A Concise Introduction to Nepali Modern Sculpture

About the Authors Mukesh Malla is an Art Critic and Artist. He has been active in the art field from four decades. He has published nine books on contemporary art. He has received Janasewan Shree fourth, National Art Writer Award, Art Critic of the Year Award amongst many other.

Saroj Bajracharya is an Artist and Art writer. He has been active in the art field for more than two decades. He has been actively involved in many facets of art including painting, writing, teaching, curating, organizing and coordinating art events and exhibitions.

Foreword Nepali sculpture has come a long way, however a proper book regarding the field is lacking. To overcome this situation, this book entitled 'A concise introduction to Nepali modern sculpture' has been published which I hope will initiate a new . beginning to the research and writing relating to the Nepali sculpture. During the four years of establishment of Nepal Academy of Fine Arts, there have been many art activities but this initiation by the writer duo Mukesh Malla and Saroj Bajracharya to write a research oriented book on Nepali sculpture will I believe act as a catalyst to enhance the art writing and publishing especially in the field of sculpture.

Writing on Nepali art the negligible and in the field of Nepali sculptures the writings are even less. This book is therefore and attempts to link the traditional as well as modern sculpture. This book is also an endeavor to strengthen the foundation of Nepali sculpture by providing its brief introduction. Thus, I firmly believe this book will serve well as a resource for future researchers, nationally and internationally.

This book will also help understand about the Nepali sculptors to the general public. The importance of this book is further augmented by the fact that the writer duo are themselves accomplished artists and art writers with a long and extensive experience in the art field. Hence, this book is a milestone in fulfilling the deficient in Nepali art writing.

[firmly believe that this book will serve as a valuable resource to the future researches on the Nepali modern sculpture. This book in my opinion will also provide a platform to felicitate artists dedicated to this body of art and give them their much deserved credit for which I extend heartfelt gratitude to the writer duo.

Preface It is quite evident that the art of Nepal is proverbial in the entire world. Every culture is based on creative individualities and as they unite for the social betterment it takes form a culture. This is where it can safely be said that Nepal holds an immense creative gravity. This creatively charged ground has been flourishing art from time immemorial; from the Kirant to the Lichchavi era; which is aptly called the golden age for or Jan Nepal to the reign of the Mallas, Nepal was a nation of artists and scholars from the ancient' time. And by the dawn of the modern world, as art started becoming more individualistic it gradually began to come out of the shadows of religion and social wrapping; it began to have newer meanings and dimensions to its existence. This particular point is the focus of this book.

This book is concentrated on the Nepali modern sculptors. However, in order to elaborate the modern scenario it is necessary to understand the qualities and attributions of the pre modern phase of Nepali sculptures. In this regard this book has attempted to shed light on the brief introduction to sculptures from Malia era subsequently connecting it to the pre-modern era with the development of trend and qualities of statue in Nepal. We have categorized the phase of statue as two separate turning points in order to clearly bring forth the creative advancements. Furthermore, the book also attempts to chronologically show the turning point in Nepali sculpture; the Europe visit of the then Prime Minister Jung Bahadur Rana and its effect on the Nepali sculpture scene.

This book has attempted to bring to the fore the ground of modern sculpture of Nepal by categorizing it into pre modern phase, modern phase and the influence of post modern tendency in the advancement of Nepali sculpture. In order to represent these developments we have tried to outline some of the significant sculptors of Nepal who have defined end shaped the modern sculpture scenario of Nepal.

We wo.uld like to thank the experts who have helped us to bring out this book. Equally, we are deeply grateful towards Mr. Kiran Manandhar, the Chancellor of Nepal Academy of Fine Arts for his positive thoughts and encouragement. We are gratified to have expert opinions and suggestions from Mr. Thakur Prasad Mainali, the Vice-Chancellor of Nepal Academy of Fine Arts.

We would like to thank Mr. Om Khattri, Council Member and head of Sculpture Department of Nepal Academy of Fine Arts for taking initiation to commence this research, providing us with an opportunity to be a part of it and consenting to publish this book.

Last but not the least we would like to thank all the helping hands who have helped us to bring this book into reality.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages