NATIONAL8 (Spotlight Weekly]

Show Of Shah

Shah's paintings mirror the realities of society

By A CORRESSPONDENT

Uma Shanker Shah is one of the well-known artists of Nepal, who has held many solo exhibitions in various art galleries of Kathmandu. He always enjoys capturing images of modern life and the changing nature of urban society. This time, too, Shah focuses his attention on the realities of society.

Inaugurated by Dr. Sue Vokes, historian and coordinator of the Cultural Studies Group\Nepal, Shah's exhibition offered a rich array of images to viewers. In portraying religious, cultural and natural themes, Shah has exhibited the reservoir of immense creativity he possesses.

"The restless pace of modern life in this fast-changing city is a subject that I enjoy capturing in my canvases and prints, especially the contrast the old cities of Patan and Bhaktapur and the newly metropolis of Kathmandu," says Shah.

The show was organized by Siddhartha Art Gallery at Babar Mahal Revisited. From the window and terrace of his new house, the temple of Swayambhu dominates the skyline like an icon. "A more meditative and introspective [streak] renders his interpretation of conjugal bliss as the ultimate cosmic union of creation, using the mandala and kama (love) as a backdrop over which he synthesizes abstract elements of Hindu Buddhist philosophy an Symbolism," said Sangeeta Thapa and Sashikala Tiwari.

This is Shah's third solo exhibition at the Siddhartha Art Gallery after a space of two years. This is another in his series of Kathmandu Vignettes. "He continues to play with dream city-scape — his vision of Kathmandu as the ultimate temple-city," a critic says. "The artist's fascination with masks and puppets are still evident in his work. Shah's paintings and prints still contain their magical luminous quality."

Add Thapa and Tiwari: "Shah's paintings and prints have always enjoyed a special place at the Siddhartha Art Gallery where his works have been represented alongside a small group of contemporary printmakers in the art world of Nepal, which include artists like Urmila Upadhyaya, Batsa Gopal Vaidya, Parmesh Adhikary, Radhe Shyam Mulmi, Birendra Pratap Singh and Ragini Upadhyaya."

Shah has a distinct way of expressing the world. "I sometimes feel that perhaps long ago, Kathmandu was inhabited by various gods and goddesses, living deities who have now transformed themselves into stone images being distressed by the waywardness of mankind," he says. "And yet, Kathmandu is today, is an open museum, a city of temples where I am tied to spiritually for my inspiration. The Shivalinga, statues of gods and goddesses, ritual objects, places of worship are recurring themes imbued in my work."

EXPOSITION
Portraits Of Japan

Posters provide powerful images of the country's identity

By A CORESSPONDENT

The items displayed at Discover Japan through Contemporary Posters help viewers understand various aspects of Japanese culture, history and way of life. The posters are an integral part of Japanese heritage.

Posters are symbolic in the sense that they represent the creativity of human society. The items displayed at the hall of Nepal Art Council Gallery depict the painstaking and creative expressions of Japanese artists.

Organized jointly by Japanese Embassy and Nepal Art Council Gallery with support from Japan Foundation, the exhibition offered Nepalis an opportunity to familiarize themselves with various ways of Japanese life and the cultural richness of the country. The 75 posters displayed at the exhibition showed the link between commercial posters and the creativity of Japanese society.

Many posters displayed have been used as commercial labels in such diverse areas as pharmaceuticals and parks. In explaining various moods, the poster makers use mountains, birds and nature as powerful tools. Making posters requires creative thinking, as the artist works to provide strong meaning to the message.