Chandani Hamal
Fine arts, literature and other socio-cultural arts are considered as soft power in the world. Art and culture are considered soft power because they easily penetrate places where guns and political power cannot penetrate.
It is not necessary to say everything about every country in a political color and opinion. The art and culture of that country have the ability to reveal the overall spirit of the country. Nepal is considered to be the heritage of that immense art culture. Fine arts are a major aspect of the art culture here.Through which Araniko introduced Nepali art to China. Just as Rajman Chitrakar introduced Nepali birds to Britain and all of Europe, many artists have spread the fragrant aroma of Nepal to the world.
The National Fine Arts Exhibition 2082 is set to begin on tomorrow (May 29) showcasing the entire spectrum of fine arts. The National Fine Arts Exhibition 2082 is being organized by the Nepal Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) from tomorrow for fifteen days at the academy premises in Kathmandu. It is estimated that fifty thousand people will visit and observe the exhibition.The National Fine Arts Exhibition is the nation’s largest fine arts exhibition and art festival, which aims to promote and enhance Nepali art by bringing together talented creative artists from all seven provinces in one place.The foundation has stated that this exhibition, which contributes to the preservation of originality, the prosperity of art, the creation of employment, and the cultural economy of the country, is being celebrated as a festival by all artists, art experts, art enthusiasts, and art lovers.
The organizer (NAFA)informed that almost all preparations for the exhibition have been completed. The Chancellor Naradamani Hartamchali informed that utmost efforts have been made to make the exhibition successful.He clarified that he is preparing to make public the institute’s immediate activities and future strategies during this art exhibition, as it is the mid-term of his four-year tenure.He said that along with this exhibition, the organizer has made a strategic plan to prepare a survey and profile of artists and advance various art campaigns, emphasizing research in the coming year, that is, the third year.
Vice Chancellor and Executive Coordinator of the exhibition, Lalkaji Lama, informed that the preparations for the exhibition have reached the final stage. Discussing the history of the National Fine Arts Exhibition, he said that efforts have been made to identify indigenous art and bring it into the mainstream.
Member Secretary Devendra Kumar Kafle ‘Thumkeli’ informed that this year’s exhibition will include works of various genres, including those from Nepal’s marginalized and minority communities, as well as the endangered Raute and Dom communities.He said that all embassies and diplomatic missions in Nepal have been invited to view the exhibition to make the campaign to introduce Nepal’s art abroad meaningful. He pointed out that fine artists should play a role in this year’s social transformation.According to him, the organizer set plan to hold a ‘National Fine Arts Exhibition-2082’ from Jestha 15, incorporating artworks selected from the ‘Regional Fine Arts Exhibition-2081’, which was held under the motto ‘Social Transformation:
A Campaign of Fine Arts’.Pradeep Shakya, a member of the Academic Council and curator of the exhibition, informed that the 2080 and 2081 exhibitions were dedicated to the theme of ‘Social Transformation: A Campaign for Fine Arts’ and that the current exhibition is also being held in keeping with that theme.He said that this exhibition was curetted with the theme of finding answers to the question of what role artists can play in social transformation and whether artists can really change as society transforms. He has also designed the logo (symbol) of the ‘National Fine Arts Exhibition 2082’ in 2080.
606 art exhibitions of 571 artists of various genres
From all 606 artworks by 571 artists will be exhibited at the ‘National Fine Arts Exhibition 2082’, including artworks that participated in the National Fine Arts Exhibition and those that were not competed in.Of which, 82 out of 82 artists are from Koshi Province, 98 out of 88 artists are from Madhes Province, 183 out of 164 artists are from Bagmati Province, 55 out of 53 artists are from Gandaki Province, 66 out of 65 artists are from Lumbini Province, 41 out of 40 artists are from Karnali Province. The exhibition will feature 564 artworks by 531 artists, including 39 artworks by 39 artists from the Far Western Province. The exhibition will also include 79 artworks by 78 artists, including 45 non-competitive and 33 invited.
Genre-wise, 208 out of 201 artists in contemporary painting, 73 out of 72 artists in traditional painting, 52 out of 51 artists in contemporary/modern sculpture, 18 out of 16 artists in traditional sculpture, 88 out of 84 artists in architecture and folk arts. The exhibition will feature also 79 works by 74 artists in crafts, 59 works by 45 artists in multi-dimensional and other creative arts, 9 works by 9 artists in alternative arts, 14 works by 13 artists in cartoons, 3 works by 3 artists in caricatures, 1 work by 1 artist in digital arts, and 2 works by 2 artists in expressive arts.
Awards and Honors for artists
This year, the ‘Araniko Lalit Kala Rastriya Pragya Samman’ will be given to senior artists Dr. Seema Sharma Shah and Mangal Lama. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 1,50,000 and a certificate. The National Fine Arts Writing Award will be given to Saroj Bajracharya, while the National Fine Arts Journalism Award will be givento Shiva Tamang and Hemanta Gautam of Gorkhapatra Daily and Nepal Television, respectively.The Fine Arts Writing Award is worth Rs 60,000 and a certificate, while the Fine Arts Journalism Award is worth Rs 30,000 each and a certificate.
The Fine Arts Promotion Award will be given to the Nepal Handicraft Federation and Pratima Pandey.The Best National Fine Arts Award will be given to Hinnam Dangol (traditional painting). The award carries a cash prize of Rs 100,000 and a citation.National Fine Arts Award: Krishna Lama for Contemporary Painting, Chandramani Magar for Contemporary/Modern Sculpture, Shankar Kumar Joshi for Traditional Painting, Suresh Lowat Tuladhar for Traditional Sculpture, Rajkumar Shilpkar for Crafts-Handicrafts and The award will be given to Jyoti Kumari Sapkota in the field of architecture and folk art, and to Safal Prakash Shrestha in the field of photography under the multi-dimensional and other creative arts. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 60,000 and a certificate.
National Fine Arts New Talent Award will be given to Bhim Bahadur BK. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 60,000 and a certificate.The Provincial Fine Arts New Talent Award will be given to Bhavana Gurung from Koshi, Nirupam Jayaswal from Madhes, Suprina Ghalan from Bagmati, Dhawa Dorje Gurung from Gandaki, Rukaiya Banu from Lumbini, and Nishant Sunar from Sudurpaschim. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 30,000 and a certificate.The best regional fine arts awards went to Ngawang Chiri Sherpa (traditional painting) from Koshi, Sonam Singh Bhlon (handicrafts) from Madhes, Reena Shakya (traditional painting) from Bagmati, Dal Bahadur Gurung (contemporary painting) from Gandaki, Liladhar KC (contemporary painting) from Lumbini,The awards will be given to Kumari Sita Malla (contemporary painting) from Karnali and Ramesh Kadayat (contemporary painting) from Sudurpaschim. All these awards carry a cash prize of Rs 50,000 and a certificate.Similarly, the Provincial Fine Arts Award for Contemporary Painting went to Mahendra Rai from Koshi, Yugesh Ghimire from Madhes, Sundar Lama from Bagmati, Manoj Tamang from Gandaki, Akash Budha Magar from Lumbini, Thukten Lama from Karnali, Deepak Auji from Sudurpaschim, and Suman Rai from Koshi for Contemporary Sculpture.
Similarly that award went to Yogendra Pandit Kumhar from Madhes, Karuna Shrestha from Bagmati, Rihana Pariyar from Gandaki, Buddha Tharu from Lumbini, Topendra Dangi from Karnali, Mahendra Pun Magar from Sudurpaschim, Dawa Sangmu Sherpa from Koshi in the traditional painting genre, Sonam Singh Bholon from Madhes, Roshan Khyaju from Bagmati, Sonam Dolma Tamang from Karnali, Pratik Manjul Baraili from Koshi for traditional sculpture, Mahesh Shilpakar from Bagmati, Shiva Chhangchha (Shiva Kumar Rai) from Koshi for crafts and handicrafts, Santosh Yadav from Madhes, Saroj Sunar from Bagmati, Bishnu Muktan Tamang from Gandaki, Shurpa Narayan Shahi from Karnali, Lal Bahadur Kumal from the Far West,
Madhavi Karna from Koshi in the field of architecture and folk art, Aarti Kumari Sah from Madhes, Younes Napit Shrestha (architecture) from Bagmati, Sanchita Agrahari from Lumbini, Mithu Tharu from the Far West.Under the multifaceted and other creative arts category went to Binay Bahadur Rimal Chhetri from Bagmati will be awarded for alternative art, Arjun Kulung Rai from Koshi for art photography, Prashant Chaudhary from Madhesh, Srijana Bhurtel from Gandaki, Mani Ram Pantha from Lumbini, and Madhav Ojha from Sudurpaschim will be awarded for art photography. All these awards carry a cash prize of Rs 30,000 each and a certificate of appreciation.
This year’s best employee award will be given to Dhan Bahadur Shrestha and Sirjana Tamang Rai.The ‘Martyred Artist Anil Lama Memorial Award (Fine Arts) 2081’, which was started last year, will be presented to artist Asmina Ranjit and the ‘Martyred Artist Baburam Lama Memorial Award (Fine Arts) 2081’ to Gangadhar Saru. The awards carry a cash prize of Rs 50,000 each and a certificate.The evaluation committee of the ‘National Fine Arts Exhibition 2082’ chaired by Dr. Seema Sharma Shah, Radheshyam Mulmi, Udaycharan Shrestha, Purna Prasad Hyoju, Tara Prasad Ojha, Ram Narayan Mahato, Prabin Shrestha, Dharmaraj Shakya, Arena Tamrakar, Navendra Limbu and Pratima Thakali.
Writer is associated with Gorkhapatra Daily
