KATHMANDU, Feb 20: Apart from the regular artists, art patrons and enthusiasts, a group of monks all the way from Mustang were present at the opening of ‘Mustang – A Spiritual Odyssey’, an exhibition of thangkas, photographs, and a sand mandala installation, which took place at the Siddartha Art Gallery in Baber Mahal, Kathmandu Revisited on Wednesday.
Marking the third edition of the Australian Himalayan Art Award program, which funds emerging Nepali artists each year, the exhibition was inaugurated by Susan Grace, Australian Ambassador to Nepal. “The work here is sensational,” she commented, adding, “It’s a feast to all of the senses.”[break]
A visitor observes the thankga paintings on display as part of the exhibition
The ground floor of the gallery showcased 15 thangkas created by Pasang Lama, recipient of the 2012 Australian Himalayan Art Award, and his group of artist friends. The thankgas are painted with skin glue and powder colors.
While the first floor demonstrated the sand mandala in progress, the uppermost floor exhibits photographs by Italian photographer Luigi Fieni and Kyentse Gurung, a Sakya monk who discovered the world of photography a couple of years ago, upon receiving professional shooting equipment from donors. Monks at work, the dances of Mustang, its landscape and people are some of the subjects of the photographs.
During the exhibition, a masked dance was also performed by five monks. Known as ‘gheysar’, this dance is held at the annual Tiji Festival in Mustang.
As printed in little note
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