Working on smaller canvases than his previous series, the solo exhibition is titled “Buddha – The Perennial” and consists mostly of vertical compositions, recalling traditional struts of temples. The subject here, however, rather than Hindu deities is the Buddha.
The figurative mixed media paintings are heavily concentrated on tones of a single color that make them appear monochromatic when seen from far. Earth-warm colors such as ochres and burnt sienna dominate “Wheel of Law” and “Preaching” while “Adi Buddha” and “White Tara” have blues and grays, respectively.
“Various kinds of medium helped me express my feelings and concepts technically,” writes the artist about the series. “I’ve tried to be experimental,” states Shrestha, who has employed glass-cleaning products to kerosene in his paintings, with acrylic paint as the primary base.
Working in layers, Shrestha has created a cracked-like surface on his paintings. The effect works in some, while in others, it takes away the essence from the subject of the painting, for instance, in “Amitaabha”.
What sets the painting “The Path of Salvation” from the group, apart from it being the largest, is that it is a narrative and not a portrait of the Buddha. Measuring nine feet across and three feet high, the image is essentially a collage depicting the Buddha’s life from His birth to His mahaparinirvana. The subject, often seen in monasteries, is therefore, not a new one, but Shrestha’s approach is interesting.
Based on a horizontal composition, the narrative moves from the top left corner and ends at the bottom left corner, moving the viewer from left to right and then back again. The rather bright flesh tones, however, are a bit jarring to the eyes, when spread all over the canvas.
Shrestha’s exhibition ends today at the Fusion Studio, located on the first floor of the Sagarmatha Bazaar in Thamel.
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