When the couple was in Japan, they did an exhibition in Tokyo that generated some funds which, when returning to Nepal, turned into a restaurant, explains Bhatta.
Located at Jhamsikhel, opposite St. Mary’s School, Chai-Chai, painted in brown, brings out a special appeal in the winter sun. Now showcasing an exhibition of paintings, “Assorted Motifs” by Yuki Shirai, Chirag Bangdel, Shailesh Bhatta, and Anurag Bangdel, the café/gallery hopes to develop the notion of art in Nepali society.
“In Nepal, the perception of art has been very restricted,” expresses Bhatta. “For artists, everything is art. For example, my wife is very interested in pastries and making them is art for her,” he adds, referring to art being a taste of life that has to be taken in from the soul, body and mind, if you are to fully appreciate the beauty of it.
Discussing the prospects of art, Chirag Bangdel, Nepal’s celebrated painter and writer whose art is also on diaplay at the gallery, joins us at the table.
“Art is beyond creativeness, it’s a lifestyle,” considers Bangdel. “Shailesh and his wife live their life that way, and it’s fully understandable for them opening a café/gallery.”
There are some other restaurants that house artworks as well; however, there are only a few who do complete justice to the art they are presenting. Conversely, at Chai-Chai’s gallery, the atmosphere is different. The three-room gallery, though small, has a good ambience surrounding it.
“It’s small, yes, but that also has its positive side,” comments Bangdel. “You don’t need a large collection to do an exhibition here. With about 25 works, you can easily do a good showcasing of your work,” he adds.
Bhatta puts in that it is the simple things that make the best impression on him, whether it be daily life or working with his paintings. “The same is true even with this café. I designed the layout of the café, as well as the font of Chai-Chai Café on the board. Simple things like these are what make it special,” he shares.
Talking about the gallery itself, Bhatta recognizes that he received a lot of help from his friend Bangdel. “Talking about painters whose works I like, Chirag comes first in my mind,” remarks Bhatta. Bangdel, though surprised, thanks him for the compliment.
This being their first exhibition at the gallery, the owners haven’t decided what fee they are going to charge for the exhibition, though Bhatta infroms, there is a strong inclination that it will be a percentage of the sales.
The next exhibition at the gallery is from January 22, and is a solo exhibition by Chirag Bangdel showcasing his paintings and collages.
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