Photos:Republica

Art is definitely the reflection of life where artists’ emotions flow on the canvas impressing their thoughts and experiences. Their medium may vary where the hues and motifs they use to depict their inner thoughts and feelings create masterpieces.

Likewise, artists Samjhana Rajbandari and Saurganga Darshandhari have created prints as the result of being in 10th edition of artists in residence at Air-Mcube for two months. The art exhibition kicked off on Friday at Gallery Mcube, Patan.

In the exhibition, both of them have used woodcut technique — one of the methods in print making—to create their prints. In Samjhana’s prints titled ‘Existence’, she has expressed the interrelation and similarities between human life and the natural world. And how their existence help to sustain life in general.

In this series, she has created colorful mandals having tree at the center of each mandals. Samjhana expressed, “Trees represent nature while mandal depicts us. In Newari culture, mandal symbolizes own self that is worshipped during Mha Puja, as the representation of god within us for a fuller life and longevity.” Samjhana has used vibrant colors for her prints. She has created mandals using simple geometric shapes using hues like red, orange and blue.

Unlike Samjhana’s prints, Saurganga’s prints are in black and white color. However, the actions happening inside the canvas are vibrant. Her art series titled ‘Free time’ is her diary where she expresses herself through the everyday objects, things we use in our daily life among others.

About her artworks, artist Manish Lal Shrestha also the curator of the exhibition shared, “Saurganga has expressed reality of the surrounding and today’s lifestyle that is living with social media.”

Her title justifies her prints that show how social media has become part of our daily life and how one uses his/her free time. For Saurganga art is the means to express what she is experiencing in her life which is similar to writing in a diary.

During the residency period both the artists were involved in several projects like students woodcut workshop ‘Sanga-Sangai’ with the students from three art schools KU School of Art and design, Central Department of Fine Art TU and Sirjana College of Fine Arts. Then, there were artists talk and presentation as well.

The exhibition that explores existence of life continues till June 15.