NATIONAL 9 (Spotlight Weelky)]

Catcher In The Eye

An artist portrays the Bodhi tree as the focal point of meditation

By AKSHAY SHARMA

Prakaash Chandawadkar is not a new name among Kathmandu’s art enthusiasts, having made a name through his tightly focused thematic presentations. In his latest exhibition, titled "From The Bodhi Tree", which began on August 24 at the Siddhartha Art Gallery in Babar Mahal, Prakaash has concentrated on the Bodhi (pipal). "I have already sold five paintings despite the rain. People are recognizing art in the true sense. The market is slowly picking up for incoming artists," he told SPOTLIGHT.

"Art is the visualization of constant change. Painting is a meditation, painting is the joy of seeking contact with eternity with the universal forces," Prakaash says. "In this series, I have used the Bodhi tree as the focal point of my meditation. The leaves of the Bodhi tree, the color and movement of the leaves express my being in the moment."

Prakaash has zoomed in on the leaves of the Bodhi tree. "I chose the leaf because it is a universal term for peace and tranquility. It represents silence and solitude. Moreover, it is the tree under which Lord Buddha meditated."

Asked to name the best among the paintings on display, he points to one on Loktha (Nepali) paper, adding: "I never give my painting a title. The leaf is an icon for Hindus and Buddhists in Nepal."

"I find that I possess more power in my hands and mind when I paint in Nepal," Prakaash adds. "All the paintings are on Loktha paper. I have dyed the leaves and used all Nepali colors."

"The paper has a flexibility that you do not find it in any other paper in the world. You can do so many experiments with Nepali colors and paper."

Speaking about his childhood, Prakaash says: "I was really interested in painting in school but I never knew I was going to become a painter by profession. I never follow a line. I always loved colors. I used do formless paintings. Now, my paintings are in form."

"When I completed my studies in art, I tried everything. But I realized that I was myself when I painted. It’s now a kind of a momentum in my life. When I am painting I am not Prakaash — I am just an ordinary painter seeking something inside of me. That was what I used to think as a child when I used to paint. And I just followed that path."

"On the last exhibition I played with colors by applying direct strokes on paper. This time I have started on the leaves of the Bodhi tree and the idea just comes into my work."

Asked who he draws inspiration from, Prakaash says: "I have studied many painters. I have seen the paintings of big European painters, but sometimes I hate big painters because painting is not a mental game. It is the work of the person’s soul. I am definitely not an intellectual artist."

Speaking about his hobbies, he says: "I love to watch movies, plays, photography and seeing places. I would be paralyzed if I could or cannot paint because painting is my best hobby."

"I listen to all kinds of music," he says. "I usually enjoy classical music and it helps me paint because it has a kind of flow (tarang) and it motivates me while I’m painting."

How is the market for paintings in Kathmandu? "If you do good painting, there are buyers in Kathmandu. My suggestion to Nepalese painters is, instead of thinking about everything around you, just devote your life to your work."

"On my last exhibition I focused on faces, " Prakaash says, adding: "Life is like a drama and it’s like a jungle. But for my current exhibition, I put together these paintings in 15 days. I usually put a show and it is like a series. I have done more than 50 paintings since June."

Prices at the exhibition range between Rs 5, 000 and Rs 25,000.