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VOL. 27, NO. 29, March 28, 2008 (Chaitra 15 2064 B.S.)
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EXPOSITION
Perfection Of Line
Artist Madan Chitrakar explains the images and trends of present political and other activities
By A CORRESPONDENT
As the country passes through a new phase of political, social and cultural transformation, it is natural to see vivid expressions and situation in front of every individual. But, not all the people can see it or feel it.
With eyes filled with color and brain with imagination, only artists and painters can see this kind of transformation through his/her eyes and explain them to wider public. This is what renowned artist Madan Chitrakar does through his canvas.
Inaugurated by Bangladesh's ambassador to Nepal Imtiaz Ahmed, the exhibition titled The Unspoken is about the political, social and cultural transformation going on in Nepalese society.
From uncertain political process to change in the cultural values, social harmony and country's symbol of existence, all things have been shaken in recent political upheavals and social change.
Nepal is not like it used to be in the past when there was certain sense of political stability and predictable course of cultural transformation. Today, everything is uncertain, unclear and unimaginable. However, artist Chitrakar depicts these entire uncertain situation with his inherited skills and clear vision.
Exhibited at Siddhartha Art Gallery, the paintings depicted at the wall of the gallery are narrative as he narrates the situation and scenes with the eyes of historian and philosopher. One needs to have historical and philosophical knowledge to understand the social and political transformation. This is what painter Chitrakar has shown in his paintings.
The country has seen so many changes and upheavals that it is impossible to express through words as it requires more imagination and narration in the paintings also. This is what artist Chitrakar tries to do. His collections represent images, description and his own thinking. According to artist Chitrakar, he can't articulate all these expression in words.
Through his paintings, artist Chitrakar tries to ventilate on going uncertain situation of Nepal.
Artist Chitrakar chooses the neo-tan trick and contemporary images to capture the present political and cultural mess. His works clearly depict the whole range of bloodshed, disturbance and consequences of instability without showing the bloodshed.
Although his thoughts are based on the country's on-going situation which includes bloodshed, violence and difficulty, he uses very friendly colors and metamorphic images to symbolize his thought.
As there appear more ethnic clashes and demands for autonomy with the right to self determination, the writer also sees the possibility of disintegration of Nepal. One of his paintings shows Nepal's flag torn into small pieces. He sketches the torn out Nepali flags to show the struggle to create a new flag after Janadolan II.
For the past one decade, Nepal has seen intensification of conflicts in rural parts of Nepal where a large number of people had no option other than to flee for their survival. Showing the deserted look of rural area, artist Chitrakar shows how the conflict affected the rural life.
His paintings also expressed agony and disaster as well as hope for the future. What is interesting to see in his paintings is that it speaks volume about the social and cultural upheavals and painful moments.
He draws images with cheerful faces but one has to find the agony and painful process of social and political transformation hidden behind those images. The exhibition will continue till April 3 at Siddhartha Art Gallery.
