<figure><img width="3072" height="2048" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410114/6372048a9c7e80680e0b2869jpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>All photos: MONIKA DEUPALA</figcaption></figure>Under a canopy of prayer flags and electrical wires, a quiet backstreet of Thamel is reinventing itself to be the new epicentre for Nepali art.Away from the bustling main roads of this tourist quarter of Kathmandu, along a narrow winding alley is Kathmandu Art House, a four-storeyed block with large lower-case letters on the facade: ‘art st’. Art Street is not an immediately obvious facelift, the building has been around for years. Nevertheless, it aims to provide Nepali artists with a platform to work and showcase their creativity in a one-stop shop.It is perhaps fitting that Art Street is adjacent to Kathmandu Guest House which became a catalyst in the 1970s for the evolution of Thamel as a backpacker destination, replacing Jhonchhe which was known in the Hippie era as ‘Freak Street’.Thamel got branded as a place for budget travellers, and with the renovated Kathmandu Guest House and Art St is reinventing itself to be more upmarket. <img width="3072" height="2048" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410114/6372048d9c7e80680e0b286ajpeg.jpg" alt="">“This side of Thamel lacked identity, which is why I came up with this idea,” explains <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/dipesh-nepalis-dark-light/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/dipesh-nepalis-dark-light/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1642485493170000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0TfezBaSHqvzymsqrV8uqz">Rajan Sakya</a> of <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=19686#.YeTpxy8RqLc" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id%3D19686%23.YeTpxy8RqLc&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1642485493170000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1zMHnSd00FWtHrrRnDzb5p">Kathmandu Guest House </a>who also established the nearby <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepals-first-private-art-museum/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepals-first-private-art-museum/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1642485493170000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1lNXYRgoQYKXs7PaZFa6Jp">Museum of Nepali Art (MoNA)</a> and turned the courtyard of Kathmandu Guest House into a permanent exhibition space for sculptures. Showing a visitor around, Sakya says, “We have plenty of malls in Kathmandu but we lack an avenue for intellectual entertainment. Art is as much a part of our identity as mountaineering and trekking, which is why I wanted to create an environment rich with artistic expression.”Each room at the Kathmandu Art House is rented out at up to Rs25,000, a dozen prominent Nepali artists like <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/Erina-tamrakar-returns,3560" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/Erina-tamrakar-returns,3560&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1642485493170000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2R_gswiHJ1Byhsie3Cjoky">Erina Tamrakar</a>, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/between-the-lines-with-sujan-dangol/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/between-the-lines-with-sujan-dangol/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1642485493170000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1k2zprQsEFI0vS5q5cDV4V">Sujan Dangol</a>, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/review/between-an-ancient-past-and-anxious-future/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/review/between-an-ancient-past-and-anxious-future/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1642485493170000&amp;usg=AOvVaw07RF3Jpz3ZuNjkwqvqElD2">SC Suman</a>, Roshan Dangol, Raj Prakash Man Tuladhar have set up shop here. The names of the artists are emblazoned on the street-side facade next to the ‘art st’ sign. <img width="3072" height="2048" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410114/637204909c7e80680e0b286bjpeg.jpg" alt="">The artists all have their very own private atelier where visitors can browse through their works, talk to them about their craft, and even purchase their favourite pieces.Artists in Nepal often complain that not many people buy Nepali art, let alone go to exhibitions and view paintings on show. “This is not indicative of a low volume of output, as it is of a smaller market,” he says. “To say Nepali art is not appreciated enough is directly related to how few galleries there are in Nepal at present and platforms.”Raj Prakash Man Tuladhar, a traditionally trained painter of paubha, completes only 2-3 paintings each year, given the meticulous detail that goes into creating them, and yet he does not have space at home to display them. <img width="3072" height="2048" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410114/637204949c7e80680e0b286cjpeg.jpg" alt="">“Thanks to the art house, I have a studio that is also my exhibition space,” Tuladhar says, gesturing to walls lined with vibrant paubha depicting fierce and benevolent deities. “Earlier, I could only tell people about progress in paintings, now they get to see me at work, and my entire collection in one place. This allows me to develop a closer connection with art lovers.”This is a feeling shared by Roshan Dangol, another artist-in-residence at Kathmandu Art House. “I was first introduced to this place by fellow artist <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/the-compassionate-white-tara/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/the-compassionate-white-tara/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1642485493170000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3LwdyBsFdvuQO2K2oHT8P1">Samundra Man Singh Shrestha</a>, and it was a good move,” he says. Two windows in his studio frame trees and buildings outside in a canvas of their own, letting in ample sunlight and birdsong. An easel stands in the middle of the room with a work-in-progress spread. “There is a creative environment here,” Dangol says, “I find the greenery outside and engagement with other artists encouraging and inspiring.” <img width="3072" height="2048" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410114/637204979c7e80680e0b286djpeg.jpg" alt="">Dangol,30, was recently commissioned by <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/what-next-for-reinhold-messner/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/what-next-for-reinhold-messner/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1642485493170000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0CCP8BZGlfI8JdgtjLirK6">mountaineer Reinhold Messner</a> during his recent visit to create two artworks for the Messner Mountain Museum in Italy. Dangol credits the exposure to Kathmandu Art House: “I probably would not have found the same level of national and international recognition otherwise.”Earlier, Dangol’s charcoal drawings would often lie rolled-up or stacked in his home studio, gathering dust. Here, many have found room on the walls, all framed as in an exhibition. “When people come to look at my art,” he adds, “I no longer have to try and explain them with words. Here, I can show my different styles and experiments, and my paintings are right in front of them to view in one space.” <img width="3072" height="2048" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410114/6372049a9c7e80680e0b286ejpeg.jpg" alt="">Thamel was chosen for this new initiative primarily because of the large footfall of tourists, both domestic and international, that it receives annually, making it a prime location for people to be acquainted with the artists and their works. “We cannot wait for the government to come along and declare this spot as an art zone,” says Rajan Shakya. “We have to take the initiative ourselves and help reach Nepali art new heights and gain widespread recognition.”Read Also<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepals-first-private-art-museum/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nepali art finds  new home</a>, Shristi Karki

Ashish Dhakal

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Thamel’s new Art Street

<figure><img width="1000" height="667" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114091156/637203409c7e80680e0b27fajpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>Photo: MONIKA DEUPALA</figcaption></figure>S C Suman’s 18th solo exhibition Mithila Cosmos: The Cycles of Time is the sixth in a series that juxtaposes traditional form and aesthetics with contemporary issues in Nepal.<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/review/mithila-representations-of-kathmandus-metamorphosis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Suman</a> was the first Mithila artist to do a solo exhibition of this traditional artform of Nepal’s Madhes in 1991, and was recently awarded the International Lifetime Achievement Award by the 2021 Madhubani Literature Festival held at Darbhanga in India’s Bihar state.“An artist is a social creature,” he tells us, “informed by the time and place around them.”Indeed, since 2007, Suman has depicted the aftermath of the Maoist insurgency, the promulgation of the new Constitution, and the 2015 Earthquake in <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/mithila-avatar,2861" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">detailed paintings</a> simultaneously rooted in Mithila traditions and style.His latest is equally timely. Like a liminal deity, his brush looks both ways – at the ancient past and the anxious future – as the artist seeks to explore the tales of creation and analyse the effects of the Covid pandemic in a finesse of colours and intricate lines. <figure><img width="640" height="678" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114091156/637203439c7e80680e0b27fbjpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>The Cycles of Time is first and foremost a story seeking balance, where the paintings are replete with familiar images of nature and Hindu deities. Snakes coil around branches as fish swim below. Vishnu and Laxmi sit atop the Seshnag as Brahma looks from above. Deer frolic behind leaves and kites take to the textured sky as gods and their creations try to co-exist in the great cosmic sphere.The wide expressive eyes and delicate lattice-like line work flow, curve and bend at sharp angles to lead the viewer in the odyssey of Suman’s inspiration which begins at the footsteps of creation itself (Male female union and creation) and charts the progression of life through the four yug. “I as an artist wonder about how we got to this state,” says Suman. “And to answer this, I turn to look at where we used to be before.” <figure><img width="628" height="900" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114091156/637203459c7e80680e0b27fcjpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><figure><img width="1052" height="1500" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114091156/637203499c7e80680e0b27fdjpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>The cyclical four yug in Hindu cosmology – Satya Yug, Treta Yug, Dwapar Yug and Kali Yug­ – are described not just as the passages of time but of human morality and physical states as well, and SC Suman creates his own interpretations through changing colours and iconography. The use of warm golden hue is overwhelmed by cooler blue as we move from one age to the next, and harmony gives way to disorder.By the time we come to the Kali Yug, the big fish gobble up the little ones as nature is decimated indiscriminately, and houses, people and cars try to climb on top of each other. Elsewhere, bats are scapegoated for the pandemic and oxygen cylinders hanging by parachutes try to make up for deforestation. <figure><img width="487" height="750" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114091156/6372034b9c7e80680e0b27fejpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>When he was a child in Lahan, SC Suman recalls, the East-West highway was just being built and forests were being cut to make room for the bitumen roads. “We would see sap coming from the cut trees and we would say that the trees are bleeding,” he recalls.But not all is dark and foreboding. Progress and possibility for change is offered by the vibrant Ecological Balance and Love Rasa in Nature that call for stability and love that makes all things beautiful. Dashami Mela and Chhath Puja are joyous panoramas that capture the deep link between life, environment and the divine. Meanwhile, subtle sensuality and eroticism permeate Kobhar Painting and Naturally Intoxicated for Each Other in expressions of unity and duality. <figure><img width="1000" height="667" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114091156/6372034d9c7e80680e0b27ffjpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Mithila Cosmos: The Cycles of Time is a uniquely introspective meditation on flux and the Anthropocene that asks the important question: What’s next? Any sense of nihilism is nullified by the underlying sense of eternal return, while these powerful images reflect our own intrinsic human proclivity to love, care and aspiration – offering us a second look at ourselves: perhaps we ourselves are the redeemer we seek to help us through the dark times. Mithila Cosmos: The Cycles of Time Siddhartha Art Gallery, Baber Mahal Revisited Till 15 January 11:00am – 5:00pm Special Talk ‘Mithila Gaze’: 7 December 3:00pm at the Gallery with Ramawatar Yadav, C K Lal, Sangeeta Thapa and S C Suman. Moderated by Devendra Thumkeli. Read Also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/vibrant-mithila-art-thrives-in-nepal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Vibrant Mithila art thrives in Nepal</a>, Anita Bhetwal

Between an ancient past and anxious future

<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

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Thamel’s new Art Street

Between an ancient past and anxious future

Mithila representations of Kathmandu’s metamorphosis