
emotions. Through this collection, KC has aimed to portray the intricate
emotional landscape that exists within an individual. KC serves as a
coordinator at the curator’s studio, ‘The Studio of Roshan Bhandari’.
‘Contemplation’ by Nischal KC. Photos: Courtesy of Takpa Gallery
Next, I was shown to Gaurab Dongol’s
nook, where panels of drawings from his comic book are stored. The work,
written and illustrated by him, is titled, ‘Dreams’, and Dongol has a good
reason behind it, “Parents frequently burden their kids with tight expectations
by pushing their goals on them. In my piece ‘Dream’, a young high school guy
aspires to defy the strict social conventions that have been placed upon him.”
For this, he has used pen and ink with added digital screen tones, drawing
inspiration from Japanese Mangas and Western comics. He continued, “I have
drawn inspiration from real-life situations among recent graduates where their
parents want them to choose a career that they find respectable and desirable.”
Dongol has illustrated the disparity between the perspectives of parents and
children through the panels of drawings.
The other very captivating sight at the
gallery is Yugdas Manandhar’s works. Out of the six of his crafts, one of them
titled, ‘Starry Night Over Kathmandu’ caught my eye. As a fanatic of Vincent
Van Gogh, who originally painted ‘The Starry Night’ in 1889, I was more than
happy to gaze for a prolonged period at a different version of the same
painting. The curator, Bhandari, spoke on behalf of Manandhar, as the latter
has difficulty communicating verbally.
Ceramic artist Sumita Baral’s ‘Emotive
Imprisonment’. Photo: Courtesy of Takpa
Gallery
“In ‘A Starry Night Over Kathmandu’,
the sky over Kathmandu serves as a backdrop as seen through the artistic eye of
Vincent Van Gogh. Through this, Manandhar seeks to place himself within Van
Gogh’s psyche and see the surroundings through his perspective.” explained
Bhandari.
The other one, titled, ‘The Boundless
Human Emotion’, pays homage to the theme within the film ‘Interstellar’. One of
the greatest films ever made, it uses a science fiction style to portray the
tale of a father and daughter’s love. The father manages to communicate with
his daughter, who lives far away in both space and time, even at his lowest
point—when a black hole swallows him.
‘Dreaming Of Adventure’, Bhandari
explained, stems from his ambition to go on an independent motorbike road trip.
“It represents liberation and fulfilment to him. The items in the composition
serve as a visual representation of the equipment he would bring along for the
journey.” As Bhandari explained this, Manandhar stood by our side, carefully
studying our faces.
According to Bhandari, many galleries
and studios today refrain from providing young artists a space. “Which is why
we see a lack of newness in our contemporary art scene.” Because there isn’t
ample room to grow for the newcomers, they cannot confidently express their
unique ideas and spill them on a canvas. “In the past few years, we have rarely
seen a new bunch of artists coming through, which is a very worrying scenario,”
he added.
So, when Bhandari thought of curating
this exhibition, he contacted many young artists and students in the field and
informed them about his idea. To his dismay, most of the young artists he knew
had either already left the profession, the country, or started another, much
more lucrative career. “One of them, whom I knew well, had returned back to the
village to plough the fields,” he shared.
Sushant Shree Rajbhandari’s ‘Inner
Visage’. Photo: Courtesy of Takpa
Gallery
This made Bhandari push even harder to
make the exhibition happen. “When I informed the students, I told them whatever
artform you can make, bring it to me, let’s make this happen,” and this is
evident in the exhibition. The diversity of the students and their peculiar
ideas have been properly reflected in their works.
The young artists have created
portraits of the world as they view it by fusing themes of identity, culture,
and lived experience. For most, the works take a personal, introspective note
to draw the viewers where they stand. By employing subtle observation and
symbolic elements, artists encourage viewers to consider their own thoughts and
ideas.
Ceramic artist Sumita Baral has on show
a collection of sculptures called ‘Emotive Imprisonment’, which, according to
her, illustrates the universal humanistic spirit that exists within all people
regardless of their differences in nationality, ethnicity, or religion, among
other things. The simple figures with different emotions peel back these
surficial layers to reveal the sameness underneath that connects us all.
Yugdas Manandhar’s ‘ A Starry Night
Over Kathmandu’. Photo: Courtesy of
Takpa Gallery
Another peculiar work caught my eye as
I was scanning the gallery. Titled ‘Inner Visage’, the theme of this artwork
can resonate with a lot of kids who are slowly starting to embrace adulthood.
This was brought to life by Sushant Shree Rajbhandari, a multidisciplinary
artist based in Kathmandu. His portfolio encompasses murals, experiential and
interactive installations, and performances. The themes in his work explore
symbolism of the human psyche, spirituality, and masculine and feminine
energies, among others.
‘Inner Visage’ explores the dynamic
interplay of inner archetypes—the budding inner child and the challenged inner
adult. Positioned at the centre, the inner child is in a state of growth, while
the adult grapples with containment, aiming for harmony and integration. A
golden line serves as a symbolic boundary, nurturing positive growth in this
internal dialogue.
Like Dongol, KC, Manandhar, Baral and
Rajbhandari, there are numerous other aspiring young students who have a knack
for viewing the world in an artistic way. Twenty-three such artists’ works are
on display at the gallery until February 4. “To see these kids become so vocal
in expressing themselves, it really makes me happy. And I would also like to
thank Takpa Gallery for providing a much-needed platform for them,” said a
grateful Bhandari. Calling himself a struggling artist as well, he takes pride
in having an opportunity to struggle together with these young artists.
The Next 2024
Where: Takpa Gallery, Lazimpat,
Kathmandu
Timings: 11:00 am to 6:00 pm, closed on
Monday
Until February 4
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