Currently managed by the children of the late modern painter Rama Nanda Joshi, popularly known as R N Joshi, who founded the gallery in his own house after having his atelier and showroom at Ratna Park in the late 1960s, the newly renovated walls of the gallery were covered with works of art from top to bottom. Unfortunately, these were mostly limited to paintings with most of the subjects being landscapes of cultural sites and figures—both religious and non-religious. The array of works on display was, nevertheless, rich in colors.
“We send invitations to artists to participate in our fair, and each year we encourage them to submit something new,” informed Navin Joshi, the manager of Park Gallery. Although the quantity of works on display was impressive, for a regular gallery visitor in Kathmandu, most of the paintings weren’t new. For instance, paintings by Erina Tamrakar and Reeta Manandhar were seen earlier this year at other exhibitions as well. On the other hand, “All of these are my new paintings,” put in artist Pramila Maharjan.
A peek into the R N Joshi Museum in the same space proved to be a much worthwhile visit than the art fair itself. The small but beautifully organized museum showcases the works of the late Joshi in a chronological order, which includes everything from his spontaneous outdoor sketches of landscapes to his array of palette knives and brushes.
It is interesting to observe how the eminent artist’s pioneering style of working changed throughout his life as he got inspired by the mid-20th century art movements of Europe and by Tantric imageries of Nepal.
“Although I’m not an artist myself, having grown up watching my father and other artists’ works, I feel that art in Nepal has flourished and come a long way. But there’s still room for improvement,” commented Joshi.
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