NATIONAL8 (Spotlight Weekly]

An Artist's Portrait Of Nepalese Art

Lukewarm response from the market and the media

By Akshay Sharma

Kalapremi Shrestha was busy preparing Newari cuisine for an exhibition that was opening at the Royal Nepal Academy the following day. He shared with SPOTLIGHT his thoughts on issues ranging from the state of Nepalese art and buyers to the prospects of artists.

The works of Kalapremi (Gopal), a lecturer in fine arts and a trainer for the Ministry of Industry's Ceramics Promotion Project, will be displayed until December 10. He established "Gokem Art Ceramic Studio" for research and development of ceramics and Nepali Terra cotta techniques. He is currently studying Mithila art.

In Greek mythology "The Muse" were the nine daughters of Zeus. They presided over and inspired art and learning. In Nepalese mythology it is Goddess Saraswati. Creative artists feel the vibes of this "muse" and get inspiration from it.

Kalapremi makes a sculpture : Skills at work

"For me, this spirit hid in the warmth of the sun's heat or the coolness of the breeze. The creative being comes into existence with the budding flower ready to celebrate new life and the withering flower that shrivels into nothing at the slightest sigh. The ëmuse' lives within every artist -- even the harsh heat that melts hard metals inspires creativity," says Kalapremi, who exhibited his works called "The Muse".

"Kalapremi's creation and experiments have given a new look to the world of Nepalese sculpture. He has found his happiness in clay and can't live without clay or creation," says academician Uttam Nepali of the Royal Nepal Academy. "His clays speak different languages, as do the faces of his sculptures. He loves creativity and his dedication is inspiring to young Nepalese modern artists. The fire that he needs to bake the clay burns deep within him."

Speaking on the decline in Nepalese art, Kalapremi says, "We should teach art at the primary level. Some people see paintings as something useless hanging on the wall. If these stereotypes change, we can pave the way for the future generation of artists. There are no artists in Nepal now because there is no market for art."

Kalapremi's works were displayed on November 11 to a few art lovers and journalists, accompanied by a classical music concert by Sarita Mishra.

"In India the establishment spends 10 percent of its budget in art. If we could do that, we could preserve Nepalese art. If we begin now, we may get to the artistic heights achieved by France in the 16th century."

"It is economically a big burden for us to go abroad to exhibit our works. You cannot convince the sponsors," Kalapremi says.

"I personally know some foreigners who think modern art does not exist in Nepal. Foreigners take art in two ways - 98.9 percent of them take it as a souvenir -- and that is not the right approach towards art. About one percent of them buy art to hang it in their walls. But the real art junkies -- 0.1 percent of the buyers -- look at the work and come back later to buy it," he says.

"Art and life are two sides of the same coin. There are only 10 or 12 sculptors in Nepal today. There are few art critics and media coverage is virtually non-existent," says Kalapremi.

"A foreigner helped me reach where I am today. He lives in Switzerland and he started collecting my art. He provided me with reading materials we Nepalese cannot afford to buy. Alvin has about 40 of my paintings." he says.

"Some Nepalese buy art just to show off. They want to acquire as many paintings as possible to cover their bare drawing room walls. There are rookie-collectors who collect works of art by any means," Kalapremi says.

Kalapremi started sculpting as a kid and has enhanced his talents with his new work entitled "Goldfish" which is really good, says Beate Neumann, herself is a sculptor.

Kalapremi says he chose the topic "Goldfish" because, "they bedazzle you with their colors, their movement and fins. And that is so relevant to human nature."

"Henry Moor was certainly an inspiration to me. I really admire Pravin Shrestha and Pramila Giri," Kalapremi says.

"Kalapremi is a pioneer in terra cotta sculpture amongst the younger generation in Nepal," says Krishna Manandhar, campus chief of Lalit Kala Campus.

"I like art in any form ... I see art in everything. That is why I call myself Kalapremi," he adds.