BY COURTNEY CUNNINGHAM

Nepalese artist and 20-year-old business student, Gopal Pant has been hit hard after COVID-19 brought Nepal’s tourism campaign VisitNepal2020 to a halt.

“In Nepali families, family members don’t know the value of art,” Mr Pant said. 

“They see the paintings, they like it, they think of it as a poster [and] they respect it like a poster, not like art.”

The Kathmandu Triennale, a mega art event organised by Siddhartha Arts Foundation (SAF), is expected to return in December alongside the government and Tourism Department of Nepal’s VisitNepal2020 initiative. 

The event intends to promote Nepali arts and culture but may be cancelled due to the pandemic.

Launched in 2017, the Kathmandu Triennale  showcased more than 60 solo and collaborative artists. 

Nepal’s art scene has been growing, but with the postponement of VisitNepal2020, many talented local artists will not have the international spotlight the initiative provides.

Mr Pant’s Thamel-based art gallery, owned by his uncle, is not the only venue he showcases his artwork. Multiple galleries and stores across the city proudly display the young artist's work. 

“I came [to Kathmandu] to look at the work of other artists and thought that I should try that too and after that I went to some teachers, just to practice in my free time,” Mr Pant said. 

Mr Pant creates paintings inspired by nature in Nepal and anime characters from his childhood, and he paints commissioned pieces too.

“Many times I do my own work. If someone comes here to get a painting of their own, they give me a photo,” he said.

For many, Nepali art is only a hobby and it took him three years to begin making money from it, Mr Pant said.

He estimates it would take him another decade or two, in order to make a living off his oil paintings.

“It’s now starting a little bit, you can see various paintings in hotels and in people’s homes,” he said.

“All Nepalis who are outside this country want to put a mountain scenery to remind them of their home country.

“Some people order paintings also of their village area, who are staying here in Kathmandu, to put it in their homes just to remind them of their village area."

Tourists provide support to local artists and sellers by purchasing souvenirs made locally, such as handicrafts and paintings, eating at local restaurants, hiring local guides or porters and by practicing sustainable tourism. 

According to Nepal’s Tourism Board, the year would have seen a commitment to the tourism industry to highlight Nepal as a travel and vacationer destination, with a vision of accommodating more than 2 million tourists in 2020. 

General secretary of Hotel Association Nepal, Binayak Shah, said in an interview with The Himalayan Times the government needs to implement proper plans to achieve targets.

“Simply announcing a tourism campaign does not ensure that visitors are going to flock to Nepal,” he said. 

“Our readiness to welcome visitors and make the campaign unique is what really counts.”

Special discount offers were announced in November 2019 for the VisitNepal2020 campaign. 

The Hotel Association of Nepal and the Homestay Association Nepal, among others, had announced 30 per cent off accommodation and 15 per cent off food for tourists in 2020.

There are a range of traditional art galleries and local art gallery stores located in Kathmandu.

While traditional Nepali art is known for its religious aesthetic, surrounded by Buddhism and Hindu motifs, contemporary art in Nepal focuses more on socio-political issues and landscapes. 

Nepal has a long history of talented artists, including Arniko, who, in the 1200s, built the White Stupa in Miaoying Temple in Beijing, along with other famous pagoda in China.

Few have made it onto the global stage.

Contemporary Nepali artists can study art at a tertiary level, such as at the National Academy of Fine Art (NAFA), where they can practice traditional arts, painting, sculpting, folk arts, handicrafts, architecture and other creative arts. 

NAFA is also responsible for exhibiting work by contemporary Nepali artists, including Shahi Kala Tiwari, one of the first internationally acknowledged Nepali painters. 

The academy has helped promote local artists to reach the international art scene, which VisitNepal2020 would have helped achieve.