Text | Info

Narendra Malla is a Nepali artist dedicated to Paubha, the traditional Newa art form rooted in sacred iconography. Initially trained in management, he turned to art after being inspired by Dr. Vikasananda’s call to purpose. Guided by masters including Binamra Dangol, Deepak Kumar Joshi, Uday Charan Shrestha, Shreejan Rajbhandari and Lok Chitrakar, he earned his B.F.A. from Lalitkala Campus. Malla’s work honors tradition while reimagining it for the present, blending cultural heritage with personal reflection and contemporary expression.

Wang Lama is a contemporary visual artist from Humla. He draws inspiration from his journeys across Nepal, with a special sensibility towards buddhist motifs and Himalayan landscapes. Wang specializes in painting and  art restoration.

Born in 1980, Shrestha is a trained Paubha artist. He started his journey into the world of art at the tender age of 14.  Shrestha’s work skillfully combines his inspiration and mastery of the traditional Newar style of painting with conceptual contemporaneity—with binaries and juxtaposition of past and present, modern and traditional, and the aesthetic with pure conception. His innovative works push the boundaries of the sacred and secular, by challenging the very categories of contemporary and traditional art. His art works are deeply rooted in the sacred knowledge of iconography of deities, He has received significant national and international awards, and his work is in major collection of India, UK, US, Europe, and East Asia.

Rajan Sangachhen is a contemporary Nepali artist based in Bhaktapur, near Kathmandu, known for his work in traditional Paubha and Thangka art, as well as modern abstract style. Born in 1987, Sangachhen originally studied Architecture and Engineering at Thapathali Campus before pursuing his passion for fine arts at Lalitkala Fine Arts College. His work frequently focuses on religious and natural motifs, including depictions of Bodhisattvas, Green Tara, and the sacred realms of the Himalayas. His works are valued for their technical precision, often taking months to complete, with prices and value ranging significantly based on the level of detail.

Tenzin Norbu is one of the masters amongst Nepali artists, born in 1971 in Dolpo, a remote part of the Himalayan region at an altitude of 4,000 meters. Trained from the age of 10 in traditional thangka painting, sculpture, and Buddhist teachings by his father, Norbu comes from a long lineage of artists and spiritual teachers. Over time, he fused classical techniques with contemporary illustration, developing a signature style that captures the lives, landscapes, and culture of the Himalayan people. His work has been featured in National Geographic and the Oscar-nominated film Himalaya, and is now showcased and collected internationally, including in Nepal, Bhutan, India, Japan, Australia, China, Canada, the USA, Singapore, South Korea, and Europe. He has also illustrated five children's books. In 2001, Norbu co-founded the Dolpo Local Help Association, under which three schools are running in his homeland, providing upto higher secondary education to over 400 children. Since 2017, he has also been collaborating with non-sectarian yoga master Akarpa Lobsang Rinpoche on a large-scale painting project illustrating Tibetan Bon and Buddhist yoga traditions. He lives and works between Kathmandu and Dolpo, continuing his commitment to art and cultural preservation.

An intense desire to express myself has always resided within me, but I’m not very good with words, so I turn to art, as it always provides me with the freedom of thought and imagination to express myself fully. However, it was not always the case; as a first grader, I used to detest art class. I know detesting is a strong emotion, but it was exactly how I felt during my art classes. They used to be very rigid and inflexible, and all they ever allowed were drawings of a bunch of potatoes, some orange doodles, and sometimes, if they’re feeling very imaginative, maybe a tree. Simply put, I didn’t grasp it. I didn’t understand why we were required to repeatedly draw the same imagery over and over again. When my mother noticed my increasing disinterest in art, she took the initiative and began to instruct me in art all by herself. During our art lessons, she allowed me to indulge and explore the depths of my own imagination in order to create pieces of art that I was passionate about. Together, we would draw anything we wanted without any limitations. Those enjoyable art sessions with my mother fundamentally altered the way I viewed art.This is the story of how I came about to wholeheartedly fall in love with art. Thus, nowadays I create with much freedom as art is indeed the very best way to express oneself.

Artist note : Aashma

Exhibition : Monsoon Hymns

Bikalpa Art Center : Group Curation Show

Curator : Saroj Mahato

Year : June 2022

Location : BAC, Lalitpur, Kathmandu Valley

My series “Coming Of Age” is an ode to the classic American breakfast with bacon and eggs. It depicts vulnerability through symbolic images from my own imagination. During the creation of this piece I allowed myself to be completely honest and vulnerable so that people would be able to connect to their own coming of age experiences. Even the choice of color plates is supposed to give a familiar feeling to everyone.

Sir Frog
Frogs are one of my favorite animals. I absolutely love them. Frogs provide me with a lot of comfort and warmth. When I don’t get to pet a frog sometimes, it’s very painful for me. So to fulfill my desire to pet a frog, I pick up my paintbrush and instead paint them in different forms, scenarios and especially as humanized beings, which I find very enjoyable to do.

The piece “Sir Frog” was inspired by classical portraits of important people. The painting symbolizes the importance of frogs in the overall ecosystem. I heavily relied on my own imagination in addition to a few references and inspiration to create this art piece.

absence unbothered

By Sofiya Maharjan

Motherhood is not an easy journey and it is many times more difficult for a single mother. Especially in a society so comfortable with patriarchy like ours, man-made limitations for women and mothers begin at the root: in families, inherited cultural practices and traditions - adding an inescapable sense of rigidity and terrible oppression.

Yet, one must not forget the strength and resilience of single mothers, who raise their children through much hardship and isolation. This power, incredible and inspirational, is at the core of the artworks by Sofiya who was also raised by a single mother. The striking images and vivid expressions recall her mother's determination to provide her children with a creative and caring life, without her husband's support; and, in the process, remind the viewer to pause and reflect on our own connections with our mothers.

Every little thing matters.

My mother lost all her valuables when she left her husband. The beautiful clothes, jewellery, everyday goods. What she didn't lose were her two kids and the resolve to provide them with a good life away from the shadows - despite the adversity, despite having barely anything herself.

And she worked hard, standing tall and independent, warmly holding in her arms, and giving us peace. Sometimes, she would miss her old things: things she had to leave behind; things she would weave into stories for us; things she has now collected through perseverance: the mana to measure rice for us, the karuwa to fill with clear water, the dalaa never short of grains.

'Absence unbothered' is a story of that very perseverance and love with which my mother raised us without the husband's presence - the absence that troubles no more.

• Instagram : (@inandout.stitch o https://sofiyamaharjan.com.np