National 8 (Spotlight Weekly)

Mountain Mastery

Two Dutch artists portray the harshness of the Himalayas and life on the foothills

By NIRAJ POUDYAL

What happens when two creative minds set out to portray the beauty of the Himalayas on their canvas with strong strokes of the brush? Well, you have to be at the Siddartha Art Gallery to find out. Dutch artists Ed Van der Kooy and Piet Warffemius have used the natural beauty of the Himalayas, the life of the local people, and vistas of the trees they encountered while trekking as the theme of their works.

Chief guest Kanak Mani Dixit and the artists jointly inaugurated the exhibition. Expressing his views on the relationship between Holland and Nepal, Dixit lauded the artists hard work to promote the art and culture of Nepal. Both men have visited Nepal dozens of times. This is their third exhibition at the gallery.

Ed Van der Kooy has moved his brush so impressively that spectators can feel life pulsating in his paintings, titled "Traveling in the Himalayas". Most of his works are of ink on paper, while others are acrylic on paper. His experience at the mountainous trip has been exclusively poured in his display. Works like "Himalayan Crossing", "Monastery Courtyard" and "Horse Caravan" represent the geographical difficulties and the magnificence of the rocky and hilly nature of that part of Nepal. His efforts to explore the upshot of Buddhism pasted in the lifestyle of the people living at the bottoms of the great peaks are laudable.

Der Kooy's works like "Family House In Laddakh", "Children of Manaslu" and "Girl from Laddakh" demonstrate the different ways the people live their lives. "HRH Late Princess Sruti Rajya Laxmi Rana", which grabbed the attention of most spectators, depicts his pain and anguish at the royal palace massacre last year.

Although most of his works are in black and white, Der Kooy has been successful in leaving a colorful memory in the viewers' minds.

The splendor of Warffemius' creativity, too, impresses viewers. His works are titled "Treeforms". His effort to present the modified architecture of trees, specially cactus, as the symbol of history and ups and downs of the life is brilliant.

Warffemius has used mediums like unique print, acrylic on paper and silk screen to symbolize trees as life. His effort to give a variety of shapes to the trees he encountered during his trekking is admirable. Most of the trees he has demonstrated are leafless, which itself displays the view of the snowy environment of the Himalayan region.

His works titled "Up & Down", "Across the Bridge", "Growing by Day and Night" and "Spring Time" are particularly attractive. These works portrayed the struggle of human life at difficult times.