Artistic take on federalism
HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE
KATHMANDU: Nepal is a country that boasts of many cultures, and each culture has its own individuality in terms of tradition, language and lifestyle. Meanwhile, federalism in Nepal is a hot debate that promises to nurture each culture’s individuality for peace and progress of the country.
While everyone is talking on different issues of federalism, some young Nepali artists chose to reflect the issues of federalism in their canvas. As such ‘A Federal Life’ — a group art exhibition — is on at Yala Maya Kendra gallery, Patan, from June 14. Jointly organised by Support to Participatory Constitution Building in Nepal (SPCBN) and Centre for Art and Design, School of Arts, Kathmandu University, the exhibition features works of 22 different artists.
Before the exhibition, these artists participated in a two-day residential workshop on the topic federalism in Nepal.
In ‘Deshbhakti’, artist Bhawana Ghimirey has used the Nepali flag on a boy’s white tee-shirt. Wearing a pair of blue pants, sports shoes, cap and shades, the boy is dancing. There is the collage showing events and happenings in the country like mass demonstration, people working, children and so on in the background. Meanwhile, the sun and moon of the Nepali flag is placed side by side in Supriya Manandhar’s ‘Emblem’. In between the sun and moon is a pair of huge green hands playing cat’s cradle emphasising on constructive aspect with hands. The red threads in turn outline a rectangular framework symbolising Nepal’s map. The colour combination of green, yellow, blue, white and red are rhythmic.
Likewise, in ‘Rhythm’ by Rabindra K Shrestha has depicted federalism as a library as he believes that like the way books are kept in order at library for easy access, federalism gives people easy access to various resources. In his work, different books are placed in a row with a background that has rectangles of equal size. These rectangles in turn are in the outline of the map of Nepal. The colours used are in cool tone of white, grey and blue.
Artist Bidhata KC’s work ‘System Unfolds…’ showcases the history of Nepal beginning from Rana regime to the future. Here, the Rana regime is symbolised by spiky wires at the bottom and white flower’s spreading above the canvas show the hope for better future of the country.
The motifs and symbols in most of the contemporary paintings include the outline of the map of Nepal, sun and moon of the Nepali flag, Nepali flag, political personalities where the artists have portrayed them in their individual ways.
The exhibition is on till June 20.
