Mekha's take on perceptions

KATHMANDU, Sept 23: It is most unfortunate when a collection of interesting works hangs in a gallery but only for a short period of time. The same goes for Mekha Bahadur Limbu Subba’s paintings that are currently up at the Sirjana College of Fine Arts in Lainchaur, Kathmandu. The show opened on Friday, September 17 and will close on September 25.[break]

On all the 24 paintings being titled “Perception,” Mekha shares, “People have different perceptions of the same thing, and that’s what I’m trying to explore in my works.”

The young painter is influenced more by dreams, the subconscious and psychological investigation of the human mind than by particular artists, per se.

For a 2008 graduate of Kathmandu’s Lalit Kala Campus, the 24-year-old artist offers a fresh outlook in this solo exhibition, especially when it comes to the composition of his paintings.

Noteworthy are numbers 6, 12, and 24. With a half-filled glass of water placed near the center of the canvas, atop of what looks like a red table in painting number 6, it leaves one wondering about where the space really begins and where it ends.

Does it even have a beginning and an end? The flat red on the lower half of the canvas against the framed mini portrait in the white background is a jarring contrast.

The self-portrait in number 24 lies within an odd quadrilateral, framing it within the square canvas. It is difficult to understand what the artist is trying to convey, but the well-rendered extreme close-up of the artist’s face is visually uncomforting, and therefore, interesting. The small strip of canvas added to the right of the canvas breaks and defines the space at the same time. The pink and blue pastel colors surrounding the portrait, however, give the painting a greeting card-like appearance to some extent.

Masks, headless bodies, empty doorways, butterflies, and floating clothes are some of the repetitive motifs in Mekha’s works.

“I’m not yet done exploring, and will continue working on these paintings,” puts in the winner of the 2009 Prashanta Memorial Society Scholarship. The Society was established in 2003 in the memory of artist Prashanta Shrestha who died at a young age. Each year, the award is given to art students excelling in their academics. This year’s scholarship award of Rs 15,000 went to Arpita Shakya of Sirjana College of Fine Arts.