KATHMANDU: A two-day art exhibition on cartoon caricatures of celebrities was held at Nepal Art Council in Babar Mahal that began on Tuesday. Many of the participating artists worked as cartoonists at various newspapers in Kathmandu. The exhibition is the culmination of a 10–day process that began with a workshop and then ended with competition amongst the 25 participants.
Devendra Thumkeli, the organizer of the event, explained that cartoon caricature differs from that of a traditional portrait, or even that of a cartoon, because it relies on the exaggeration and simplification of certain qualities of the subject. Instead of providing an accurate rendering, the primary goal of the artists was to satirize the subject.
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Rabi Mishra, a participating artist, rendered a caricature of the singer Narayan Gopal. Discussing his drawing, Mishra explained that he chose to magnify the size of Gopal’s lips as a means of emphasizing Gopal’s work as a singer.
The glasses, Mishra explained, he emphasized were a defining accessory of Gopal. Mishra also hopes that cartoon caricature, often relegated to newspapers, is promoted as an art form in its own right. Although Mishra noted that this event received little fanfare, he is hopeful that it will inspire similar events in the future.
The exhibition ended on Wednesday.
