National 6 (Spotlight Weekly)

Festive Colors

Pradip Kumar Bajracharya's paintings radiate the cultural opulence of his community

By NIRAJ POUDYAL

Everyone's eyes are fascinated by the dark colors of festivals, especially red, that have been spilled over the canvas with artistic techniques and fertile imagination. The first solo art exhibition of the young, dynamic and calm Pradip Kumar Bajracharya, a graduate of fine arts, has lifted the spectators' mood several notches.

The exhibition, organized on the auspicious occasion of the 53rd birthday of Her Majesty Queen Komal Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah, titled "Festive Moods" is a collection of 37 excellent reflections of lifestyles of the Newar community - their culture and religion, which is popularly known as full of festivals and feasts in the Kathmandu valley. Media of painting is acrylic. All of his works are untitled. The exhibition, which began on February 11, will continue until February 25.

Bajracharya's painting : Festive mood

"As someone from the Newar community, in which festivals are an integral part of daily life, the colors of these festivals, religious and cultural celebrations in the community and especially festive moods of jatras have a profound effect on my heart and mind," said Pradip. "Since valiant colors, especially red, have great importance and participation in the festivals of Newar community, red colors have dominated my works," he added.

The equal appearance of men and women in traditional attire has revealed the life of the people residing the valley. Importance of color, rath, religion and worship of shaped god and goddesses have been interestingly revealed in his paintings with the creative strokes of brush. The active participation of the majority of the community in the festivals mirrors the sound relationship and harmony among the Nepalese people.

Musical inspiration among the people has also been beautifully explored in some of Pradip's paintings. Some depict the importance and role of music in jatras. Use of traditional flutes, drums and plates are rampantly found in these works.

Widespread diversity dissolved with unity within limited space of the canvas are another key feature of his creations. One of his works depicts the festival at morning mists while another is the facsimile of the festival of dark evening.

Beside festivals, his works consist of rural and traditional life standard of the people in and around the valley. Simplicity of costume, women participation in public celebrations, and synchronism among men and women in family life and society as a whole can be visualized in his works.

"He has a quite strong brushwork - with free and attractive movements," said Batsa Gopal Vaidya, a prominent artist/painter. "Heritage as the theme of his paintings is rare in itself," he added.

Indira Malla, chairman of the birthday committee, inaugurated the exhibition. "Having the view of his paintings, I found myself in the festival itself. The title 'Festive Mood' has certainly worked on me," she said. She wished the artist success.

Another important aspect of Pradip's work is his obeisance to the cultural heritage of Nepal. His work can really work to generate awareness about our festivals, lifestyles and wider cultural heritage in Nepal and abroad.