Yala Mandala hosted a one-hour session on ‘Newar Contribution to Asian Art’ at its premises in Patan Dhoka on Monday. The session was facilitated by Art Historian Naresh Shakya.

According to a press statement, the session discussed Newars of the Kathmandu Valley who are renowned painters and are celebrated for their creations in as far as Tibet and China. 

Speaking at the program, Naresh said Newars were not limited to being one socio-ethnic group, but a mixed community that has been absorbing all the different cultures from the Kathmandu Valley. 

Many Newari artists in different periods have contributed to the development of painting in various parts of Asia. Some of the finest influences of Newar paintings can be found in Mustang, Tibetan monasteries, Ladakh in India, and many parts in China, especially Mogao and Yulin grottoes in Dunhuang. 

With all these strong influences of Newar paintings in these important Buddhist sites, Shakya focused on its contribution to the overall Asian art.