Having learned the techniques of modern arts from his late father, Madan Chitrakar sought for his own motifs when it came to pioneering his creativity on canvas. He has worked as senior artist, design expert and division-in-charge at the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation for about three decades. A graduate in applied arts from Mumbai and an MA in history and culture from Tribhuvan University, he is an art writer and critique for four decades now. He has authored several books on art. Traversing in the field of modern art through painting and writings he was also engaged as a visiting faculty at KU Centre for Art and Design and Fine Art Campus. He is currently engaged as the principal of Sirjana College of Fine Arts, Uttar Dhoka, Kathmandu.

In an interview with My City’s Sonam Lama, Chitrakar shared his insights on exploring the spheres of modern arts in Nepal.

How would you define your form of art?
There are certain principles that I consider when it comes to performing any form of art. Art is a medium of expression which should be expressed in a pleasant way. Human thoughts are extremely dynamic so a work of art should have the ability to hold dialogue between the viewer and the artist in much of a metaphorical manner. Moreover, art serves as a powerful medium to reflect the state of any particular time so art should be based on the foundation of exploring with ideas, emotions and creativity. I rarely follow any thematic process of working as an artist. As I admire experimenting with colors and motifs so I barely confine myself in certain thematic limitations.

How did you get into modern arts despite the Chitrakars having a long history of traditional art?
Born in a family of Chitrakar, whose ancestral occupation is linked with artistry, there was no exception that I would think and act beyond what I grew up observing from an early childhood. I can recollect the time when I used to have the first sight of my home studio in the morning and I would see my late father training his students. My father’s arts much inspired me to follow his footsteps. It was gradually that I started growing inquisitive about Nepali art and its history. In order to get associated with arts in a different way, I earned a degree in applied arts from Mumbai and specialized in designing while simultaneously engaging as visiting faculty in various colleges of fine arts in Nepal.

The shift from traditional art to modern is on going. How do you view it?
I believe both the forms of arts have their own range of viewers with both having their own motifs and essence. Nepali traditional arts like Paubha, Thanka and Mithila hold their religious and historical values while modern art is much of a work that evokes expression and admiration giving a room for the artist to explore with their creativity. Today’s market, I believe, is much diverse. It acknowledges the aesthetics of art and is much keen on knowing the evolving trends of arts. Modern arts have found much space now which, apart from holding visual significance, has become a strong medium for the exchange of ideas, dialogues and discourses. 

How did your journey from an artist to an art writer proceed?
As I started learning about the history and culture of Nepali arts, I felt the urge to write and record the research work and information that I had gathered in the course of my learning. It was in 1976 that I got my first writing called ‘The Cult of Sun God in Nepali Art’ published in The Rising Nepal. Although my choice of words then was quite bombastic, I was praised for the content and the insights of the article. It was the feeling of being expressive that led me toward writing. After that I started researching about the contributions that my late father Tej Bahadur Chitrakar had made in the field of arts and compiled it in a book which was the first book of my life.

What factors do you think are necessary to let Nepali art thrive?
Unlike traditional forms, modern arts do not necessarily hold iconographic descriptions which make them open to creativity and subjective interpretations. So, when it comes to any form of art, its fundamentals should be well developed because there is always a fine line between the underlying categories of arts in terms of the efforts that are put in. Therefore, exercising liberation without a tinge of mediocrity evoked in your canvas is the significant skill to master in modern arts in the first place. Moreover, the increase in domestic market for artists and bettering infrastructure could be much of a help to instill art culture among the people, which will ultimately flourish arts in Nepal.