Shrestha’s paintings have mysterious titles from ‘The Secret Night’ and ‘Nothing more than Silence’ to ‘The Contemplative Atmosphere’ and ‘Sinking with them’. The series is based on his personal observations and experiences at the holy city of Kashi in India (commonly known as Benaras). “I am a figurative painter, but this time I have drifted away from my previous representational works,” puts in the artist.
In Shrestha’s acrylic painting, ‘The Secret Night’, human limbs randomly appear and disappear on two pieces of stretched canvases, which seem somewhat nightmarish. The eye of the viewer however, is directed to the bell at the center of the composition, which is the only object painted with great detail. From the distant, it appears as if the bell is hanging in the middle of a sea of disjointed bodies. This visual effect is also pronounced by the over abundant use of white in the piece.
‘The Eternity’ is one of best works in the group. There is a sense of depth in this cosmos like painting with its cool dark blues that bring out the warm yellow and orange shapes in the foreground.
“Except for two of my paintings, all of them were made on site at Kashi,” he tells and continues, “While these are my impressions of people bathing and praying beside the river banks, I have also used models in order to get the proportions of the body correct,” informs Shrestha.
For a creative composition teacher, Shrestha’s paintings do not display much diversity in terms of composition. In majority of his paintings, the figurative forms and organic shapes are encased by a boundary that constricts them within the frame of the canvas. This enclosure could also be another reason why his paintings appear discomforting.
In all, Mukesh Shrestha’s impressions of Kashi provide quite a unique experience—be it discomforting or otherwise.
Kashi: an impression will remain open at the Nepal Art Council in Baber Mahal till November 27.
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