Forms of Ganesh on canvas

KATHMANDU, Aug 27: Ongoing at The Art Shop on Durbar Marg of Kathmandu is Reeta Manandhar’s third solo exhibition entitled “Forms”. Currently pursuing her Masters in Fine Arts at Tribhuvan University, Manandhar, 31, has a total of 25 paintings on display. She began working on this particular group of works in November 2007.[break]

“My second solo exhibition was all about facial expressions, and I wanted to continue on that theme,” says Manandhar, and adds, “I find Lord Ganesh fun-loving and adorable. His face is unusual at the same time, which is why I decided on creating a series based on Ganesh.”

Manandhar has used vibrant colors, from shades of red and blue to ochre and umber. While she has worked with oil before, for this particular series she has used acrylic on canvas.

“I wanted to experiment with creating translucent layers on the canvas which works better with acrylic,” says Manandhar. Acrylic also dries faster than oil paint, making it less time-consuming. This translucent quality is more obvious in some of the paintings than in others. If observed closely, one can even see the initial pencil marks of the artist through the colors.

The focus of Forms is, however, not on different facial expressions of Ganesh but more on the composition of the paintings. Manandhar’s compositions range from extreme close-up of Ganesh’s trunk and eyes to full frontal figures of the god sitting, standing and doing various activities. In addition, the artist has also played around with layering in terms of composition as well. In many of her images, shapes and forms overlap each other to create collages. A number of Manandhar’s pieces contain multiple rectangular frames within the larger frame of the canvas. The geometric shapes within her vertically oriented paintings create a contrast against the fluid and organic physical features of Ganesh.

Manandhar’s paintings, moreover, have bold outlines which do not necessarily work for all her pieces. While the dark outlines around the eyes enhance them, in some works they appear almost cartoon-like. The paintings sometimes look flat because of the heavy lines, but it could be the artist’s deliberate intention.

The most interesting painting in this group is the one where Ganesh is playing the sarangi, a virtual Nepali folk instrument.

“We’ve seen Ganesh dance, so he must also play musical instruments,” interprets Manandhar, and goes on, “So I depicted him playing a sarangi.”

When asked why a sarangi when Ganesh is a Hindu god and it would make a better sense for him to be playing a ‘bina’ or a ‘sitar’, she replies, “I wanted to give the painting a Nepali touch.”

Alright, so be it!

At most counts, therefore, Reeta Manandhar’s “Forms” is a commendable series of work.

The Art Shop in Durbar Marg is open Sunday to Friday, 11 am to 6 pm. The exhibit is open till August 30.