<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230208140216/63e3a0fa9c7e80680e0d7061jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="4032" height="3024"/><figcaption>All photos: ASHISH DHAKAL</figcaption></figure>Contemporary videographer and photographer Aakash Pradhan’s latest show at <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/review/muses-of-the-mountains/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Wind Horse Gallery</a> in Jhamsikhel comes across as being a quiet affair. But Corny Clouds, curated by Ujen Norbu Gurung, is far from the mawkishly sentimental.It leads the viewer through the glass doors into a dimly-lit corridor which has a calming atmosphere – quite literally, as on the walls one finds variously sized photography-on-canvases of the sky.The first are part of a triptych, ‘Nothing But Good Energy’. Large canvases as blue as the word ‘clear’ itself. The colour gradient shifts concentrically around a brilliant sun, as amorphous clouds trail in. The canvas in the middle shows a snowy mountain peak rising from the bottom-left corner. But what hour is it -- early morning or late afternoon? There is no telling, and, at the same time, perhaps it does not matter. What we are asked to view here is the sky itself, in its many forms and moods.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230208140216/63e3a0fe9c7e80680e0d7062jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="3024" height="4032"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230208140216/63e3a1039c7e80680e0d7063jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="3024" height="4032">Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/review/on-screen-mountains/">On-screen mountains</a>, Sahina ShresthaRight across are two more canvases ‘Was Good Till It Lasted’ which show markedly different skies in juxtaposition to the striking blue. The colours are warmer, with swirling shades of pink, orange and purple, like the ether in twilight or breaking dawn.A sliver of the crescent moon sits in one while a brilliant golden dot in another, as a mass of shaded clouds gathers under them. If ‘Nothing But Good Energy’ gave one a sense of an impending adventure, a flight, ‘Was Good Till It Lasted’ reminds one to pause, consider oneself, and be grateful for the beauty around.Elsewhere, a group of three smaller canvases present an almost cinematic look at the city. ‘5’o clock in the morning’ appears as though one zooms out from the brilliant yellow orb in the sky above dark hills to find an array of high-rise buildings and houses under the sky. While from the right, it is the exact opposite direction. There is, of course, no right or wrong motion: one either moves deeper into the vastness of the sky or reckons with the sprawling civilisation around us.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230208140216/63e3a1079c7e80680e0d7064jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="4032" height="3024">Drawing in from Pradhan’s vast experience in photography and videography, the exhibition is an intriguing cross-genre excursion. At the centre of the gallery, a video of clouds in motion is projected on to the wall, and in the adjoining chamber a series of nine works displaying absorbing experimentation with form and content. Clever collages, almost psychedelic in nature, ask the viewers to interact with spirituality and consciousness. Declutter your mind, they seem to say, and open yourself to a dazzling alteration of themes.The saying 'The sky is the same everywhere' takes on an interesting tune among Pradhan’s works. One look above and we immediately become aware of the expanse, whether from Lalitpur or the Base Camps or anywhere else in the world. Sometimes it is overcast, sometimes it is absolutely still and clear. But there is a sense of common experience.Read also: <a style="font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 0.15px; background-color: #ffffff;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepals-other-attraction-the-night-sky/">Nepal’s other attraction: the night sky</a>, Himali Dixit<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230208140216/63e3a10c9c7e80680e0d7065jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="4032" height="3024">Generations of humans have turned to the sky, adding and uncovering meanings in its folds and colours, sometimes worshipping its vastness. We too share in this experience, as the clouds rearrange themselves in various shapes and sizes. Here a rabbit, there a yaksha, each a different story than the last.Pradhan's works are inviting, with a subtle promise of familiar exposures. Then then they quickly become more: one must exercise one’s own imagination. The artist shows the door but we have to walk through it ourselves, processing, discovering connections and interpretations.Corny CloudsBy Aakash PradhanCurated by Ujen Norbu GurungWind Horse Gallery, JhamsikhelTill 4 February 2023, 11am—6:30pmRead also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/between-sand-and-a-hard-place/">Between sand and a hard place</a>, Ashish Dhakal<a style="background-color: #ffffff; outline: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.15px;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/nepal-by-night/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nepal by night</a>, Anil Chitrakar<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/nepals-sky-can-be-this-clean-every-day/">Nepal’s sky can be this clean every day</a>, Ajaya Dixit

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The sky is the limit for photography on canvas

<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109101124/636b71fc9c7e80680e0600ffjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1125"/>This week Siddhartha Art Gallery brings to us the rare opportunity to view the works of two celebrated Tibetan thangka artists, Tenzing Dhargay and Lobsang Tseten (pictured). Viewers will be able to observe the beauty and intricacy of the painters’ works of devotional art, as well as the unique specialties of the paintings of their school when compared with the thangkas with which we are more familiar.The thangka tradition dates to antiquity and paintings were originally commissioned for temples and religious shrines. Artists used colours found in nature, grinding stones by hand. Four schools of thangka art developed in Tibet over time, and some of them share many similarities with Kathmandu Valley paubha art.There are, however, many ways to distinguish artistic works of various Himalayan traditions. Chief guest Rinpoche Tsepri Lopan Tulku pointed out during the exhibition’s inauguration that while Indian-influenced paintings of Buddha have his shawl going over his left shoulder and leave his right shoulder bare, Tibetan paintings have the shawl coming over the right shoulder. In his talk, Rinpoche also praised the two artists for using original stone colours and real gold in the paintings’ backgrounds. “I am not saying this just to flatter them, but because they are really good and represent the ancient art well,” he said.Read also: <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/Devoted-to-painting,1705" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Devoted to painting</a>, Stéphane HuëtTenzing Dhargay is a tenth-generation artist of the Khari Khangsar family who, like most thangka painters, learnt the art by assisting his father. Belonging to the Menri school, he has painted both peaceful and wrathful deities. “Many people have asked why we paint such scary figures. In Tibet we believe that the soul wanders in limbo for 49 days after death, where there are many demons. If children grow up looking at these figures, then they will not be scared when they see them after death,” he said. Dhargay also spoke of how thangka is changing. The Menri school that he comes from is known for artists’ profuse use of green colour, and detailed backgrounds including waterfalls, trees and other natural features. Dhargay has kept the dominance of green, but experimented with the background, leaving that of many of his paintings bare.Lobsang Tseten’s works are large, intricate pieces depicting Buddha at the center surrounded by many other deities. Depending on the level of detail, the paintings may take him 5-6 months to create. The fourth-generation artist is also of the Menri school and started learning with his father at the age of 12, but then went on to study contemporary art in Canada. “I have come back to this form because of a concern for it. It is disappearing in its true form, and my work is an attempt to preserve that,” he said.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/review/guru-rimpoche-in-a-new-light/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Guru Rimpoche in a new light</a>, Sewa BhattaraiTibetan Thangka paintings by celebrated Tibetan artistsSiddhartha Art Gallery, Babarmahal28 Jan-11 Feb

Golden deities

<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109101116/636b70a79c7e80680e06008cjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="899" height="685"/>The visitor to the Taragaon Museum is surrounded by faces: from large, realistic examinations of elderly men and women to symbolic portraits in abstract styles. An exhibition titled A Portrait Story studies the genre of portraiture from all angles.The oldest exhibit is a framed photograph of Chandra Shumsher, his wife Balkumari, and two of his sons. Back in the 19th century, such portraits were a way of putting your best face forward. The means to own a camera or hire a photographer were only available to the fabulously wealthy, and portraiture was status.Read also: <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=19789#.XiBDb_4zbIU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The first photographs of us</a>, Kanak Mani Dixit<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109101116/636b70a99c7e80680e06008djpeg.jpg" alt="" width="876" height="747"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Fast forward to the 21st century, where almost everyone has a mobile phone with which to take a selfie and disseminate it to the world at the press of a key. The exhibition comes full circle in showcasing two social media ‘influencers’ who constantly post selfies.It may seem that flattering depiction is the only purpose of portraiture. However, the genre also exists outside this narcissistic box, and this is where artists come in. A Portrait Story features many artistic explorations of the portrait genre.Read also:<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/review/old-art-meets-new/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Old art meets new</a>, Sikuma Rai<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109101116/636b70ac9c7e80680e06008ejpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1456" height="1478">“Artists make a lot of portraits on commission, so these are commercial,” says co-curator of the exhibition Shivangi Bansal, “But we know of artists who make portraits just for the sake of making portraits. We wanted to see how artists are exploring this genre beyond commercial art.”Indeed, many of the portraits on display are not necessarily flattering. On the one end of the spectrum is hyper realism, where every tiny detail on a face, from a wrinkle to a missing tooth, is highlighted.Read also: <a style="background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=16424#.XiBEI_4zbIU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Art attack</a><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109101116/636b70b09c7e80680e06008fjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1236" height="1868">At the other end is experimentation, where the details of the face become irrelevant as artists play with outside objects, light and shadows. Manish Lal Shrestha paints only a fraction of his forehead on top of a pillow in ‘Sirani’. Pramila Bajracharya paints a two-dimensional figure of a Nepali woman that seems to portray her personality. Kapil Mani Dixit has an abstract piece which does not look like a portrait at all, while Saurganga Darshandhari experiments with a portrait without a face.Contemporary artists have also experimented with digital manipulations. The picture of a Kumari with an entire temple on her head is an example, and Ishan Pariyar depicts angst with a face that is bursting out of its rope bindings.A Portrait StoryTaragaon Museum, Boudha9-23 Jan

Portraying portraiture at Taragaon

<img width="2000" height="1500" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108141156/636a60a29c7e80680e056e8djpeg.jpg" alt=""/>Nepal's premier jazz band Cadenza Collective released its fourth album Himalayan Songlines: Cadenza Collective on Wednesday 16 October with a rousing performance at Jazz Upstairs, Lazimpat. In a warm, cozy atmosphere of graffitied walls, uneven wooden tables and music enthusiasts holding overflowing glasses of beer, Cadenza delivered the new songs in its characteristic fusion style.The album is another iteration of Cadenza's signature, blending classical western instruments like saxophone, drums and guitar, with infusions of Nepali sounds. The foot-tapping first song, Lai Bari Lai, starts with a saxophone melody, is carried over by enthusiastic drumming and ends with a little hum. "This song is about how life has been for us after our last album, growing up, having, fun and moving on with life in Nepal," says the group’s founder Navin Chhetri.The next song, Darjeeling Tea, is about Chhetri’s memories of the famed Indian town. The edgy number is fast moving, and had quite a few members in the audience twirling and twisting. With fewer melodies, more drumming, and quite a bit of scatting, the number is definitely an upbeat one.Read also:<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/jazz-returns-to-the-mandu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Jazz returns to the Mandu</a>, Sanghamtira Subba  <img width="640" height="602" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108141156/636a60a69c7e80680e056e8ejpeg.jpg" alt="">Pari Garu is reminiscent of naughty things and youthful vibes, with a mix of melody and rhythm. Eh Maya is a thoughtful and contemplative song, with slow, lilting melodies that make you want to close your eyes and just listen. The saxophone is prominent here, and the band's gentle singing about love adds to its dreamy charm.Read also<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/kathmandu-and-all-that-jazz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">: Kathmandu, and all that jazz....,</a> Sewa Bhattarai A surprising number in the album is Blueselo, which fuses the Blues style with Selo, a folk music form of the Tamang community. Cadenza reproduces almost exactly the sound of the Tungna string instrument prominent in Selos using modern guitars, and goes on to play Tamang damphu rhythms on snare drums. The song introduces jazz listeners to Nepali folk music, and also updates and broadens the scope of Tamang Selo. The song increases in tempo and ends on a loud jubilant note, with the audience cheering along in enjoyment. All in all, Cadenza's latest album is a treat for jazz lovers everywhere. In the spirit of jazz, the album contains much improvisation, and introduces many facets of Nepali music to the jazz audience. Cadenza has made a niche for itself and Nepali jazz with cultural amalgamation in music, and its latest album cements that reputation.

Cadenza's new collection

If it is October, it must be Dasain in Kathmandu. And it must be time for Surya Nepal Jazzmandu. This year, the 17th edition of the Kathmandu Jazz Festival returns with artists from all over the globe performing in the city.International bands like Tropic Green, RSxT, Adrian Crookston &amp; Palouse Forro, Paul Tynan &amp; Jake Hanlon and Faby Medina, as well as The Blue Fret, Cadenza Collective and Jooni from Nepal will be performing from 17-23 October in different venues in Kathmandu Valley.Jazz has come a long way from the African American communities on the cobbled streets of New Orleans in the late 19th century to different corners of the globe. It has evolved into latin jazz, gypsy jazz, Afro-Cuban jazz, and even Nepali jazz. But even though the blues and swing-inspired art form has branched out, improvisation -- the essence of jazz -- is still its heart and soul. Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/kathmandu-and-all-that-jazz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kathmandu, and all that jazz …</a>, Sewa Bhattarai“In Nepal, jazz has influenced and inspired lot of Nepalis into listening, learning and playing jazz. Surya Nepal Jazzmandu has promoted jazz in Nepal and has brought renowned world class musicians to audiences in Kathmandu” says Samir Chettri, an organiser of the festival and band member of Cadenza Collective.The Collective with its eclectic Afro-Funk tunes, Nepali lyrics and jazz undertones have defined the diverse identity of Nepali jazz since its inception almost two decades ago. With the bass, keyboard, bansuri and sarangi. The Blue Fret band has also created its own jazz sound, combining the swing and blues roots of jazz with the traditional spin of Nepali instruments.Read also: <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/jazzing-up-in-kathmandu,3316" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jazz it up in 'Mandu</a>, Sahina ShresthaJooni, a quintet composed of artists from Nepal and around the world, embodies the sound of modern jazz and traditional Nepali music, giving life to a diversity of sounds and rhythms. The variety of international and national artists this year will add music to the streets and halls of Kathmandu between the holidays, sprinkling their melodious magic.Says Chettri: “Having musicians from different parts of the world brings cultural interaction and diversity. The fusion of Nepali classical music with jazz has also been one of the biggest highlights of the festival. The festival itself is a very inspiring and unique experience for visiting artists, Nepali musicians as well as the audience.” Read also: <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/sounds-of-west-africa-julia-sarr-quartet,3977" target="_blank" rel="noopener">West African Soul</a> <h2>Paul Tynan and Jake Hanlon, Canada</h2> Trumpeter Paul Tynan and guitarist Jake Hanlon are a dynamic jazz duo from Canada. Having played together for more than 10 years, they have developed a rare musical chemistry that is ever present through their fluid improvisations during performances.“Improvisation is the heart and soul of jazz. It’s where the art lives in jazz music.  As a jazz musician improvisation means creating new music in the moment while being mindful of the surrounding sonic environment and what the other musicians are contributing to that by reacting and interacting. It’s a lot like a deep verbal conversation in many ways.”   <img width="500" height="419" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108141152/636a5f2b9c7e80680e056e0ejpeg.jpg" alt=""/><h2>Faby Medina, France</h2> <img width="500" height="419" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108141152/636a5f2d9c7e80680e056e0fjpeg.jpg" alt="">Faby Medina is a captivating singer-songwriter who released her debut album Following Love in 2017.Her songs are deeply personal, upbeat, occasionally influenced by her Caribbean background and touched with soul, swing and pop. She will be backed by Frank Herrgott (keyboard), Bruno Schorp (bass) and Julie Saury (drums).“Ella Fitzgerald! The first time I heard her voice, I was in shock. Her swing, her scat, her humour, her joy! I just fell in love! My Caribbean roots has also influenced my sound. It helps me to sing with my body. My parents come from Guadeloupe and it’s very important to dance out there! Everyone is comfortable with their body.” <h2>The Blue Fret</h2> Led by the musical Suman Thapa, this Nepali band combines the traditional sound of the bansuri and sarangi with western tones and both English and Nepali lyrics. Its much anticipated debut album Jiri Blues was released in 2018.“When music came through, it was hard to separate the western and eastern style, and the genres we experimented with. But the music incorporated all the elements and it worked. The versatility of the musicians, and the open mindedness to play what feels and sounds good has been crucial to executing this.” <img width="500" height="419" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108141152/636a5f2f9c7e80680e056e10jpeg.jpg" alt=""><h2>Jooni Collective</h2> <img width="500" height="419" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108141152/636a5f319c7e80680e056e11jpeg.jpg" alt="">Jooni Collective is the musical project of pianist and composer Abhisek Bhadra and vocalist Maria Fajardo. Now a quintet with Alessio Cazzetta on the guitar, Rajat Rai on the bass and Kiran Shahi on the drums, its music is a reflection of the diverse backgrounds and experiences of members.“Nepali music is a very rich tradition with a lot of variations. But the reason why most traditional Nepali music forms, specially Nepali classical music and jazz does work well together is that both forms of music are deeply rooted within the concept of Improvisation. Same is the case for jazz and most folk traditions. Whether or not it blends seamless together or not simply relies on the artist’s intentions and methods to achieve it.” <h2>Adrian Crookston &amp; Palouse Forro, USA</h2> Palouse Forró’s music isn’t exactly ‘jazz’. Forró is a genre, dance, rhythm, that originates in the northeast of Brazil. The sound is inspired by the language of jazz and improvisation through the percussion and accordion. Much of its style is influenced by premier jazz accordion players like Dominguinhos and Sivuca who got their start with Forró.“For me, Jazz is an incredible innovation and gift given to the world primarily by Black Americans. Now, people all over the world are innovating in Jazz, it’s happening right here right now in Kathmandu and has been for a while by Nepalis too!” <img width="500" height="419" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108141152/636a5f329c7e80680e056e12jpeg.jpg" alt=""><h2>Tropic Green, Singapore</h2> <img width="1400" height="788" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108141152/636a5f349c7e80680e056e13jpeg.jpg" alt="">Tropic Green is an 8 piece jazz band based in Singapore and composed of musicians from Singapore, Venezuela, USA and Cuba. Its music is composed and arranged by pianist Susan Harmer. According to Harmer, 5 horns give the band its unique sound, adding harmonic and textural richness to their music.“Jazz musicians are unashamed borrowers -- there is no single element that is uniquely jazz. Jazz borrows harmonies, rhythms and the element of improvisation from all global genres. It is this universal richness, where no single performance of a tune is alike that is recognized as being jazz.” <h2>Eastern Classical</h2> <img width="1400" height="417" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108141152/636a5f379c7e80680e056e14jpeg.jpg" alt="">Vocalist Manmohan Thapaliya Sharma has performed across Nepal and India and has recorded two albums Kahile Gham Kahile Chayaand Shanti Sutra. Flautist Dhan Bahadur Gurung honed his skills in a workshop with the legendary Hariprasad Chaurasia, and received accolades for his work. Gandharva, a travelling traditional Nepali band, has taken its music across the villages of Nepal, keeping folk music alive with classic medleys and local instruments. The late Rabindra Lal Shrestha was a maestro of classical Nepali music. His compositions, teachings and tabla-playing skills have left a lasting impression on younger musicians. His son Bijay Shrestha is performing at Surya Nepal Jazzmandu to pay tribute to his father who remains an inspiration to a new generation of tabla players.“Our classical Nepali music and traditional songs are a part of our identity, history and culture. It is our duty to preserve it. But it can only be preserved and promoted through the collaborative efforts of the government, media, fine arts education and programs like Jazzmandu.”  <h2>Cadenza Collective</h2> <img width="1400" height="707" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108141152/636a5f399c7e80680e056e15jpeg.jpg" alt="">Cadenza Collective, Nepal’s first jazz band, seamlessly blends Jazz, Afro-funk and Nepali folk music with an eclectic, energetic sound. It not only pioneered jazz in Nepal but also experimented with it to create a completely unique form of jazz.“Jazz has got better and has come a long way in Nepal, it has become a household word alongside other music genres. Besides guitar, bass, keyboard and drums, we have young musicians picking up horns (trombone, trumpet, and saxophone etc.) and quite a few jazz bands in the scene. It's looking good but we got to keep on pushing further <h2>RSxT, Germany</h2> <img width="1400" height="787" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108141152/636a5f3c9c7e80680e056e16jpeg.jpg" alt="">RSxT breaks through genre barriers by seamlessly blending jazz, electronic music, soul, pop and hip-hop. The ‘x’ in RSxT (Roman Schuler X Trio) stands for ‘unknown and the extraordinary’ and ‘for the crossing of Boundaries and directions’. As it constantly remixes its own music, you will never truly know what to expect but you can always look forward to an exciting and dynamic performance.“Jazz for us is not only a genre, but more the permission to be free while expressing ourselves. I love combining the lyrical power of the piano with grooving beats. Hip Hop, Soul and Electronic are styles that have this groove, and also have the space for keyboard sounds of all kinds. I love all this styles and that is why I want to play them, bring them together and mix genres. I'm not afraid to break boundaries.”“Although we are all educated jazz musicians, Jazz for us is not only a genre, but more the permission to be free while expressing ourselves. I love combining the lyrical power of the piano with grooving beats. Hip Hop, Soul and Electronic are styles that have this groove, and also have the space for keyboard sounds of all kinds. To most simply answer is: I love all this styles and that’s why I want to play them, bring them together and mix genres. I'm not afraid to break boundaries.” <h2>Surya Nepal Jazzmandu 2019</h2> CONCERT FOR YOUNG STUDENTS12-1:30pm, 17 October Alliance Française, Jhamsikhel By invitation only Jazzmandu kicks off with a free concert playing great music for young minds. The Concert for School Students continues Jazzmandu’s long tradition of promoting music education and cross-cultural understanding. Interested schools and individual students can request invitations by writing to info@jazzmandu.org. Seating is limited. Gates open at 11.30 am, please be seated by 11.50 am. GROOVIN AT UPSTAIRS7-9pm, 17 October Jazz Upstairs, Lazimpat Ticket: Rs600Cadenza Collective gather new and old friends for an explosive jam at the heart of Jazz in Nepal, Jazz Upstairs! Gates open at 6 pm. Seating is limited. VALLEY JAMS7-9pm, 18 October Ticket: Rs600Moksh, Jhamsikhel – Tropic Green  Jazz Upstairs, Lazimpat – Paul Tynan &amp; Jake Hanlon / Palouse Forro  House of Music, Thamel – RSxT  Manny’s Eatery and Tapas Bar, Jawalakhel – Faby Medina Gates open at 6 pm and close at 7 pm. Seating is limited. JAZZ BAZAAR2:30-10pm, 19 October Gokarna Forest Resort Ticket: Rs1400Get away from the hustle and bustle of Kathmandu and be surrounded by the lush, serene Gokarna Forest Resort and great music. Gates open at 1.30 pm and close at 7 pm. Seating is limited. A ticket does not guarantee a seat. No outside food or beverages allowed. No pets allowed. Free shuttle buses to Gokarna will depart every hour from 1 pm to 4 pm from outside Hotel Marco Polo in Kamal Pokhari, and will stop for pick-ups outside the Hyatt Regency gate in Boudha. Return shuttles will be available between 10 pm and 11 pm, with drop-offs at Boudha and Kamal Pokhari. SOUNDS OF LATIN JAZZ7-9pm, 20 October Dhokaima, Patan Ticket: Rs1600Experience the sounds of authentic Afro-Caribbean and Brazilian Jazz. Gates open at 6 pm and close at 8 pm. Seating is limited. JAZZMANDU MASTERCLASSES11am-1:30pm, 22 October Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory, Jhamsikhel  –Vocal &amp; Instrumental Workshops Free Entry The Jazzmandu master classes are an opportunity for music students &amp; jazz enthusiasts to interact with visiting musicians, share their experiences and stories and learn techniques and tips on various instruments and vocals. Seating is limited and not guaranteed. JAZZ AT THE TEMPLE HOUSE6:30-8:30pm, 22 October Kantipur Temple House, Thamel Ticket: Rs1600An evening of Nepali classical music fused with Jazz in a rich and soulful ambience. International musicians share their musical ideas and energies with Nepal’s top classical musicians and Cadenza Collective at the fabulous Kantipur Temple House. Gates open at 5.30 pm and close at 7pm. Please be seated by 5.45 pm. Seating is limited. JAZZMANDU FINALE5:30-10pm, 23 October Hotel Yak &amp; Yeti, Durbar Marg Ticket: Rs1400The Finale BIG JAM! Musicians from different bands come together on one stage to light up the festivities creating a high-energy, improvised musical treat. Gates open at 4.30 pm and close at 8pm. Seating is limited.

Jazz returns to the 'Mandu

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108141116/636a56c29c7e80680e0547a2jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="959"/><figcaption>Photo: TARAGAON MESUEM</figcaption></figure>Surrounded by overwhelmingly large ‘Sale’ signs is a tiny object in a large hall. Ang Tsherin Sherpa’s golden statue of a Tibetan deity in underwear is literally the object in focus at an exhibition at Taragaon Museum this week, part of the ‘Object in Focus’ series, designed to give viewers the opportunity to understand art in depth.“When we are surrounded by many exhibits, we often cannot digest what it all means. So this is our effort to delve deep into an important piece of art,” says museum curator Roshan Mishra. US-based Nepali artist Sherpa is the third artist featured in the series.Sherpa’s statue presents many interesting facets to explore: its face, hair and headgear are those of a Tibetan Buddhist deity. But instead of wearing the usual finery, it is attired like a modern superhero, and poses with one arm thrown in the air, Superman style.This piece ‘…and the winner is’ is a replica of Sherpa’s 2D work Victory in Spirit, but the actual metal casting was carried out by Shyam Maharjan, a traditional craftsman from Kathmandu.Read also: <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/The-world-beyond-thangkas,3139" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The world beyond thangkas</a>, Smriti BasnetSherpa’s work carries on his previous tradition of mixing traditional and modern art. Coming from a <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/the-craft-of-art/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">family of renowned thangka painters</a>, Sherpa himself trained as a painter from the age of 13, and worked with his father on murals and monasteries for almost 20 years. He migrated to the US and painted there, also giving classes on traditional painting. That was when western art motifs began to infiltrate his work.Sherpa’s later works have depicted ancient deities caught in the modern world: gods in non-traditional poses, wearing western outfits, trying to break out of little boxes, shuttered inside claustrophobic modern motifs and trying to be heard amid the cacophony.The 3D work at Taragaon Museum fits this mould, but Sherpa does not want to talk about what it means. “To me, the pose symbolises a subjugation of negativity, it’s about hope,” he said at an interaction at the museum. “But I don’t want to attribute a particular significance to it. I would rather let viewers explore their imagination.”Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/review/us-nepali-art/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">US-Nepali Art</a>, Sonia AwaleInstead, Sherpa wants to talk about traditional art and his role in promoting it. “I used to work for months on a thangka piece, but then clients would ask why they should pay $3,000 for it when they can get a thangka for $200. The ordinary customer does not know the difference between real traditional art and souvenir art. Artists often fall prey to these market forces and are forced to compromise on quality,” he says.“That leads me to question what will happen to this art form 50 years down the line. Will we have any masters left, or only souvenir artists?” asks Sherpa.In an effort to promote traditional art, Sherpa visited many museums in the west and spoke to many curators. He found that they too had been desensitised by the flux of copies, and were unable to tell the difference between quality art and mediocre art. Sherpa then decided to contribute in his own way to get more recognition for traditional art.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/the-craft-of-art/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The craft of art</a>, Sewa BhattaraiHe returned to Nepal after the 2015 earthquake, and has since been trying to serve as a bridge between traditional artists and the modern, western art world. For this exhibit, he sought out Shyam Maharjan, renowned for casting religious figures. “I did have to convince him to take up my unconventional work, by showing him photos of myself being blessed by several rinpoches,” laughs Sherpa. “But this is a way of highlighting high quality traditional metal casting as well, when this statue is exhibited abroad.”Taragaon’s Roshan Mishra also raised the question of ownership about pieces of art like this one: while the metal craftsman is the one who makes the physical object, the art is usually attributed to the designer who conceptualises it. For his part, Maharjan is glad that the statue came out so well.“Many religious teachers have complimented me on my work, and I know I am a good craftsman. I am happy to see that even this unconventional design looks so good,” he says.Though his work veers far from his traditional roots, Sherpa contends that he has a deep respect for traditional arts, and aims to put more focus on them. “We don’t have an infrastructure to support traditional artists, due to which it is dying out. Through my work I want to open up a conversation about how to best address this,” he says.Sherpa has sometimes been accused of ‘sacrilege’ but the art world has welcomed his work as a breath of fresh air. “Thanks to the artist for this diabolical piece,” says Sangeeta Thapa, founder of Siddhartha Art Gallery. “We always see the same deities everywhere and wonder why artists don’t experiment.”Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepali-art-going-places/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nepali art going places</a>, Kunda Dixit Object in Focus 3rd Edition3-13 SeptemberTaragaon Museum, Bouddha

God and Superman

<figure><img width="3264" height="2448" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110811110/636a29199c7e80680e0458a9jpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>Saurganga Darshandhari with her painting. Photos: Prakriti Kandel</figcaption></figure> Saurganga Darshandhari’s Stories is a collection of etchings inspired by moments from her life. Through her art, the Nepali visual artists and printmaker tackles themes like the human bond with nature, time as it has evolved since her childhood and about social evolution.Darshandhari is a trained fine artist who has a Masters degree in printmaking. In Stories, she uses a technique she knows well -- the etchings are initially carved into metal, then coloured, and finally transferred to print, which is the final work we see. Almost every piece features people who are having conversations or are immersed in nature. But all the faces are empty. “Giving a face would limit the experience to that particular person, but without a face, the character could be anyone,” explains the artist.  Darshandhari is deeply inspired by the joy nature brings to humans, and natural elements like birds, fish, lotus, peacock, leaves, vines, feature prominently. Clouds intersperse many etchings and symbolise how transient moments in life are. We cannot hold clouds no matter how massive they are, moments also melt away with time. The lotus is another recurring element. It is a flower that emerges from the water to bloom and Darhandhari uses them as symbols of that struggle. Even though the artist uses ordinary subjects in her etchings, her presentation and how she weaves the elements together create an almost fantasy-like feeling. In ‘Unknowingly shifting’, the moon is pink and filled with vines against a midnight blue sky. Three aged people in Nepali clothing are riding atop a gigantic, white swan, journeying smoothly, a rendering of migration.    <img width="640" height="853" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110811110/636a291c9c7e80680e0458aajpeg.jpg" alt="">In ‘Yomari’, the Newa delicacy takes the role of a ship with a woman ensconced on a gigantic yomari. Other tiny ones are spread below it like fish, the purple splash adds to its mystery. ‘Mero ama ko thaili’ is a series that pays tribute to the artist’s mother and her childhood. “I grew up through the money in my mother’s thaili, which jingled with the sound of coins. Those coins do not have the same significance now as in my childhood because of paper money or credit cards,” Darshanadari explains. The thailis are presented in varied styles, designs and backdrops, telling stories of their own.   <img width="3130" height="1817" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110811110/636a29209c7e80680e0458abjpeg.jpg" alt="">Traditional elements interject the etchings from the chaubandi  that women wear, to the traditional architecture in the background. Traditional lotus pedestals form the feet of her persona, conveying the message that we must respect ourselves first.   Darshandhari also explores technology’s encroaching impact on human life. In ‘Time’, logos of social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, WeChat replace eyes and the brand names of famous technology companies cascade down the t-shirt of the character.The details in Darshandhari’s art, the interactions between elements, her use of colour and shape all integrate to convey ordinary stories from a unique perspective. She makes us think about the beauty of nature to the influence of technology. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJTR6fvvCrUStoriesSaurganga Darshandhari Siddhartha Art Galley, Baber Mahal RevisitedUntil 23 March

Etched in our memory

<img width="4000" height="3000" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108101136/636a23839c7e80680e0417f0jpeg.jpg" alt=""/>In his 16th solo exhibition Mithila Cosmos: Songs of Innocence and Experience, artist <a style="background-color: #ffffff; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/mithila-avatar,2861">SC Suman</a> depicts his experiences in his signature Mithila style. The exhibition at the Siddhartha Art Gallery brings southern Nepal's popular art form to Kathmandu.<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=8294#.XE7EwdIza70">Mithila paintings</a> are a renowned art style practiced by women of Nepal and some parts of India. Traditionally, women used to make the two-dimensional figures on the walls of homes with natural colours, and they were compulsory during festivals and celebrations. The sketches of daily life and mythical stories are now fast disappearing from homes, but making a re-appearance in art galleries and craft shops.SC Suman, one of the pioneers of expanding the boundaries of Mithila art in Nepal, has incorporated his experiences of living in Kathmandu into this exhibition. So not only do we see the sketches, flat figures in vibrant colours that characterise <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=6697#.XE7E49Iza70">Mithila art</a>, there are also Kathmandu landmarks like Swoyambhu, Pashupati, Kirtipur, and Newa architecture in the paintings. One of them even the paintings of the eyes and five Buddhas that the Newa community paints on doors. [caption id="attachment_20714" align="alignnone" width="1500"]<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108101136/636a23869c7e80680e0417f1jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="2000"> Mithila marriage rituals inside the doors of a Newa bahal"Though I am from Southern Nepal, I have lived most of my life within these doors of Newar bahals," Suman says, showing us details of wedding rituals and daily life in the paintings. "Later, I got married here, my children grew up here, and even my daughter got married to a Newar. So this painting represents how Kathmandu is an entire cosmos in itself for the people of Nepal."Indeed, Suman's paintings capture the melting pot that is Kathmandu. We see Kathmandu evolving through <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/nation-bhaktapur,597">the window of Mithila art</a>: from bucolic rural life of fields and trees, to a crowded milieu of buildings and more buildings.Suman's spiritual and environmental concerns are also reflected in paintings like the one of Dashavatar, containing all nine avatars within the outline of the Buddha, implying that the tenth avatar is a composite of every idea that came before. Though a Hindu, Suman puts the Buddha foremost in this work as well as paintings that touch the roots of Mithila philosophy with a tree of life, and the cosmos.    In a panorama of Nijgad forest which is now threatened by a proposed international airport, Suman gives umbrellas to the monkeys, birds, elephants that live there, but not to trees."The umbrella is a symbol of protection. Everyone needs them, even animals and trees. But who will speak up for them as we speak of rapid development that will fell the oldest trees first?" he asks.The Kachni style of line work, and Bharni which means <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/colour-play-mithila-art-janakpur,796">colouring</a> are both reflected in Suman’s rendering of the Mithila style. Most of his paintings are fusions of line work, or colours filled in with intricate precision, while some have broad swathes of background colours as befits the mood. Suman's work widens the traditional range of Mithila paintings to depict a whole spectrum  of emotional and spiritual ideas, while still retaining the basic art form. The exhibition also gives visitors an artistic representation of Kathmandu’s metamorphosis. <figure><img width="2000" height="1500" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108101136/636a23899c7e80680e0417f2jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Mithila Cosmos: Songs of Innocence and ExperienceSiddhartha Art Gallery, Baber MahalUntil 6 Feb

Mithila representations of Kathmandu’s metamorphosis

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108101136/636a23349c7e80680e0417d4jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="1067"/><figcaption>Sewa Bhattarai</figcaption></figure>Bodhisattva gallery has been active in documenting and preserving Kathmandu Valley’s traditional art, and is now back with its first exhibition after the 2015 earthquake. Jewels of Newar Art contains stunning paintings in the Paubha style, and sculptures made from the lost wax method.The exhibition features detailed portraits of Hindu and Buddhist deities including the Green Tara, White Tara, Manjushree, and Avalokiteswar. While most of them follow techniques for devotional paubha paintings, including using natural colours and painting deities according to classical specifications, we can also see many improvisations.One such work depicts deities in a wall apparently damaged by the earthquake. Others break away from traditional formats of the principal deity in the centre, and show gods in new, contemporary compositions. The exhibition shows us not just how rich Newar art is, but also how it is evolving in the hands of contemporary painters whose motif is art and not religion.Read also: <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/Buzz-the-art,671" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The art of the gods</a>, Tsering Dolker GurungFor centuries Kathmandu has been famous for such ritual artwork, prized for aesthetic beauty and attention to detail. Everything about the deities, from their complexion to their poses, is replete with many layers of meanings: for example the Green Tara’s green complexion symbolises compassion. While these paintings and statues are valued by Kathmandu’s Newar community for worships, a layperson also finds lot to admire in these works.Coveted by art lovers all over the world, stolen and pillaged, many of Nepal’s antiques now reside in museums around the world. However, it comes as a surprise to many to learn that the art forms are well and alive in Kathmandu. The exhibition at Bodhisattva attempts to bring such contemporary artworks to viewers’ notice.“Many believe the art is dead and can now be seen only in museums, but in fact Kathmandu continues to produce world-class artwork of great value,” says Anjana Shakya of the Bodhisattva Art Gallery. “The art was dying at one time because the artists did not make money, and the only way to ensure its continuity is to make sure that the artists can access the right market. We aim to promote the artists by connecting them to national and international buyers who are interested.”Read also: <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/blogs/mycity/2015/12/23/from-wax-to-copper/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">From wax to copper</a>, Gopen RaiIndeed the gallery calls its exhibits ‘museum quality’, and they sell for anything up to Rs 3.5 million.  Three of the pieces will be showcased in Vienna in April in an exhibition of Nepal’s finest contemporary art. The exhibition at the Bodhisattva is an opportunity to appreciate home-grown art that may soon end up in famous museums around the world.Jewels of Newar ArtBodhisattva Art Gallery, KopundoleUntil 2 February

New Newa art

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLjFWtXyhNY&amp;feature=youtu.beExploring the universal theme of ‘attachment’, Prithvi Shrestha blends various dimensions of existence, from the physical to divine, as his subjects bubble with energy.Shrestha’s acrylic on canvas works take us on a journey of understanding various forms of attachment from the mundane to the spiritual, from personal possessions to life itself. Fifteen of these paintings created over the past year are now on display at the <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/sangeeta-thapa-siddhartha-art-gallery,1999" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Siddhartha Art Gallery</a>.Inspired by the natural and physical surroundings, Shrestha shows us manifestations of attachment and connectedness that we subconsciously have with everything else. Through themes of rituals, festivals, mythology, marriage and death, the artist expresses oneness -- and how we long for it, even after life ends.“Everything is connected, whether we consciously realise it or not. The actions of one affects all. And because everything is essentially connected through energy, there is attachment,” explains Shrestha, whose calm and serene persona is reflected in his paintings, all of which exude softness and gentleness.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107111144/6368e2219c7e80680e033310jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="667"/><figcaption>Symbolisms: Artist Prithvi Shrestha explains his painting 'Ritual Conversation' showing how people long to be with their loved ones, even after death. Photos: Gopen Rai</figcaption></figure>Shrestha examines the delicate balance and inherent attachment we have with nature, culture, rituals, interactions and the increasing intrusion of technology that has seeped into and changed every aspect of our real and virtual worlds.“Our lives used to revolve around god, nature and culture, out of which sprang everything else. But now, technology has entered this space. We humans are now adjusting to this new element which has changed traditional ways of interaction,” Shrestha says, pointing to a painting titled ‘My Animal Self’. In it, the artist depicts himself with antlers and there are deer in the background – all symbols of how technology impacts our everyday lives.Every painting has the physical presence of a body in the form of animals and humans, the energy body through bubbles of power surrounding the figures, and a symbolic circuit board depicting the ever pervasive reach of information technology.Shrestha is known for using himself as the subject of his artwork, the reason being that he has more artistic freedom when the subject is himself. He explains: “It is mainly so that I can do whatever I feel like with the subject, without having to explain much.”‘Attachment’ is Shrestha’s fifth solo exhibition after seven years, and in that time he has been busy with numerous group exhibitions, workshops and performances, travelling within Nepal and abroad.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107111144/6368e2249c7e80680e033311jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="799"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Shrestha, 42, says he wanted to be an artist from as far back as he can remember: “I was lucky to have an encouraging family who supported my decision, which made things a lot smoother for me.”A student of fine arts from Tribhuvan University, Shrestha says he was inspired by his exposure to Japanese art culture during his college years, which fuelled his drive to create and cultivate a rich art culture in his own country.Shrestha was the first recipient of the Himalayan Light Art Scholarship which made his current exhibition possible. The scholarship is sponsored by Chinese artist <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/chinese-ink-wash-paintings-in-Nepal,2622" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zhao Jianqiu</a> who was greatly impressed by Nepali artists during his 2015 visit and exhibition in Nepal. He established the scholarship in collaboration with the Siddhartha Arts Foundation.The Himalayan Light Art Scholarship supports up to two Nepali artists each year for the production and exhibition of their work. Says Zhou: “We hope to create an exchange for Chinese and Nepali artists in future and promote a trans-Himalayan art exchange.”<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107111144/6368e2279c7e80680e033312jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="451">Attachment by Prithvi ShresthaSiddhartha Art Gallery24th May-20th JuneSunday- Friday 11am to 5pmSaturday 12 noon to 5 pm

Prithvi's earthy art

One smoggy winter morning in February 2019, Ekta regretted coming to her sculpture class. It was the first day of her period, and the 19-year-old wished she was home, curled up in bed with a hot water bag to soothe her cramps.
Her class was at Kalapremi Ceramic Studio, a dark room on the ground floor of a house in Maharajganj, and Ekta’s teacher was the artist Gopal Das Shrestha ‘Kalapremi’, a noted sculptor.
Two other students were already there, using all their muscle strength to knead the sculpting clay. Ekta, now 24, recalls how Kalapremi asked her if she was feeling all right. She avoided him, as she did not want everyone to know she was menstruating.
Kalapremi repeatedly asked Ekta what was wrong. She finally muttered that she was having her period, after which he grabbed her hand and led her to a partitioned corner of the studio and sat her on a chair. Before she could stop him, he slid his hand under her dress, and started massaging her abdomen.
“I was horrified,” Ekta recalls. “I told him to stop, but he didn’t listen, asking me not to be shy, saying he knew how to relieve my pain. He stopped only after I protested furiously.”&nbsp;
The art tutor then said, “You’re like my daughter. I’m doing it out of love to make you feel better, but you’re so stubborn.”&nbsp;
“Instead of saying sorry he acted like I was the one having crazy thoughts,” remembers Ekta, adding that from April 2016 to August 2020 beginning the time she was 16, the artist sexually abused and harassed her on several occasions. &nbsp;
Now, Ekta and the artist’s other former students are finally sharing their experiences and some are pressing legal charges against him, hoping that others do not have to endure what they did.&nbsp;
Award-winning artist and teacher Gopal Das Shrestha ‘Kalapremi’ (the name means ‘Art Lover’) is known for his ceramic art, sculpture, and contemporary pottery. He was <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/review/the-house-of-kalapremi">profiled in Nepali Times after a collaborative exhibition</a>, ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ at the Siddhartha Art Gallery three years ago.&nbsp;
His pieces, titled Gaalis, featured sculpted female figures with the heads of dogs, sheep, and donkeys (pictured) to depict derogatory terms for women. Some critics said the collection was a satire on feminists.
Kalapremi started his artistic and teaching career in 1983 and over the years taught at Bhanubhakta School, Kathmandu University School of Arts, Lalitkala Campus and at his private Kalapremi Ceramic Studio. He has also lectured at Jeonju University in South Korea and recently at Tabor Academy in the United States.
Seven of Kalapremi’s former students were interviewed for this story. Five female students said he touched them inappropriately in his studio or at Kathmandu University. Two male students said they witnessed him abuse and harass the women. In all cases, the students struggled to recognise the abuse when it occurred, and the lack of reporting systems left them to cope on their own for years.&nbsp;
Earlier this year, students shared a social media post hinting at Kalapremi’s history of abusive behaviour following which more students of the artist reached out sharing similar experiences. Some students spoke of abuse that happened as long as 20 years ago.
Kalapremi, 60, has denied the allegations. He told Nepali Times: “Some years ago, there was a movement encouraging people to hug and kiss. I used to do it purely out of friendship and love. But after seeing posts on social media last year calling out my behaviour, I realised my actions may have hurt some people. I understand now that I should have been more mindful.”
He added: “I am also an auxiliary health worker, so I know the exact points to massage to relieve menstrual pain. It’s not just menstruation, I take anyone who is ill to the hospital.”
Sexual abuse is much more rampant than reported given how difficult it is to prove it in court. The law defines sexual abuse as occuring when someone touches another’s private parts, coerces them into touching theirs, uses vulgar language, shows degrading images, or behaves indecently towards them without consent.&nbsp;
Ekta and her fellow students are consulting lawyer Suneeta Regmi Pokhrel, who says they know that even if the court decides in their favour, it is difficult to survive after speaking up, and influential men defend themselves saying they are being framed.&nbsp;
“They are in a lot of pain and weep when recalling how he abused them,” Regmi Pokhrel told us. “They are angry and have filed a case against him, but they are also terrified. They know he is a powerful man and they have seen how our society treats women who speak up against abusers. Unless people speak up, perpetrators will be emboldened.”
Art and academia in Nepal simply reflect the power imbalances in society where people with intersecting identities experience worse forms of abuse. Theatre actors Raj Kumar Pudasaini, Rajan Khatiwada, and Sunil Pokhrel were called out during the #MeToo movement in the Nepali theatre scene in 2019. Even after the allegations Pokhrel went on to receive national awards, while others continued to work without repercussions.
“If you speak up against abusers, you gradually get sidelined from projects,” explained a theatre artist who wished anonymity fearing professional setbacks. “The theatre scene in Nepal is quite small, you just have to make peace with the perpetrators and work with them if you want to sustain yourself.”&nbsp;
In academia there is a history of faculty members sexually harassing students and getting away with it. After Tribhuvan University (TU) lecturer Krishna Bhattachan was accused of harassing women students, the university said it would follow Nepal’s sexual harassment law and set up a reporting mechanism. But nothing happened to the professor, who had already retired. Instead, he counter-accused the students of 'attacking the indigenous people’s movement with baseless allegations' as <a href="https://kathmandupost.com/letters/2019/01/29/bhattachan-responds">he told the Kathmandu Post in 2019</a>. He continues to be featured as a prominent speaker including at TU.
Other faculty members previously accused of sexual harassment include Jagadish Murti Koirala from TU, Bishnu Prasad Acharya from Ratna Rajya Campus, and Bodha Raj Tripathee from Lalitpur Madhyamik Vidhyalaya. A woman staff member from TU also filed a sexual abuse complaint against Dambar Chemjong from TU.
Prominent figures like <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/the-rise-and-fall-of-nims-purja">mountaineer Nims Purja</a> have been <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/31/sports/mountaineering-sexual-harassment-abuse-nims-purja.html">accused of sexual assault</a>, and cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane, actor <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/celebrity-rape-case-spotlights-nepal-laws">Paul Shah</a>, and former speaker of Parliament <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/mahara-arrested">Krishna Bahadur Mahara</a> have been accused of rape, but society-at-large has let off the alleged perpetrators amdist a larger debate about justice for survivors and punishment of perpetrators.&nbsp;
‘Gaushala-26’ is the court name given to the 18-year-old who accused Sandeep Lamichhane, former captain of Nepal’s national cricket team and skipper of Biratnagar Kings in the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/here-comes-the-nepal-premier-league">ongoing Nepal Premier League</a>, of rape. She left the country citing society questioning her character affecting her mental health while Lamichhane got an outpouring of support. In May, the Patan High Court overturned a prior verdict that found Lamichhane guilty of rape and had sentenced him to eight years in prison. During the 23-month legal battle to pursue justice, Gaushala-26 faced threats of gang rape and acid attacks.&nbsp;
Exhausted by the struggle, Gaushala-26 sought to “move to a new world” where she could live free without hiding her identity.
Actress Samragyee Rajya Laxmi Shah in an Instagram video now deleted detailed the harassment she faced from a filmmaker during a movie shoot. She did not name any name but veteran actor Bhuwan KC filed a defamation case against Rana, but the court ruled that the charge lacked sufficient evidence.&nbsp;
Former Kathmandu mayor <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/theytoo">Keshav Sthapit also mocked the #MeToo movement</a>, calling accusations against him by journalists Rashmila Prajapati and Ujjwala Maharjan “a rape of men’s rights”.
Serial Abuse
Back at the Kalapremi Ceramics studio, another former student, 24-year-old Rajiv, says he felt the need to speak out after seeing his female classmates being abused.&nbsp;
“He frequently kissed them on their cheeks,” he told Nepali Times. “Whenever they walked into the studio he flailed his arms like a child asking for a hug. They awkwardly hugged him from the side, but he pulled them closer, held their chin, and kissed their cheeks.”&nbsp;
Rajiv says he also saw Kalapremi pull the women’s bra straps, touch their breasts, and slap their buttocks. The young students would freeze, not knowing how to react, and if they protested, he would say it was “normal in art”. Rajiv, 19 at the time like his classmates, remembers thinking perhaps the well-respected artist was right after all.
Another student, Luna, who took lessons at Kalapremi’s studio from 2020 to 2022 did try to confront the tutor after he made an obscene proposal to her. She recalls: “One day when the other students had left the studio and it was just the two of us, he told me that God had given him special artistic talent and he could transfer those powers to me. But to do that both of us will have to be naked, inside a dark room, and have sex.”
Luna, who was 18 then, was livid and told him she did not want any of his powers, but she says he laughed at her as if he was joking. She did not tell her family about the incident because she thought no one would believe her.&nbsp;
“They were all in awe of this famous artist and felt I should be grateful that to be learning sculpting from him,” she says. “I was scared to be alone with him in case he talked about sex again. My coping mechanism was to be rude so he wouldn’t try to come close to me.”
Seeing how some classmates were standing up to Kalapremi, Ekta too tried to push back against his advances, but she said he found ways to coerce her. Since Ekta, Rajiv, and Luna could not afford Kalapremi’s Rs30,000 monthly fee for lessons, he had offered them all a stipend to assist him in the studio.
“He had spondylosis and took me to his therapy sessions to learn massage techniques, then he often made me and other students massage him,” says Ekta. Whenever she refused, he would feign pain to make her feel sorry for him. “He would insist that I put my hands under his shirt so that I could massage him better,” she adds.
The art tutor often tried to “seduce sympathy” from Ekta by sharing how he had never been loved as a child and was “sexually frustrated” as an adult.&nbsp;
“At 7PM, he would pour himself Signature whiskey and immediately go off again about how he was sex-starved. I didn’t know how to respond. It took me time to realise alcohol was just an excuse to talk about sex,” Ekta says.
If convicted, Kalapremi could face financial penalty and/or a prison sentence of up to three years according to Section 224 of National Penal (Code) Act 2017.&nbsp;
Data suggests that victims of child sexual abuse on average take nearly 24 years to tell someone about their trauma, and some may never disclose it at all.&nbsp;
“In our culture, children are rarely taught about boundaries. They often react, show anger when adults pinch their cheeks. But adults insist they did it out of love, and force the children to accept it,” says Sita Lama, a psychotherapist at Manka Kura. “And even when someone touches them inappropriately they struggle to identify and verbalise it.”
When perpetrators claim to be “acting out of love”, Lama says survivors are likely to perceive it as something safe, rather than recognising it as abuse.&nbsp;
“It may take years for them to realise they were abused,” she explains. "And even when they become aware, the power imbalance with the abuser and the associated shame often prevents survivors from speaking up."
Other former students from the School of Art at Kathmandu University have also come forward years later, saying Kalapremi sexually abused them. As young adults, they felt his behaviour was off but were uncertain if it was inappropriate, illegal, or they did not know how to respond. After having understood that it was indeed abuse, they say they are speaking out now to protect others.&nbsp;
Amina Singh, a visiting faculty member at Kathmandu University, says there is no clause against sexual abuse in contracts of teachers, and there is no formal grievance handling mechanism for the students.&nbsp;
“So the only way students can to deal with sexual abuse is approach someone they trust,” she says.
Eight other former art students of Lalit Kala Campus and Srijana College of Fine Arts of Tribhuvan University and other private art studios in Kathmandu say they were also sexually abused by their art teachers. Three faculty members interviewed from these institutions said they saw the abuse, but felt it was futile to report it given how powerful the teachers were.
In the absence of a formal system, some longtime women artists warned each other about “problematic” artists. They shared &nbsp;a “heads-up” to be more cautious when collaborating with them, and avoided responding to their calls and texts after work hours.
To ensure art institutions are safe for all, galleries, museums, artist studios, and smaller art spaces need to develop policies on sexual harassment. This would include a code of conduct or studio policies that hold the leadership accountable and outline the principles of professional ethics.&nbsp;
Students and employees should inquire about accountability mechanisms for raising concerns, both formally and informally, advocates say.
Three years after Ekta left the ceramics studio, she learnt that Kalapremi had harassed many other women. Still trying to get a footing in the art industry, she attended a workshop in Kathmandu where women artists discussed ways to stay safe in the art sector.&nbsp;
Since it was a close-knit group Ekta opened up about how she felt violated and realised she was not alone, he had been abusing underprivileged students for years, and this was common knowledge among artists in Nepal.
Ekta says that even after she quit, Kalapremi continued sending her text messages like ‘I am thinking of you’, ‘Why have you stopped speaking with me’, or ‘I am waiting for your call’.&nbsp;
But what really forced her to act was when Ekta found out that he was sending similar texts to her younger sister.&nbsp;
“I’ve had enough,” she told us. “He abused me all these years but I won’t let him abuse my sister.” &nbsp;
Ekta, Rajiv and Luna are not the real names of the students.&nbsp;

‘Art Lover’ accused of sexual abuse

It was 8:15 in the evening of 25 March 1968 when everyone in the village of Batulechaur near Pokhara heard a deafening sound like thunder as a bright flashing object hurtled down to land in a field.&nbsp; That field belonged to Kul Timilsina, and the next morning he retrieved a sheet of metal about 2m by 1m and carried it home with the help of a few others, thinking it would be useful for his buffalo shed.&nbsp; Before he died at age 83 three years ago, Timilsina had told photo archivist Sunil Ulak that the black metal sheet was not rectangular and had rounded corners. There are a few witnesses still alive who have a clear recollection of the object that fell from the sky that night.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024120707128_75cc85aac56b9cc4a77366471f058d7b3eb6868776811b0923845c2d0a61f014.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="2024120707128_75cc85aac56b9cc4a77366471f058d7b3eb6868776811b0923845c2d0a61f014" data-rendition-name="original" width="1170" height="601" loading="lazy" alt="UFO over Pokhara"> <figcaption>The field in Batulechaur belonging to Kul Timilsina where fragments of a flying object fell from the sky in 1968.</figcaption> </figure>  One of them is Timilsina’s wife Gyanu, who was 22 at the time. She had been at home, and remembers hearing the big bang and the sky becoming very bright. “We saw the thing in the field in the morning,” she told us. “It looked like a lid, a covering of some sort. The way it was stuck in the ground, it must have fallen from the sky. We thought we could use it to dry clothes on, and took it home.”&nbsp; Another witness is Kul Narayan Paudel. “I was only eight then. We ran to the field to see what had fallen. It was a four-sided metal sheet. The elders took it away, and I don't know what happened to it.” &nbsp; Ram Bahadur Baniya, a teacher at the local school, says he had heard the sheet had been brought to the school, and later handed over to the Zonal Commissioner at the time, Nanda Prasad Malla. “But that is all hearsay,” he says.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024120707128_0bf207a12063fb8155b3c8d9a00a94887b126380c9e0627527c84cf5e1101f54.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="2024120707128_0bf207a12063fb8155b3c8d9a00a94887b126380c9e0627527c84cf5e1101f54" data-rendition-name="original" width="1170" height="610" loading="lazy" alt="UFO over Pokhara"> <figcaption>Gyanu Timilsina, wife of Kul Timilsina.</figcaption> </figure>  There are two versions of what happened to Kul Timilsina’s metal sheet. One is that an American Peace Corp Volunteer teaching at the nearby Bindyabasini School took it, and another is that it was handed over to the government. Recently declassified Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and US State Department documents from the time say that the US Embassy in Kathmandu tracked down the object two years later and had it shipped back to the US. A telegram from the Department of State and Department of Defense tagged as ‘MOON DUST / Space Fragments’ dated 1 March 1972 stated: ‘1. Restored space fragment will be on board Embassy support flight 115 arriving Kathmandu on or about March 10. Fragment is packed in shipping crate (cargo no. 72-33365) marked in care of DAO.&nbsp; 2. State and Defense representatives examined fragments prior to shipment finding restoration acceptable.’  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241207071212_929d903ee06d41baa4f6040e981cd7c7d7bd75cc9c37c9b617d307fc8538d2df.png" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20241207071212_929d903ee06d41baa4f6040e981cd7c7d7bd75cc9c37c9b617d307fc8538d2df" data-rendition-name="original" width="856" height="568" loading="lazy" alt="UFO over Pokhara"> <figcaption>Declassified CIA documents about the investigation into the object sighted in Pokhara. </figcaption> </figure>  The documents show that the US government, military and intelligence agencies investigated this incident thoroughly when it occurred, and have continued to revisit it ever since, as recently as five years ago. What is even more intriguing is that the object that fell in Pokhara was not the only unidentified space object that fell to earth that year. There were similar sightings of objects falling from the sky in Ladakh, Sikkim and Bhutan between 19 February and 25 March 1968.&nbsp; These mysteries were the subject of a CIA investigation in 1968 titled ‘<a href="https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP81R00560R000100070007-8.pdf">Sighting of Unidentified Flying Objects in Ladakh, Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan</a>’, and the report is part of the recent online declassification of 800,000 top-secret documents from the period.&nbsp; &nbsp;Although unidentified flying objects (UFOs) have a connotation now of being alien craft, it could be pieces of satellite, missile, rocket or even aircraft. The CIA report documents six sightings in 1968 and quotes local sources as describing all of them having similar characteristics: bright blue or red streaks in the sky accompanied by loud sounds like lightning and thunder and objects falling to the ground. Aside from the metallic object that was found in Batlechaur, there were other items also found nearby in Tallakot, Tureypasal, Armalakot and Maidan. Whatever the object was, it seems to have disintegrated even before it hit the ground.&nbsp; The CIA report records the first sighting on 19 February 1968 in various parts of Sikkim and Olangchung Gola and Ghunsa in eastern Nepal. The light was said to be ‘long and thin’ and giving out ‘green and red light’. &nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241207071212_c3c825027d966a2aedc846970390eebe063957503c7eacc8e01e0517843f9bbb.png" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20241207071212_c3c825027d966a2aedc846970390eebe063957503c7eacc8e01e0517843f9bbb" data-rendition-name="original" width="892" height="596" loading="lazy" alt="UFO over Pokhara "> </figure>  Two days later on 21 February, a soundless blue object was seen traveling fast across the sky above Thimphu in Bhutan. Then on 4 March there were multiple daytime sightings or white streaks in the sky at Chang La Pass, Fukche and Koyul in Ladakh. There were more sightings in Ladakh on the very day fragments fell near Pokhara on 25 March 1968.&nbsp; After the sightings in Pokhara, rumours started flying in Kathmandu that these were aliens trying to land on Earth, it could be Russian or Chinese spy planes or satellites, and some even say it as a sign from heaven that the end of the world was near. This was at the height of the Cold War. The Russians and Americans were testing their thermonuclear devices as well as intercontinental ballistic missile delivery systems. The Washington-Beijing rapprochement had not yet happened, and China was making quick progress testing atomic bombs. Within two years after its first atomic test, in 1966 China exploded its first hydrogen bomb at the Lop Nur site in Xinjiang, 3,000km to the north from Nepal. After neary six decades, what is still intriguing is that all the sightings within a few months of each other in 1968 were along the Himalayan arc bordering Tibet: from Bhutan, Sikkim Nepal, to Ladakh. The US military intelligence seems to have concluded that this was not a coincidence and there were frequent research trips to the site in Pokhara by American officials in the months after the incident. With the help of the Royal Nepal Army, the region north of Pokhara was thoroughly searched.&nbsp; A confidential memo dated 25 June 1968 by Jerry C Trippy to a ‘Mr Farley’ mentions that the US Air Force’s Foreign Technology Division had decided that the debris could be important because it may be related to a Chinese missile test or a Soviet ‘Vehicle Venik’ rocket.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241207071216_feb5425692dc36b20187de4e4fcc2ce9fd12b6d9e1b8724398e50bcdbf9032fe.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20241207071216_feb5425692dc36b20187de4e4fcc2ce9fd12b6d9e1b8724398e50bcdbf9032fe" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="UFO over Pokhara"> </figure>  On 28 August 1968 the US Embassy in Kathmandu sent a letter to Washington DC saying that the object could be of Soviet origin, possibly from when the rocket carrying the ‘Kosmos 208’ satellite re-entered the atmosphere. But why were the fragments falling to earth several weeks apart, and in the same region? No one knows where the metal sheet that Kul Timilsina recovered is now. It was definitely packed in a crate and taken to the US, and although it is rumoured that it was returned that is not very likely. Archivist Sunil Ulak heard from the Timilsina family that CIA officials had returned to the site five years ago. &nbsp; Interest in UFOs peaked in the US in the 1950s, with the Cold War space race and tests of atomic weapons and delivery rockets. CIA and scientists were being sent to investigate sightings, both publicly and privately. Could the Pokhara fragments as well as the sightings in Ladakh and Bhutan actually be alien craft falling to earth? The renewal in interest in space travel in large part due to Elon Musk’s SpaceX, UFOs and sightings are again subjects of public interest.&nbsp; Even 57 years later, even if there was definitive proof about whether the Batlechaur fragment was from a Chinese missile or a soviet rocket, it has not been made public in documents declassified so far. We may never know.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241207071216_b6938795f40731e7657fd6dcbb3cf460a326186a15eb11d4f832f602201ff598.jpg" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20241207071216_b6938795f40731e7657fd6dcbb3cf460a326186a15eb11d4f832f602201ff598" data-rendition-name="original" width="642" height="320" loading="lazy" alt="UFO over Pokhara"> </figure>  Sunil Ulak speculates if the debris actually came from an American aircraft, perhaps on an intel mission upon China. “Which could explain why they were so thorough in collecting the fragments in Pokhara,” he says. But that still does not explain the multiple sightings weeks apart in 1968.&nbsp; Indeed, US military aircraft were at that time flying frequent night-time missions from air force bases in India to supply weapons to Khampa guerrilla camps in Nepal located north of Pokhara in Mustang. It could very well be that the Chinese shot down one such aircraft. The other sightings could have been contrails of US spy planes, or Chinese anti-aircraft missiles.&nbsp; There were quite a few developments regarding UFOs in 2024. In a US congressional hearing in July, former intelligence officer David Grusch claimed that the government had long been involved in a program to investigate and retrieve non-human craft crashes, and then try to reverse engineer them. However Grusch did not show any evidence.&nbsp; The UAP Disclosure Act of 2024 was signed into law by Joe Biden in December 2023. It plans to oversee the public disclosure of UFO information. However, there is a clause in it that prevents disclosure if it would cause threats to military defense, intelligence operations or foreign relations.&nbsp; It is unlikely that the declassified documents about sightings in the Himalayan will cause any real surprise about definite evidence of alien life even if it was found. It seems humanity will continue, at least for now, to wonder about curious lights in the sky and whether there is anybody out there.&nbsp;

UFO over Pokhara

Four international names in architecture, Shigeru Ban, Rem Koolhaas, Tadao Ando and Louis Isadore Kahn, all left their mark in Nepal. But despite their best intentions, the ambitious designs fizzled out. Ban, Koolhaas and Ando won Pritzkers, the best known international award for architecture, and Kahn could have won it had the prize been given in his lifetime. But their designs fell short of transforming Nepali architecture and did not help inspire local architects.&nbsp; Why were these four ‘starchitects’ unable to pull off their Nepal projects and enrich the country with exemplary contemporary designs? The failure, especially the violation of Kahn’s design, also raises larger questions about how much contemporary architecture is valued in Nepal.&nbsp; Whereas Sri Lanka had Geoffrey Bawa and Bangladesh had Mazharul Islam, the pioneers of contemporary architecture in Nepal have had far less public appreciation. One wonders if Nepali architecture only refers to the monuments and heritage of the past. Nepal does have examples of outstanding modern architecture such as the &nbsp;पाङ्रे घर ‘Wheel House’ and खुट्टे घर &nbsp;‘House on Legs’ by Shankar Nath Rimal in the 1960s. These are the best examples of how some Nepali designers successfully tailored modern architecture to the Nepali context.&nbsp; Ten years ago, Nepal had three architecture magazines, SPACES, praXis and Business Architecture, but none of these survived. This newspaper has prominently covered contemporary architecture, and the built environment, but these are exceptions in Nepal’s media. There have been a few encouraging signs. The 2024 exhibition Modern Encounters in Architecture in Kathmandu Valley (1945-1985) at the Taragaon Museum had many visitors and its accompanying book is a seminal document.&nbsp; In 2023, the Mountain Architecture Dialogue (MAD) that focused on examples of good-practice sustainable contemporary architecture for the mountainous terrains of Nepal was a packed event with over 300 young architects, engineers, environmentalists and architecture students. <h2>Shigeru Ban</h2>  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024122003128_8bb8dde080c5698c2585966bef27ce4c08e4ee488d3432b2caac98b9de762dfe.png" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="2024122003128_8bb8dde080c5698c2585966bef27ce4c08e4ee488d3432b2caac98b9de762dfe" data-rendition-name="original" width="990" height="1074" loading="lazy" alt="Forgotten international starchitects in Nepal NT"> </figure>  Shigeru Ban had already built a name for himself in post-disaster construction when he came to Nepal following the 2015 earthquakes in which 500,000 people lost their homes. The basic design and its 3D-rendered images were reviewed in upbeat articles on DOMUS, Architectural Review, Dezeen, and Arch Daily.&nbsp; But his signature cardboard tubes could not handle the monsoon and the roof structure had to be re-designed with timber. Only two shelters were completed in Sindupalchok, and only one of them still stands at the Hyatt Regency grounds today, as Ban’s souvenir to Nepal.&nbsp; <h2>Rem Koolhaas</h2>  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024122003128_58afec9b57accfa38327af0936648c6eb2f2e11ff18f1af8ca27383dc57dc222.png" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="2024122003128_58afec9b57accfa38327af0936648c6eb2f2e11ff18f1af8ca27383dc57dc222" data-rendition-name="original" width="750" height="722" loading="lazy" alt="Forgotten international starchitects in Nepal NT"> </figure>  The designs of Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas have a specific signature: bold shapes and an intriguing architectural typology that challenges standard building blocks. Some designs even seem to defy gravity, like the CCTV headquarters in Beijing: an angular, continuous geometry of glass and steel.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241220031216_a18dc8a8d6b97bc6fa9d590036cf374f9dc3709c699fe5c5787304bbd05cb17d.png" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20241220031216_a18dc8a8d6b97bc6fa9d590036cf374f9dc3709c699fe5c5787304bbd05cb17d" data-rendition-name="original" width="1812" height="1168" loading="lazy" alt="Forgotten international starchitects in Nepal"> <figcaption>Rem Koolhaas' design for Ullen's School in Khumaltar.</figcaption> </figure>  Koolhaas was commissioned by Belgian billionaire Guy Ullens to design a new building for Ullens School in Khumaltar. The most prominent feature is its vertical glass block staircase. Some interior spaces have lowered windowsills, which provide ample views and daylight. But the school building has gone unremarked in Nepal. <h2>Tadao Ando</h2>  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241220031212_cc16bd6feb8be07a7198285b847a45d2126dc3a479e0cc7370331861fc544675.png" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20241220031212_cc16bd6feb8be07a7198285b847a45d2126dc3a479e0cc7370331861fc544675" data-rendition-name="original" width="626" height="628" loading="lazy" alt="Forgotten international starchitects in Nepal"> </figure>  Doctors providing aid to victims of the Great Hanshin earthquake in 1995 in Japan requested Tadao Ando, who had donated his Pritzker money to the victims, to also make a design for a hospital in Butwal.&nbsp; Ando’s contribution would be pro-bono and the construction was funded by the Hanshin Earthquake victims and by the popular Japanese newspaper Mainichi, as a tribute to Nepali doctors. The first block that Ando designed for the Siddhartha Children and Women’s Hospital (SCWH) was the out-patient department. He quickly realised that he would not be able to pull off structures with his typical style of smooth-finished, high-quality concrete.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241220031216_73ec0950d52320277ccc81d4a66fa6aa6acb38141e7b7633683e4cf8179dc579.png" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20241220031216_73ec0950d52320277ccc81d4a66fa6aa6acb38141e7b7633683e4cf8179dc579" data-rendition-name="original" width="1594" height="958" loading="lazy" alt="Forgotten international starchitects in Nepal"> <figcaption>Tadao Ando's Siddhartha Children and Women Hospital in Butwal.</figcaption> </figure>  Ando wrote in the online architectural catalog Architectuul, that the two main problems with the project were costs and the availability of local technology. ‘It became a facility that has a slightly different expression from the buildings I have completed so far,’ he wrote. He designed a colonnade for the west façade that would provide shelter from harsh sunlight, and the exposed brick walls were locally manufactured bricks.&nbsp; The hospital is characterised by modernist cuboidal massing, but the outer brick façades now appear unintentionally badly weathered by monsoons. The interiors lack both sufficient natural light and natural ventilation. <h2>Louis I Kahn</h2>  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024122003128_612e199d62fb3e72b6b8f6a936b0fa0451d8c0aa3d831c071320bf423ee3d67f.png" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="2024122003128_612e199d62fb3e72b6b8f6a936b0fa0451d8c0aa3d831c071320bf423ee3d67f" data-rendition-name="original" width="694" height="926" loading="lazy" alt="Forgotten international starchitects in Nepal NT"> </figure>  American architect Louis I Kahn had experience of projects in South Asia, and several were under construction when he died suddenly in 1974. Amongst these were the National Assembly complex in Dhaka, the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad and the Family Planning and Maternal Child Welfare Centre in Kathmandu.&nbsp; Kahn had started the USAID funded project in Nepal by developing a master plan for the government institutional zone in Kathmandu, which included a building for the Health Ministry. The building’s façade in exposed brick has deeply recessed vertical windows for shading.&nbsp; The balancing of accentuated horizontal lines in the brickwork with the verticality of the larger composition is the work of a master. The brick walls rise up into punctured parapet walls at the roof level. These square apertures ‘frame the sky’.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241220031216_69c2e4972dbe38773e0a3a3f1129485c9c87033ee84cd454e24ae0dc772d05cf.png" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20241220031216_69c2e4972dbe38773e0a3a3f1129485c9c87033ee84cd454e24ae0dc772d05cf" data-rendition-name="original" width="1924" height="1242" loading="lazy" alt="Forgotten international starchitects in Nepal"> <figcaption>Louis Kahn's plan for the Ministry of Health.</figcaption> </figure>  When Kahn died, only the eastern half of the building was finished. The Western part was never built and Nepal’s bureaucrats decided that without paint, the exposed brick façade was not finished. Then in 1995, citing roof leakage and a space crunch, the Health Ministry added a floor.&nbsp; The frames-to-the-sky in the roof parapet were converted into windows and topped off with a sloping roof of corrugated steel sheets, whose only virtue was that it was cost-effective.&nbsp; Kahn’s orthogonal composition, which clean horizontal and vertical lines, was desecrated despite a public outcry and legal challenges from architects and cultural organisations. A version of this article was first published in HIMAL Southasian. Illustrations by Varun S Bapu.

Forgotten international starchitects in Nepal

If you were raised in Nepal, you must have picked up its unique set of vocabulary: आन्दोलन, चक्का जाम, बन्द, राँके जुलुस, आफ्नो मान्छे, हाम्रो दल, कर्फु and many more words connoting political protest.
We became familiar with the acrid smell of burning tyres, and eyes smarting from tear gas. And yet, everyone speaks of another revolution in the making. Not by desire, but by suffocation.
We heard speeches about नयाँ नेपाल, but the New Nepal never arrived. The governance system changed, but it did not reflect on people’s lives — except for those close to centres of power. The state is still unreachable and is not bothered about <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/matter-of-life-and-debt">victims of loan sharks</a>, cooperative scams and other injustices.
Politicians continue to speak in sound bites, but fail to deliver. They have mastered the game of pointing fingers towards an external enemy and convincing people that they are never at fault. The political narrative is so disconnected from the actual analysis of the problem that suffocation doesn’t go away after every revolution.
No genuine effort has been made to deliver at all, which is why there is a palpable sense of disillusionment in the air forcing us to seek another revolution, even if Nepal may not be able to afford it.
How has the current system successfully held power, even if the public is deeply frustrated? How is it that for three decades we continue to be led by the same faces, who have time and again, proved to us that they may be great politicians but not national leaders?
<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/improving-internet-governance-in-nepal">My experience at the epicentre of politics</a> has led me to identify three cultures that have enabled political parties to keep a tight hold on power: acceptance, silence and dependency.
We accept things the way they are. We use fatalistic phrases like “नेपालमा यस्तै हो” or “नेपालको कानुन दैब जानुन”. While this resilience enables us to rise back up from devastating calamities, it is also a reason for our compliance with the status quo.
Despite so many ‘revolutions’ that have led to significant reforms, these phrases keep getting reinforced, to the point that the upcoming generations have made it their lingo.&nbsp;
This acceptance is not a symbol of law-abiding citizens, but citizens living in fear of those in power, unable to ask the whys and why-nots.
Innovation suffocates in this culture of acceptance of the status quo. This is manifested in remarks like “but we don’t have any laws for this,” or “we don’t have the capacity to implement this”. An innovator or entrepreneur therefore has to spend that energy to become a political lobbyist, often educating and convincing the bureaucracy.&nbsp;
Remember when locally assembled <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/designed-and-made-in-nepal">Yatri motorbikes</a>, despite having willing customers, had to suffer to secure license numbers because of a lack of regulations? Instead of creating new laws, the government kept chanting the “We will promote Nepal-made goods” mantra, leaving entrepreneurs in a labyrinth of bureaucracy. The weight of acceptance of the law lies heavily on innovators. Fatalism is a tactic used by those in power to generate mass fear in society.
When we accept, we become silent. This is a pervasive phenomenon. We are trained to keep quiet, lest we ruffle feathers, burn bridges, or not get the help we need in future. We know, yet we don’t speak.
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/bureaucratic-hurdles-in-researching-nepals-bureaucracy">Bureaucratic hurdles in researching Nepal's bureaucracy</a>, Daniel W Edwards
Here is one example: the 2021 census shows that the number of baby boys born for every 100 baby girls is 112. This is a clear indication of female foeticide because of boy preference in society.
Despite such horrifying realities, there is finger-pointing within the government between the Ministry of Health and Population with the Ministry of Home Affairs. At the citizen level, we know those who are involved in killing girls. Yet, we don’t speak up. The Nepal Medical Council reports state that despite this gender imbalance at birth, there is no indication of any action.
But why would anyone speak against one's own fraternity, no matter how vile the act is?
When we accept and keep quiet, we become dependent on those who yield power. From getting our government procedure completed on time to getting transfers, to accessing any of our legally protected rights as well, we are forced to depend on our networks of चिनेको मान्छे people we know by blood, village, relations, political affiliation.
The culture of dependency has been the established way in Nepal. If you drive a two-wheeler or four-wheeler, and you get into a small accident, you will be asked to sort it yourself, dialing up the most powerful person you know. It becomes a competition of who knows who.
Recently I was told that there were calls from the Ministry of Health and Population and another from the Prime Minister's Office for just one medical position in a private hospital. Each was pushing its own candidate. Guess which candidate got the position.&nbsp;
The dependency of people is not on the laws or the state, it is with people in power, a reliance on the network of somebody who knows somebody, including those not officially in power.
These cultures are deeply ingrained in our heads, and in society. Collectively they form a vicious circle that helps those in power to retain power. This is not the society we want to live in.
Then, what do we do as a collective to break away from this? How do we break away from the cultures of acceptance and silence that have created this dependency? What can we do to ensure that our children do not have to learn the jargon of आन्दोलन before they learn about the state?
These are the cultures political parties need to shed rather than use them to perpetuate their power. This is what <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/comment/an-alternative-to-alternative-politics-in-nepal">alternative politics</a> needs to be about.
Sumana Shrestha is a member of Parliament’s Education, Health and Information Technology parliamentary committee and represents the Rastriya Swatantara Party.

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