Artists from Nepal come to Chennai for a cultural exchange

If there is something that has the power to unite, it is art. Be it music, dance, or painting, art has a way to connect chords, to tell stories beyond the spectrum of what we often see or comprehend. Titled Beyond Borders, the ongoing art camp and exhibition at the Cholamandal Artists’ Village seeks to achieve the same.

Telling us about the idea behind this art camp and exhibition, Sagar J B Rana, president of Nepal Art Council, Kathmandu, says, “This year, we decided to have a cross cultural and regional exchange of arts and artists because art has no boundaries. I personally always wanted to have a greater association with the South because the cultural ambience and milieu here is quite similar to Kathmandu. The way of life, the attitude of people, the festivals  here in particular are all very similar to that of Kathmandu.”

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Participating artists from Nepal include Bijaya Maharjan, Krishna Lama, Pramila Bajracharya, Rajani Sinkhwal, Sujan Dangol, and Sunil Ranjit. The number of artists was dictated by several factors, including finance and the buying capacity of people here. Rajani, a contemporary Paubha artist, who works on oil, acrylic and gouache medium for paintings, shares, “Paubha paintings are thousands of years old, followed within the Newar community. My artworks hold the traditional motifs, beliefs and portrays the religious aspects of Hinduism and Buddhism. The deities are painted by following the rules of iconography and iconometry.”

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Talking to us about his work, artist Krishna Lama says, “My paintings are about various experiences that I have gone through over a period of time. Passage of time is about nostalgic memories. It is mostly about motherhood, parenthood, the powerful gift of creating a new life that women are blessed with.”
On the other hand, Pramila Bajracharya’s paintings have a contemporary approach. “My paintings are a journey of ups and downs of life. In my most recent work, I have bid adieu to my old colour palette and found new motifs to express my innermost emotions,” she tells us.
The event will also see performances by Amrit K Narayan and Sadhanaa and a bharatanatyam piece by Shyam and Viraja.

February 24-27,
Cholamandal Artists‘ Village.
 

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