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NEWS and HAPPENINGS Chagall in Nepal THE MAGIC OF COLOUR Yala Maya Kendra, Patan Dhoka, 12-21 November, 2010 On the 12 November, 2010, a three part exhibition of a few of Marc Chagall’s works were showcased at the Yala Maya Kendra in Lalitpur. The exhibition, organized by Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Centre (SIRC), Kavre, included his original posters besides copies of his prints and his life story. Marc Chagall ( 7 July 1887 – 28 March 1985) was a Belarusian French artist, who was associated with several key art movements and was one of the most successful artists of the 20 th century. Although he created in virtually every artistic medium, including painting, book illustrations, stained glass, stage sets, ceramic, tapestries and fine art prints, his dedication to the art of making posters is unique and inspiring. Before the formal opening of the exhibition on 12 November, 2010, an informal preview and workshop was organized on 11 November, attended by Nepali artists and media persons. At the workshop, Chagall was introduced by Mr. Madan Chitrakar, a well known name in the Nepali art society, and the first tour of the exhibition was guided by Ms. Meyer, the curator of the exhibition who incidentally is also the granddaughter of Marc Chagall. The workshop ended with the screening of a documentary - 'The Gift: Four Seasons Mosaic of Marc Chagall', showcasing the design and installation of the mosaic 'Four Seasons' at the Chase Tower Plaza, Chicago. Meret Meyer shared at the preview that she was interested in bringing this exhibition to Nepal after a patient at Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Centre painted a flying figure during an occupational therapy session. She was reminded of a similar flying figure of a man created by her grandfather and was hence interested in bringing the exhibition to Nepal. After Yala Maya Kendra, the exhibition was carried on for yet another week at the Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Centre, Kavre. – Swati Pujari www.spacesnepal.com 20 January-February 2011
NEWS and HAPPENINGS “I will never stop creating art because this is the responsibility God has given me. And duty is God.” - D. B. Chitrakar (SPACES -Jul/Aug 2008). PASSING OF A LEGEND D. B. Chitrakar, 1929 - 2010 An important chapter of modern Nepali Painting came to a sad end with the demise of the legendary DB on 22th Dec.’10 evening. It was a sudden mild respiratory complication which took away the great master from us. Dil Bahadur Chitrakar - popularly known simply as DB to many of his fans and the entire art fraternity, and lovingly addressed as dear ‘Dil Dai’ (dear brother) to many of his juniors including truly yours - remains one of the last great painters who ushered in and consolidated Nepali Painting to a modern era. Born in 1927 to a traditional artist family from Patan as the second son of Jagat Bahadur Chitrakar, the life and art journey of DB Chitrakar resembles an exciting fairy tale with many interesting twists and turns. A strange but remarkable beginning was made when his mentor since his early days, the legendary Tej Bahadur Chitrakar ( founder of Western Realism in Nepal and also the then head of Nepal Art School - the predecessor of the present day Fine Art Campus), highly impressed of DB’s early talents, decided to make this young protégée appear straight in the fifth year final exams of the six year Fine Arts course! To Tej Bahadur it was for two valid reasons. For one, he was sure that DB had already possessed more skills and ability than what was needed for the said exams. And secondly, he wanted DB to possess an academic credential so that he was well armed to fight social battles in the days to come or when needed. But not all were happy with the decision then. And coincidently, during the same period when the mentor christened his favourite young pupil with the initials ‘DB’ so as to make him distinct from other students with the same name, little may he have guessed that this short name would remain immortal as one of the greatest artists of Nepal. DB did not disappoint his mentor. During the exams, DB almost created a kind of panic amongst the regular students while doing a life study of a Buddhist monk as an exam paper. His work, a water colour painting, shined so bright and displayed such an impressive strength, that the regular students were confounded into jealously, and stooped so low as to resort to damage his exam work after the office hours – simply to vent their anger. Thus began the art journey of DB. The rest is history. As the days passed, DB continued to shine regardless of all the adversities and hardships he had to face in pursuit to become a dedicated painter. Initially he outpaced all his contemporaries as an excellent magician in water colours and then, he began to create series of equally strong works in oil too. And his subject matter always revolved around what he loved the most - the life, people, culture and the natural scenic grandeurs of his country and the city he lived in. And throughout, he was true to the core of what he learnt from his mentor – the exquisite display of consummated understanding of academic fundamentals in forms and colours – and a magnificent panorama of works all based in Western style Realism. Although he was within the realms of realistic forms and colours, his works began to redefine the meaning of figurative forms and an individual affinity of colours – an obvious love for warm colours specially ochre and brownish tints. A real breakthrough and a visible shift of his perception of art is seen after his three month long stint in Paris and London during the late sixties under a UNESCO grant. Highly inspired and bombarded with the diverse images of great masterpieces of the Western masters, DB began to explore wider within his own earlier forms and style – a strange panorama where one can see the influences of many of the important phases of Western Art like – traces of Impressionism, Post impressionism, Expressionism and so on. And he always liked January-February 2011 to describe all the works within these thoughts as ‘Semi-abstracts’. But the truth is that DB in his heart always remained fascinated and a true master of academic forms to the core. This is probably the reason that even after he remained well celebrated for his ‘Semi-Abstracts’, he is found to be coming back with strong works based on Realism. Here he reminds one of a free bird who is capable of soaring well high on the sky but in the long run finds more comfort in his own nest. DB‘s saga reads exactly the same. And many of the naïve observers mistakenly began to interpret this transformation and his return to nature and people in his powerful figurative as waning of his creative strength in later times. But the irrefutable truth is that DB remains in the art history of Nepal as one of the most versatile and true artist who has a unique understanding of art in thoughts as well as in his expressions. Moreover, DB presents a unique example of skills of an artist - equally comfortable and consummated in any medium he chooses to dabble –oil, water, pastel, crayon or a simple piece of charcoal. Conclusively speaking, the most striking and the important facet of DB’s persona which makes his head high in the crowd is his sense of pride and dignity as needed in a creative person. Today, when many so called new generation modern painters have shown how they can switch their political allegiances and transforms themselves into common sycophants, DB has left us some meaningful examples on how to remain a true example. An episode which occurred in the late sixties during the final phase of Narayanhiti Palace construction, describes how DB displayed a courage and strength of an artist when he was denied a promised task. He then and there flatly refused to paint any more for the Palace and the Royalty – and instead asked to return to a humble job back in the Education Ministry. But another artist who was also with him during the period – later ended as an honourable member of the then Royal Nepal Academy. DB could have also chosen to capitalize his royal connections to serve his interests, but his sense of dignity and pride prevented him from stooping so low. It is really hard to imagine anyone with such a sense of self-confidence and dignity. Salute to the great artist and a great human being. Alvida dear brother! - Madan Chitrakar 21 www.spacesnepal.com
Page 1: JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2011 ART - ARCHI
Page 12: INBOX C ongratulations on a wonderf
Page 16 and 17: CONTRIBUTORS Ar. Kai Weise Ar. Yatr
Page 18 and 19: www.spacesnepal.com 18 January-Febr
Page 22: NEWS and HAPPENINGS Upcoming Exhibi
Page 26: INFOCUS • Required certificates a
Page 29 and 30: SOLUTIONS Despite a high level of g
Page 31 and 32: SOLUTIONS Hand pump Gutter Down Pip
Page 33 and 34: SOLUTIONS (B) Complete solar, with
Page 36 and 37: SOLUTIONS Reduce your by30% Buildin
Page 38 and 39: ARCHITECTURE The sun does not just
Page 40 and 41: ARCHITECTURE From the flood plains
Page 42 and 43: ARCHITECTURE The warmth at the entr
Page 44 and 45: ARCHITECTURE The panorama of Thasan
Page 48 and 49: ARCHITECTURE THE COURTYARD HOUSES O
Page 50 and 51: ARCHITECTURE In the ancient kingdom
Page 52 and 53: ARCHITECTURE VARIATIONS IN LAYOUTS
Page 54 and 55: ARCHITECTURE First concrete buildin
Page 56 and 57: INTERNATIONAL Resort World Sentosa
Page 58 and 59: INTERNATIONAL Resorts World TM Sent
Page 60 and 61: INTERNATIONAL The interiors of the
Page 62 and 63: INTERIOR Where Context Meets Contex
Page 64 and 65: INTERIOR The staircase, guided by f
Page 66 and 67: INTERIOR Details and details The id
Page 68: The three storey building envelope
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HERITAGE The Area of Maru, with Mar
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HERITAGE SITE PLAN: Kathmandu Darba
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HERITAGE The Kumari Bahal built in
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HERITAGE The royal thrones used for
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ANALYSIS This time around the propo
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OPINION Kathmandu Sustainable Urban
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OPINION Kathmandu Sustainable Urban
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ART © Siddhartha Art Gallery Syed
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ART personal guts and attitudes tow
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www.spacesnepal.com 90 January-Febr
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