Ancient art revived
The direct descendant of renowned artist Kuber Singh Shakya whose works are
all over Asia from Kathmandu to Ladakh, Tibet, and Bhutan, Rabindra Shakya comes
from a family with a long line of artisans. His father, Rudra Raj Shakya, is
also an artist known for his works on metal. Rabindra Shakya learnt repousse,
art of embossing or pressing shapes into metal, from his father and is now
passing all of his family knowledge to Mureen Drdak, the recipient of the
2011-2012 Fulbright Senior Scholar Award for Nepal. Together, Drdak and Shakya
are holding an art exhibition titled The Prakriti Project: Eternal Visions-
Contemporary Forms.
The Prakrti Project which was inaugurated on Feb 9 by Patricia Mahoney, the Deputy Chief of Mission Embassy of the United States of America, is exhibiting a total of 22 pieces of which 10 are by Drdak and 12 by Shakya. All 12 sculptures by Shakya are on sale and the prices range from NPR 50,000 to NPR 1,550,000. The price tag on five paintings by Drdak range from USD 1,250 to USD 12,500. The
exhibition displays copper repousse sculptures by Shakya which reflect Newar culture through and through. These repousses are created by
beating a sheet of copper metal to produce a 3D effect. The sculptures are painstakingly detailed and have an overwhelming effect.
The works by Drdak, on the other hand, are a blend of copper repousse and contemporary paintings on canvas and wood panels in line with ancient Newari art traditions. She has used plastic bags as her way of speaking against environmental degradation which is one of the major problems in Nepal and the Himalayas. Drdak has also used mineral particles in her work which gives her pieces a raw yet interesting finish. Revolving around her concept of nagas, her collection is dominated by black and
copper. Drdak’s works are a beautiful interpretation of Newar art and of what she has learnt from her teacher Rabindra Shakya in his workshop.
The artists hope that this exhibition will show people how wonderful this ancient form of copper repousse is. With Shakya’s detailed presentation of what Newar copper repousse is combined with Drdak’s version this method of art, shown in The Prakriti Project: Eternal Visions- Contemporary Forms will certainly be a success in its endeavors.
The Prakriti Project is being exhibited at the Siddhartha Art Gallery, Baber Mahal till February 26. Those interested in making a purchase can book the works on sale.
source: ekantipur.com
The Prakrti Project which was inaugurated on Feb 9 by Patricia Mahoney, the Deputy Chief of Mission Embassy of the United States of America, is exhibiting a total of 22 pieces of which 10 are by Drdak and 12 by Shakya. All 12 sculptures by Shakya are on sale and the prices range from NPR 50,000 to NPR 1,550,000. The price tag on five paintings by Drdak range from USD 1,250 to USD 12,500. The
exhibition displays copper repousse sculptures by Shakya which reflect Newar culture through and through. These repousses are created by
beating a sheet of copper metal to produce a 3D effect. The sculptures are painstakingly detailed and have an overwhelming effect.
The works by Drdak, on the other hand, are a blend of copper repousse and contemporary paintings on canvas and wood panels in line with ancient Newari art traditions. She has used plastic bags as her way of speaking against environmental degradation which is one of the major problems in Nepal and the Himalayas. Drdak has also used mineral particles in her work which gives her pieces a raw yet interesting finish. Revolving around her concept of nagas, her collection is dominated by black and
copper. Drdak’s works are a beautiful interpretation of Newar art and of what she has learnt from her teacher Rabindra Shakya in his workshop.
The artists hope that this exhibition will show people how wonderful this ancient form of copper repousse is. With Shakya’s detailed presentation of what Newar copper repousse is combined with Drdak’s version this method of art, shown in The Prakriti Project: Eternal Visions- Contemporary Forms will certainly be a success in its endeavors.
The Prakriti Project is being exhibited at the Siddhartha Art Gallery, Baber Mahal till February 26. Those interested in making a purchase can book the works on sale.
source: ekantipur.com
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