 |
| |
VOL. 27, NO. 18, January 11, 2007 (Paush 27 2064 B.S.)
|
|
Mind of Peace
Artist Gajendra Man Shrestha explores the way for mental peace
By A CORRESPONDENT
Every human being has desire to live in peace. Every body wants peace in mind as well as peace in their surrounding environment but it is not always easy to find that out. In the quest for peace, human beings spend their time and energy going from place to place.
At a time when the country has been passing though a violent, anarchic and uncertain situation, like all the people of different professions, artist Gajendra Man Shrestha is also troubled by the lack of peace. And he has chosen the topic of peace in his 18 th solo art exhibition.
Like all other common people, mental as well as physical environment always play important role to set the destiny. Common people can just feel it but the artist and poets can explain it through various means.
Disturbing environment is not going to affect human society only, it will also affect the life of other species of our environment. This is what artist Gajendra Shrestha perceives in his arts.
Artist Shrestha advocates the love towards other animals in the planet. He argues that they should be given complete freedom to enjoy and share their own environment. He pursues for non-violent attitude towards them.
Through the two species bird and fish, artist Shrestha elaborates his theme of peace. According to the artist, one gets peace if there is peace for all beings of the environment where people live. As an artist, he wants to show the world that complete peace is the need of all the beings.
Exhibited at Light and Shade Art Gallery at Thamel, artist Shrestha who used to paint on figurative fish paintings earlier,this time advocates inclusiveness in an attentive being's respective realm of life.
According to artist Shrestha, all other beings also need inclusiveness like people in the present loktantric set-up. He wants to give rights of fish in water and bird in the air which human beings conceive for them in the land. He argues that human should be given rights in the land to leave peacefully so as the birds in the air and fish in the water.
His imagination and concerns about the deteriorating quality of our nature and environment are expressed by the birds and fishes. There is pollution and noise in the air and similarly the water is no more pure and suitable for fish.
Artist Shrestha uses various colors to explain his imagination in his art work with perfect harmony. He uses soft bright hues mainly green, yellow and purple which produce the good quality of paintings. In mixing various colors, artist Shrestha has shown his mastery. Though the fishes are motionless in the paintings, Shrestha's colors show as if they are quickly swimming in the water. The qualities of fishes are very smooth thanks to the colors he uses in paintings.
Although the color of water ranges from blue to red and purple as the color of fishes, one can find the eyes of fishes in a mood of meditation inhaling a peaceful air. As their different nature, birds appear in different moods. The birds highlight distinct ways for peace. All the birds lightly float in the air to express their desire for peace.
Like in the past solo exhibition, artist Shrestha has once again proved that he has the capability and imagination to describe the situation by comparing with other beings of our environment.
The exhibition will continue till January 15.
