Sacred Splendor

GALLERY STATEMENT

The Siddhartha Art Gallery was established on 27 September 1987 at Pratap Bhawan, Kantipath. Sangeeta
Thapa and Shashikala Tiwari cofounded the Gallery as a contemporary art space and meeting point for
artists from Nepal and abroad. In 1997 Siddhartha moved to the beautiful Baber Mahal Revisited as my
cousin Gautam Rana had envisioned a Gallery space in the Revisited complex. Thirty-nine years and more
than 600 exhibitions later, we have hosted artists from all over the world, mounted retrospectives by Nepal’s
master artists Amar Chitrakar, Tej Bahadur Chitrakar Uttam Nepali, Karna Narsingh Rana, Shashikala
Tiwari, Shashi Bikram Shah, Birendra Pratapa Shasi Birendra Pratap Singh and Ragini Upadhya-Grela.
Siddhartha Art Gallery has showcased the works of Nepali artists UK, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, UK, and
the Moesgaard Museum in Denmark.

Siddhartha Art Gallery has worked beyond the gallery space and initiated community art projects such as
Khulla Dhoka, Nirantar Khulla Dhoka, Shanti Art for Hope and Whose City is – bringing artists and poets
together when the country needed much dialogue to move ahead with the political impasse. After the first
Kathmandu International Art Festival in 2009, the Siddhartha Arts Foundation (SAF) was founded in 2011
to promote and develop Nepali arts and culture. SAF has since hosted the 2012 festival and the Kathmandu
Triennale in 2017 and 2022, co-commissioned the Nepal Pavilion at the Venice Biennale with Ang Tsherin
Sherpa, and taken Nepali artists to the Kochi Biennale. Its education initiative, SAFEI, trains art managers,
curators, and critics, and its Mobile Library with Asia Art Archive carries books on contemporary art across
Nepal. In 2023.

On a national level Siddhartha Art Gallery has worked with the Ministry of Culture, the Nepal Tourism
Board, the Nepal Academy of Fine Arts, Nepal Art Council, Kathmandu Municipal Corporation,
Kathmandu University, Lalitkala Academy, Sirjana College of Fine Art, Bijayswri School, Photo Circle,
Chitrakar Samaj, Naag Bahal Tole Sudar Samitee, Patan Museum, the Chhauni National Museum,
Taragaon Museum and the Nepal Army. She has also worked with local arts organizations: Kastamandap
Studio, Bindu, Mcube, Nexus, Lasaana, Biklapa and Art Lab, Srijanalaya and the Saraf Foundation. She
coordinated the ARTIST’S UNITE exhibition at the Siddhartha Art Gallery with local artists and arts
organizations (Artree, Photo Circle, The Drawing Room, Artudio, Sattya and Srijanalaya ) a fund-raising
initiative in which 90 artists participated. A total of Rupees 12,15,410 rupees was donated to the Prime
Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund from the sale of artworks and private donations. She also donated Rs.
120,000 to Child Reach from an exhibition of photographs by internationally acclaimed photographer Lisa
Kristine.

Siddhartha Art Gallery also managed the Kathmandu Art Gallery which began at Le Sherpa and now sits in
the first courtyard of Baber Mahal Revisited as an extension of Siddhartha Art Gallery. It has a gallery space
for exhibitions, workshops, and private events, and a residency programme for artists and travellers. The
two galleries share a platform for contemporary practice while each keeps its own programming and
identity.

Traditional art has long been part of that programme. In 2011, Jewels of Newar Art presented the collection
of the late Purna Man Shakya and Anjana Shakya of the Bodhisattva Gallery, inaugurated by Dr. Dina
Bangdel, who also wrote its catalogue. From Bhaktapur to Kantipur brought together eleven artists from
Bhaktapur. In 2012, Siddhartha hosted an exhibition by celebrated repousse artist Rabindra Shalya and
American national Maureen Drdak – Rabindra’s colossal stupa occupied the ground floor of the Gallery
alongside Maureen’s contemporary works which were amalgamated traditional techniques with
contemporary expression. Sinkhwal’s Sādhanā ran from 24 October to 25 November 2024, with part of its
sales supporting local flood relief. This year we presented Aarambha by Sujit Maharjan and Saru Prajapati in
May, and Traditional Paubha Paintings by Shankar Kumar Joshi and Shankha Narayan Shrestha in July.
Our paubha, Mithila, and botanical painting workshops and talks such as Homage to Banaras open the
practice to the public. The Gallery has worked tirelessly to connect traditional art with collectors like
Gallery of New South Wales, Australia and with international artists.

Sacred Splendor grows out of this work and marks our 39th anniversary. Curated by Pradip Shakya, a well
know figure in the traditional art world, it presents the traditional arts of the Kathmandu Valley, where
deities have been carved, cast, and painted by hand for over a thousand years, by families who inherit the
craft along with the responsibility of keeping it. Bhairav and Ganesh stand beside Prajnaparamita,
Avalokiteshvara, and Tara, sharing a visual language of mudras and postures that has let Hinduism and
Buddhism coexist in the Valley for centuries. In wood, stone, metal, and paint, the exhibition shows a living
tradition in which a statue is a presence that is invoked, adorned, and venerated.

Participating artists: Amir Shakya, Amir Ratna Shakya, Anmol Ratna Tuladhar, Binamra Dangol, Bishnu
Prasad Libi, Chandra Shyam Dangol, Deepandra Shakya, Dilip Bajracharya, Indra Prasad Silpakar, Jeevan
Shakya, Jeetendra Tuladhar, Jenendra Raj Shakya, Jigme Tamang, the late Kalu Kumale, Krishna Gopal
Garu, Nabin Shakya, Niran Lawat Tuladhar, Pipendra Shakya, Palsangmo Lama, Pradip Shakya, Pratham
Raj Bajracharya, Rabindra Shakya, Rajani Sinkhwal, Rajendra Shakya, Ram Bhakta Maharjan, Ram
Prakash, Rusha Maharjan, Raj Kumar Ranamagar, Sabin Shakya, Sabin Ratna Shakya, Sanu Maharjan,
Siddhi Ratna Shakya, Sundar Sinkhwal, Suresh Lawat, Ujaya Bajracharya, and Siwali Shakya.

We thank Pradip Shakya for his curation, the artists and artisans, collectors, friends from the media and the
communities of the Valley whose faith keeps this craft alive. Sangeeta Thapa Founder and Director,
Siddhartha Art Gallery.

Curatorial Note

“What could be more profound than a life without suffering? The splendid images of deities carved and
painted by the master artists and artisans provide us with spiritual sustenance and guide us to an eternal
transformation to a life without delusion.”

Nestled between the majestic Himalayas and the fertile plains of the Indian subcontinent, the Kathmandu
Valley has for centuries been a crucible of culture, a place where trade routes, pilgrimage paths, and
intellectual movements intersect. This amalgamation gave birth to one of the world’s most sophisticated
and enduring artistic traditions. Consequently, the depictions of deities crafted and venerated in the
Kathmandu Valley acted as a nurturing force for Buddhism and Hinduism, allowing them to thrive
together peacefully for over a thousand years, thereby fostering harmony and tolerance.

This exhibition illuminates the sacred conversation. The pantheon of Hindu deities, the fierce protector
Bhairava, and the benevolent Ganesha stand alongside the tranquil wisdom of Buddhist figures like
Prajnaparamita, Avalokiteshvara, and Vasundhara, sharing a visual language, a repertoire of gestures
(mudras) and postures that helps in understanding the cause of suffering and guides to enlightenment. The
artistic practices of the Kathmandu Valley are not mere remnants of the past. Our artisans and artists excel
in their mediums: paintings, metal, stone, and wood carvings. They represent a vibrant tradition, upheld by
the daily rituals and yearly celebrations that breathe life into the valley’s communities. The artisans who
forge a bronze figure today do so with the same commitment and respect for ancient texts as their forebears
did hundreds of years ago. The goddess is not simply a statue; she embodies a dynamic presence, called
upon, adorned, and venerated.

This exhibition shines a light on the sacred conversation. Each item, whether it be a gilded bronze figure, a
vibrant paubha artwork, or a delicately carved wooden beam, emerges from a rigorous blend of spiritual and
artistic dedication, with its uninterrupted continuity. Sacred Splendor invites you to look beyond the
surface and see the deep spiritual currents that have shaped these arts. It is an invitation to appreciate not
only the flawless craftsmanship, rich iconography, curves and colors. But also to acquire knowledge about
how and why these images were introduced. This is more than an exhibition of objects; it is a rare
opportunity to witness the soul of a civilization that continues to create beauty as a pathway to the divine.
Thus these artworks are a manifestation of the sacred splendor of the Kathmandu valley. I am proud to
share that some of the living legends or master artists are represented in this exhibition

Visual Artist/Art Curator
Pradip Shakya
provfoto@gmail.com

Remarks by the Chief Guest -Sangita Shrestha

It is an absolute honor and a deep personal privilege for me to stand before you today to inaugurate “Sacred
Splendor”, a celebration of Nepal’s traditional arts,” as we celebrate the remarkable 39th anniversary of the
Siddhartha Art Gallery.

For 39th years, this gallery has been a vibrant sanctuary for creativity and an important part of Nepal’s
contemporary and traditional art landscape. Sustaining such an institution with passion, dedication, and
vision for nearly four decades is truly remarkable.

My heartfelt congratulations to Sangita and the entire Gallery team on this wonderful legacy. Today, we
mark this special anniversary with the inauguration of this extraordinary exhibition, “Sacred Splendor.”
Curated with vision and dedication by Pradip Shakya, this remarkable collection brings together the works
of 36 traditional master artists, each representing a unique expression of Nepal’s rich artistic heritage. At
Dwarika’s, our ethos has always been deeply rooted in the preservation, restoration, and revival of Nepal’s
rich cultural heritage. Therefore, standing here today and seeing these extraordinary works gives me a deep
sense of connection.

What we strive to preserve through architecture and hospitality, these master artists express through wood,
metal, stone, colour, and spiritual devotion. Nepal’s traditional craftsmanship is not only a treasure of our
own heritage; it has also made a remarkable contribution to the artistic world. Our art is not in museums. It
lives. It lives in the hands of the potter of Thimi, whose wheel has turned for a thousand years. It lives in the
chisel of Patan, where stone still becomes god. It lives in the Thanka, the Mandala a tool for meditation,
every line has a meaning it teaches us, art was never for beauty, it was for mukti for liberation, it lives in the
metal craft and sculptures a 1500-years old lost wax technique, which went from Nepal to Tibet, China and
all Asia, and brought Tibetan Buddhism through statues made by nepali hands to the world. It lives in the
wood carvings; the soul of Newari architecture, made with science and soul that has survived the
earthquakes that broke concrete buildings. These arts are not decorations. They are our identity.

Our ancestors did not create art to be famous. They created it to make life sacred. For centuries, our skilled
Newar artisans of the Kathmandu Valley developed extraordinary traditions of wood carving, metalwork,
stone carving, terracotta, sacred painting, and sculpture. Their knowledge and craftsmanship travelled far
beyond the Valley and across the Himalayas. Their artistic traditions influenced Buddhist art in Tibet,
Bhutan, and parts of China and central Asia. Nepali-style sculptures can be found in monasteries, temples,
museums, and private collections around the world. The distinctive architecture of the Kathmandu valley-
including pagodastyle temples, carved windows, struts, toranas, and decorative elements is especially
significant in the history of Asian architecture and is associated with the transmission of architectural ideas
from Nepal to Tibet and historically further into east Asia.

Today you will be seeing examples of traditional NEPALI wood carved pieces which is perhaps the most
visible expression of traditional newari craftsmanship. Metal carving and metal casting of sculptures in
bronze, copper and gilded metal, using sophisticated techniques of casting, engraving and repousse. Thanka
and sacred paintings depicting Buddhist deities and sacred narratives and stone sculptures. As we celebrate
this 39th anniversary, let us continue to support our artists, preserve our heritage, and create opportunities
for Nepal’s extraordinary craftsmanship to reach new generations and new audiences around the world. Let
us pay homage to a civilization built by artist not just kings who only dreamed, it was our artisans who
turned those dreams into wood, stones and bronze.

Let us celebrate, honor, respect and value the artisans of today who keep the traditions and skills alive
because if we lose a building, we can rebuild it. But if we lose the skilled artisans who know how to carve
and continue the traditions we lose a thousand years of memory forever. Our heritage is not something in
the past. It is living evolving, and continuing to inspire the world. As you will witness today in the pieces in
the exhibition that our younger generation of artisans have learned, preserved and continued to take these
ancient skills to new heights. I bow my head to them. Because if we save a craft, we save culture, when we
save culture, we save Nepal. Thank you very much.

Jai kala! Jai sanskriti! Jai Nepal