Yala Mandala, an artisan village comprising of a gallery, cafe, and handicraft workshop, which aims to contemporize tradition, is coming up with an exhibition titled ‘Sketches by Jagdish Chitrakar’. The exhibition will see a soft opening on July 13, 2018.
Jagdish Chitrakar, a self-taught artist, who got preliminary lessons in painting from his father, renowned artist sculptor, Amar Chitrakar, has been painting for decades now. In 1977, he started painting forms and compositions, and that was his first serious foray into the world of art. By 1979, he had enough works ready to hold an exhibition. So, he organized a show in Nepal-India Cultural Center that was titled “The Inner Eye”. The exhibition’s success gave him the courage to devote full time to painting.
Mani’s exhibit concludes in Yala Mandala
“I don’t choose a subject to work on. It’s actually the other way around,” says Chitrakar talking about his work process. He further says that he doesn’t want to provide explanations or interpretations to his works either, as they are boring and eliminate the mystique of any work. “The beauty of a creative work lies in its puzzling effects,” he adds, “The titles of my work will serve as some clues which viewers can use to come up with their own explanations and interpretations.”
Chitrakar, who quit his job as a senior research officer in DRC (Development Research and Communication Group) to become an artist, has also had his works exhibited at The October Gallery London and IFA Gallery Bonn, Germany, along with those of Manohar Man Poon and Sashikala Tiwari.
However, of late, he has been suffering from bipolar affective disorder, a mental condition, which has affected his work. But once an artist, always an artist, and he hasn’t stopped painting even though it now takes him ages to complete a piece. Recently he is keeping himself busy with ink drawings.
Sketches by Jagdish Chitrakar
Opening Date: July 13
Venue: Yala Mandala, Kwalkhu Road, Patan
Entry: Free
All artworks are for sale
The gallery is open every day from 11 am to 7 pm
