Academic literature on the topic 'Nepali Art'

Madan Chitrakar's Nepali Art: Thoughts & Musings presents a mosaic of Nepali art including research articles on Nepali paintings, sculptures and architecture. He has traced the native cultural roots and myths in the artworks including the connection of traditionand modernity. Thematic undercurrents along with stylistic innovation have been presented in flowing language of the veteran art writer and critic. The work points out the different dimensions of Nepali aesthetics. The essays are representative of certain genres, forms and issues. To have the view of holistic picture of Nepal art, more explorations in the uncovered issues are expected from the author.

The emergence of female voices in Nepali art noticeably began in 1989. The recent practices of female Nepali artists not only represent their personal emotional experiences but also convey strong messages. Their work talks about the various challenges faced by women in the patriarchal society of Nepal, and aims to bring positive changes such as equal space and freedom from social barriers. They not only address gender issues, but also question the right to give birth and abortion. Additionally, they address social disorders such as rape, Chhaupadi practices, untouchable issues during menstruation, and many other political issues in their work. This writing is based on qualitative research design and explores the work of ten Nepali women artists, using the theory of Feminism. Today, Nepali art is rapidly developing due to globalization and education. One of the main reasons for this progress is the rise in consciousness and education of female artists. They have demonstrated unique vision and creativity to lead the entire genre towards a better future. National and international art galleries exhibit their works, and even international museums collect their pieces. Their work is attracting the art market and also is getting critical acclaims.

Abstract art as discussed in this essay covers a period of time that spans about sixty years. The introduction of the abstract art in Nepal marks a certain opening in both art education and practice among the artists. The initial challenge of the abstract art was to make it a familiar subject both among the art lovers as well as among those who respected art but were not able to appreciate it fully. A challenging period came when artists began to work towards making abstract art an acceptable and a very useful artistic practice. The tension between skill of the artists and the indifference of the public is a universal problem. But now the gap is being narrowed down everywhere. The concept of abstract art in Nepal comes from education in schools in Europe and India in the initial phase and later in Nepal itself where art pedagogy became a norm in different art schools and colleges. But artists freely made their paintings abstractas the commonly accepted mode of art. Artists of different generations execute abstract paintings without being critical or interpretative about it. But now things are changing in Nepal. New generation artists who are oriented to the abstract and free forms of art are working to develop a system by putting together the art education, practice and very importantly, the level of public acceptance for that. We should carefully review the history and the present status of that. We should also make the art works 'desirable'. The other important character of Nepali abstract painting is that the artists always work in the contact zones of the representational and the expressionist features. I have interpreted that meeting point as a contact zone. This article attempts to give examples of that dynamic process. Nepali abstract paintings mark a new mode of artistic dynamism in Nepal.

Contemporary Nepali arts are connected among each other along with western arts and early Nepali artworks. These artworks share the subject matters, techniques and forms of earlier traditions. Inter-textuality is sometimes created through recycling and appropriation. Similar elements have been used for different purposes. Likewise, similar contents reappear in different forms. Contemporary Nepali arts are the mélange of various cross-currents. Ever-changing alien art influences in the present time have unsettled representational modes of arts. Some art techniques have been borrowed from the western arts, the Hindu and the Buddhist myths and rituals, and native art traditions. The artworks present different elements that have been intertwined. The artworks neither assimilate nor reject the alien art forms but strike balance between them from ambivalent and in-between space. Through the plural art forms, contemporary Nepali arts not only express the feelings of the Nepali artists but also explore the socio-cultural issues of contemporary Nepal. Due the co-presence of diverse images, symbols and forms, the artworks speak of the cultural self and the cultural other. The identities of these art forms are constructed and reconstructed in ambivalent and in-between spaces of local and global influences. Such art forms are plural and open-ended, and their significances or meanings become multiple.

The aim of this paper is to explore aesthetic beauty in abstract paintings of Uttam Nepali. The available researches had only found out that he was an abstract painter and painted his feelings and emotions. This article argues that forms and colors he created are for the sake of their beauty. The art forms provide aesthetic pleasure to the viewers. The abstract paintings are analyzed and interpreted in qualitative method. The article focuses that Nepali created the structure of colors and lines by proper arrangements which increases the aesthetic qualities of abstract works and has no any utility purpose. It concludes that the value of Uttam Nepali’s abstract art in the development of Nepali contemporary art is only because of his individual aesthetic form.

The Nepali Army was founded initially as the Gorkha Army around 450 Years ago. Since its inception, the Nepali Army as the nation's largest organization has not only been ensuring our territorial integrity but has also been connecting multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, multi-religious, multi-cultural Nepalese society in a common thread by preserving its rich tangible and intangible cultural heritages along with the associated traditions. In this regard, this study predominantly illuminates the fact that modern-day Nepal has been shaped through the sacrifices of the Nepali Army and their histories are interwoven altogether. This research illustrates that the Nepali Army has been preserving and promoting Nepalese art, culture, and tradition for centuries both in times of peace and war. Despite socio-economic and political shifts in the nation's history over time, the Nepali Army has remained resolute in its spirit assimilating various cultural transplants within the organization promoting cultural relativism. Within this frame of reference, this study primarily aims to unfold major hurdles the Nepali Army is currently facing in the conundrum of operational and ceremonial duties along with the impacts of modern world issues, such as digitization and modernization. To fulfil objectives, this study follows a qualitative research methodology. It analyzes data collected from various primary and secondary sources and analyze it to draw out relevant inferences. I explore the military institution's roles to promote arts and cultures based on quantitative data with qualitative analysis.

In contemporary Nepali arts, there are some trends that shock any sensible viewer or any informed person in the area. Some artists repeat the same subject matter, figure and technique throughout their life or from the beginning of their profession till now. The presentation of the same thing all the time creates monotony and nausea in the viewers. The question arises: how can an artist do the same thing all the time? Some artists see the works of famous western artists in art history books, art magazines and the world wide web, and they copy their subject matters and techniques thinking that they can create works and be famous. Some artists randomly splash and pour colors on the canvas and say that the mess and confusion in the canvas is abstract art. They opine that nobody can understand abstract art. They are fooling the viewers. Some artists call themselves modern Nepali artists, for they have practiced modern techniques of western arts. Some artists print the photograph on the canvas, make the photograph rough using paints and call it their paintings thinking that the viewers will be fooled. Some artists do realistic paintings with sweats and tireless efforts to earn their livelihood but when it comes to the exhibition of artworks, they make abstract paintings in few minutes. We can find such naïve and shocking trends in some senior artists as well, and young artists following their footprints. As a result, a substantial portion of Nepali art has already entered the whirlpool presenting its non-existent situation which demands immediate rescue from real artists and intellectuals. The scenario of art can be an analogy of the social and political situation of Nepal. We talk about great revolutions, changes and achievements but the situation of people is getting worse and civilization has been degenerated.

I make an attempt to investigate the select eight paintings by Nepali artists through phenomenology. Nepali artists paint through their living experiences and convert forms into various metaphors in their artworks. Their creations connect with people of different professions in society and make them enter into a new consciousness. I further attempt to explore the relationship of Nepali art with the phenomena of the lives of Nepali artists. The select eight paintings by eight artists are explored here. The artworks are analyzed and interpreted in the qualitative method. In earlier times, Nepali paintings were not interpreted through phenomenological aspects. I argue that the form and colour they invented express their life experiences consciously. I conclude that the value of the living experiences of Nepali artists in the creative process helps in the development of Nepali contemporary art.

Abstract:Following Nepal’s 2015 earthquake, there was speculation that sacred art would be looted from the ruins of severely damaged temples due to a breakdown in formal security. Although pillage did not immediately occur, the months following the earthquake have seen the theft of sacred heritage items. As Nepali sacred art remains under threat of theft, we explore the processes by which government intervention can be destructive of the community dynamic that maintains local crime prevention on an informal and unofficial level. Based on fieldwork conducted in Nepal shortly before and after the earthquake, we ask: can situational crime prevention measures, when imposed in a top-down fashion upon communities by state actors, be corrosive of collective efficacy and, therefore, ultimately self-defeating in crime prevention terms? The case of post-quake Nepal seems to suggest that the answer to this question is, in some circumstances, yes.

Art is mirror of society. Human Civilization developed through art. Philosopher Langinus said that the power of the art is to create sublime to viewers. There is lot of philosophy in art history but still no any conclusion or scientific answer about the art but art is more contemporary due to the globalization and individual expression. In the case of Nepali art, before the "Kirat" and "Lichhabi" period had also some paintings and sculpture. Because of the weak surface we didn't have any paintings but can know from the petrography of Lichhabi period. In the world the ancient time had been found to be developing from religious and cultural development. It is absolutely relevant to be saying that the Nepali paintings were also the cause of the religious development. The history of the Nepali painting had been developed on religious base from the history to contemporary situation. So the main objective of the research is to find the core relation between traditional and modern painting.