Chandra Binayak (2020)
22"x15" inches
Acrylic on Handmade Paper
Chandra Binayak means moon (Chandra) and Ganesh (Binayak). It refers to a very popular century-old temple in Kathmandu. This painting is an Imitation of Sheikhar Ballari’s Ganesh painting. Ganesh, with the head of an elephant on a human body, is a very fascinating God. To the Hindus, Ganesh is the God of fulfillment. This is why Ganesh has played a significant role in my life. Imagination is a powerful tool. An idea can change the world. Think of how much imagination it takes for an artist to imagine a human with an elephant’s head. If you use your intellect correctly, you can change the world with your imagination.
Vighnaharta (2020)
22"x15" inches
Acrylic on Handmade Paper
Vighnaharta (2020) depicts Lord Ganesha, one of the most popular deities in Hinduism. Ganesh is known for his wisdom, knowledge, and power. Vinayaka, Ekdant, Lambodara, Ganpati are a few of the names that Ganesh is known by his worshippers. Each of the names has its own meaning and connotations. The name Vighnaharta is derived from the words “Vighna”, which means obstacles, and “Hartha”, which meaning the one who takes away the obstacles. Therefore, Vighnaharta means the one who has the power to overcome obstacles. This is an imitation work of Shekar Ballari's Ganesh. I have been practicing painting various deities from Hinduism and Buddhism so that I can draw inspiration from these deities and apply what I have learnt to my own compositions.
Surya Binayak (2020)
22"x15" inches
Acrylic on Handmade Paper
Surya Binayak means sun (Surya) and Ganesh (Binayak) is another famous Ganesh temple. It is one of 4 very important and culturally famous Ganesh temples in Kathmandu Valley. This painting is similar in composition to Chandra Binayak, but instead of having a moon on the top of the crown, there is the rising sun in the back of Ganesh. The shades of saffron do not only symbolize the color of the sun but also signify purity. Buddhist monks wear shades of saffron. Orange is a shade of saffron commonly seen in South East Asia, whereas in South Asia, monks wear red, also another saffron color.
Ganga's Descent (2020)
22"x15" inches
Acrylic on Handmade Paper
This painting is an imitation art of P. Sardar, a popular calendar artist in India. The legend behind Ganga’s Descend (2021) starts from a war between Devas (Gods) and Asuras (Demons). Asuras decided to retreat into the seas. Unable to find the Asuras, the Devas requested a powerful sage Agastya to drink up the ocean, not knowing that once the water is digested, it cannot be restored. Bhagiratha, a descendant of King Sagara vowed to bring Ganga to the Earth, pacifying the wandering souls of King Sagara’s sons, who was cursed by a powerful sage called Kapil. He started praying to Brahma, who ordered Ganga to descend to the Earth. Angry by Bramha’s demand, Ganga decided to submerge the Earth by falling from the heavens. Bhagiratha panicked and prayed to Shiva to intercept Ganga before she landed on Earth and submerged the whole earth. With Shiva’s intervention, Ganga landed on Shiva’s head and was trapped in Shiva’s dreadlocks. Ganga released the water in a small stream. This is the reason why Ganga is shown flowing out of Shiva’s head.
Khor Lo Series I (2020)
24"x12" inches
Acrylic on Canvas
Khor Lo is a Tibetan word for prayer wheel, which is a cylindrical wheel made from metal seen in various Buddhist temples around Kathmandu Valley. Khor Lo depicts a Tibetan woman meditating while carrying a hand prayer wheel. A cylindrical sheet metal body, beautifully embossed, mounted onto a wooden handle. When the wrist rotates slightly, the metal wheel on the top spins, emitting positive energy. The woman depicted in this painting is a Tibetian, but the world needs to know that a Nepalese princess, Bhrikuti, played a significant role in spreading Buddhism in Tibet. Princess Bhrikuti married a Tibetan emperor called Songtsen Gampo. This marriage played a significant role in the development of Buddhism in Tibet. Nepalese artists and sculptors have contributed significantly to the development of Tibetan Buddhist architecture. Nepal might be over-shadowed by two giant neighbors, but I intend to bring Nepalese culture to the limelight.
Khor Lo Series II (2021)
24"x12" inches
Acrylic on Canvas
Khor Lo Series II depicts an innocent girl holding a prayer wheel. Series II of Khor Lo depicts the very harsh environment in the Tibetan/Nepalese region of the Himalayas. Even though both the reference photos are from Tibet, these can be easily mistaken for the scenes in Nepal. Similar landscapes and people can be found in the cold and harsh plains of Mustang, a province in Nepal bordering the Tibetan frontier. The very tough conditions in winter compel people to migrate into the lower and warmer regions of Nepal. Khor Lo Series II depicts a typical girl from the northern villages of Nepal. The thick clothing protects the girl from the harsh winters. Different from Khor Lo Series I (2020), the girl is wearing fine white silk and traditional jewelry commonly worn by Tibetan and Northern Nepalese women. Even though the two paintings are based in different regions they are unified by the Khor Lo, the prayer wheel, which is an important symbol of Buddhism and inner peace.
Manifestation of Shiva Series I
22"x15" inches
Pen & Ink on Handmade Paper
The manifestation of Shiva Series I & II (2020) depicts the Rato Machindranath Jatra. Buddhists regard Rato (Red) Machhendranath as an incarnation of Avalokiteshvara, while Hindus see him as an incarnation of Shiva. The construction of Rato Machindranath chariot was supposed to begin in the month of April. Due to CoVID19, the plan was postponed. During April, the high priest and the locals requested Guthi Sanstham and the local Administration for permission to celebrate this very important annual festival in a very minimalistic manner. The request was ignored.
On 11 June 2020, the lockdown was eased. The priests of Machindranath prayed for forgiveness due to the construction delay. On 17 August 2020, the Rato Machindranath Committee decided to celebrated this event. But on 19 August 2020, the government initiated a second phase lockdown. On 23 August 2020, a letter was sent to the president of Nepal. The letter was ignored.
Manifestation of Shiva Series II
22"x15" inches
Pen & Ink on Handmade Paper
The locals wanted to celebrate within the month of Bhadra (August/September) because the next month wa Manamaas (inauspicious month). The chariot needed to be returned to Bungamati before the Dashain festival. Otherwise, the city of Bhaktapur has the right to take possession of the Karunamaya sculpture, which rightfully belongs to Lalitpur. If Lalitpur (Patan) cannot organize the Rato Machindranath Jatra, Lalitpur has to handover the Jatra to Bhaktapur. That is why the locals of Patan wanted to organize the Jatra at any cost.
This turn of events indicates that, for the inhabitants of Patan, their religion, culture, and heritage are more important than the risk of CoVID19. The government committed a mistake by using force instead of resolving peacefully this issue with the Machindranath Committee. If the Government had taken timely action, the resultant violence could have been avoided. As it turned out, Machendranath had to witness the unnecessary violence.
Viswanatha (2020)
22"x15" inches
Acrylic on Handmade Paper
Viswanatha popularly known as Shiva, represents goodness, even though he is the destroyer of the Hindu triumvirate. Peaceful, yet with a blink of an eye, he can destroy the universe. He is considered by many as the God of life (birth) and death (destruction). How can a being possess both the opposites? Is Shiva good or evil? Shiva’s destruction is not arbitrary, but constructive. Power of destruction and recreation are used for beneficial changes to the universe. The untamed anger of Shiva leads him to extreme behavior. Either ascetic or hedonist. Parvati, his wife, brings a balance to his life. A relationship of equality. While other Hindu gods are depicted in lavish surroundings, Shiva is depicted in minimalistic clothing in the Himalayas.
Brass Meditation (2021)
60x48 inches
Acrylic on Canvas
This is an imitation art of Rajesh Sawant's Buddha, I decided to study this painting because of my girlfriend's father Ramesh Kaji Tuladhar, who is a brass metalsmith in Kathmandu. I decided to practice painting a brass Buddha. While ducking beneath the low doorways of Tuladhar's workshop, a gush of hot air escapes through. Tuladhar is a Buddhist, but neither Hindu nor Buddhist style is discernible in his works. Hinduism and Buddhism have co-existed for thousands of years in Nepal. My relationship with my girlfriend is living testimony to this. I am a Hindu, whereas my girlfriend is a Buddhist. To us it makes little or no difference whether we receive blessings from a Hindu or Buddhist deity as long as that deity is eternal, omnipresent and omnipotent. By trying to capture the yellowish/gold color of the brass seen in Nepali sculptures, this painting helped me develop a greater understanding of how I can portray brass in my future artworks.
Enlightenment (2020)
22"x15" inches
Acrylic on Handmade Paper
Influenced by the calm and tempered nature of my maternal uncle, I decided to paint Enlightenment (2020), a painting depicting Buddha. The eyes are half-open commonly seen in Nepali Buddhist stupas. If the eyes are fully closed during meditation, there is a possibility of falling asleep. If the eyes are fully open, we can be easily distracted, hence the half-open eyes. I made the painting in shades of saffron, the color that symbolizes purity. This is the reason why Buddhist monks wear shades of saffron. Orange is a shade of lighter saffron commonly seen in South East Asia, whereas in South Asia, monks wear red, a darker shade of saffron. When you crush saffron and add water, the saffron changes the color of the water. The more the saffron, the darker the color. The circular patterns in the back of Buddha are fragrant smoke released by burning incense
The Bayon (2021)
24"x12" inches
Acrylic on Canvas
Inspired by the richly decorated and one of the most famous iconic Khmer Buddhist temples called The Bayon (ប្រាសាទបាយ័ន, Prasat Bayon) in Siem Riep, Cambodia, I have painted The Bayon (2021), which depicts the symbiosis of Khmer and Nepali cultures which have influenced my upbringing and artistic perspectives over the past couple of decades. The stone texture is an artistic representation of the smiling stone faces, which are a distinctive feature of the famous Bayon temple, which brings fond memories of my childhood trips to Siem Reap. There is an overlayer of Buddha’s features, which are found in Newari sculptures. Newars, a very prominent ethnic group of Nepal, are known for their high-quality craftsmanship. Nepal is one of the few places where Buddhism and Hinduism have not only coexisted peacefully for almost 2,000 years but are historically intertwined making these indistinguishable.
BRITISH PROTECTORATE
This is an imitation of Lady Elizabeth Butler's "Scotland Forever! (1881)"portraying the charge of the Royal Grey Scotts in the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. The painting is displayed at the starting point of the main staircase. "I never painted for the glory of war, but to portray its pathos and heroism," stated Lady Butler in her 1922 autobiography. Lady Butler was an inspiring painter. Even though she was a woman, it did not hold her back from becoming such an extraordinary painter.
Nepal has had its fair share of history with the British Red Coats. Britain and Nepal share an important part of Nepalese history due to the fact that the British East India Company attacked Nepal even though Nepal was not a threat. The imprisonment of messenger Chandra Shekhar Upadhyaya led to a war called the Anglo-Nepal War. General Sir David Octorloney with an army of 23,000 Red Coats and 40 artillery attacked Nepal from five sides. Many wars were fought between Britain and Nepal. One of the memorable wars was when Prime Minister Bhimsen Thapa's father, General Amar Singh Thapa, was the governor of Palpa, who defended an attack by Major General Woods. He was deputed to defend against the 4,000 Red Coats advancing towards Palpa via Butwal. The Red Coats were confronted on a jungle route by the Nepalese Royal Infantry commanded by Ujir Singh Thapa, nephew of Prime Minister Bhimsen Thapa.
After two years of fighting, on 4 March 1816, The Treaty of Sugauli was ratified. Nepal lost Sikkim, Darjeeling, Kumaon, Garhwal, and Western Terai. Even though the treaty was under compulsion, some experts on international treaties argue that Nepal might not have had the capability to recognize that Sagauli was not a fair treaty.
CONFEDERATION HELVETICA
