Asha Dangol
Asha Dangol’s current figurative explorations engage the viewer in a provocative dialogue about urbanization, consumerism, and ecological concerns. These contemporary issues are framed within a polarity and dichotomy of visual symbols: east and west; traditional and contemporary; past and present; the mythic with the real.
Asha Dangol’s current figurative explorations engage the viewer in a provocative dialogue about urbanization, consumerism, and ecological concerns. These contemporary issues are framed within a polarity and dichotomy of visual symbols: east and west; traditional and contemporary; past and present; the mythic with the real. The imagery is seductive in its cultural appropriations, and the meanings become even more acute when the audience reads the cultural signifiers and its substitutions. His current series, including pieces like Where am I? Where is my village? And Paradise lost, provide a personal cultural commentary about globalization through richly coded visual narratives.
His paintings have wider range of subject matters and techniques. Some of his works depict the experience of alienated and disillusioned contemporary youths by reincorporating the images of myths, and Newar and Mithila folk arts. The combination of images is shocking and dream like. The artist combines the contrary images with free association exploiting surrealist technique. His art works create a symbolic connection of the myth and reality, past and present. Religious, social and cultural images and symbols are merged. The presentation of simple, naïve and rustic figures are also the elements of folk art. Folk and primitive ambience is the comfort zone for the artist to escape away from the complexity of the chaotic world.
The combination of some images represents the alienated and disillusioned condition of contemporary youths and their nostalgia for carefree childhood and attraction toward mythical world for consolation. He wishes to live in mythological world. The reality and imaginary mythical world are juxtaposed. In reality, the characters are falling down and tied to the ground whereas in mythical world they are free and rising up. Real world is narrow and monotonous whereas mythical world is wider and more variegated.
Nature and humanity are also the key contents of his works. Through his lines and colours he expresses misery, mystery and joy of life. Rural setting and the chores of daily life also get expression in his works. His art works depict the fusion of folk art, tantric religion, old scripts and the secular images. The sacred images encompass the external mundane world, and at the same time, the nature and the physical world integrate the religious icons, images and symbols. He deconstructs the binary opposition of sacred and profane. The recurrent images of Himalayan Mountain suggest the native Nepali root of the artist.
Asha is not only inspired by the traditional art but also subverts the established icons. He takes the images of deities but installs the heads of beasts like tiger, rhinoceros, leopard etc. By doing so, the artist implies two things. First, he divinizes the beasts, and next, he appeals for their preservation. He dismantles the established norms and blurs the boundary between various art genres.
Date of birth : 1973
Co-Founder: E-Arts Nepal & Kasthamandap Artists Group
Treasurer/ Coordinator: Prashanta Memorial Society
Coordinator: Himalayan Art Camp and Himalayan Art Festival
Member: Nepal Academy of Fine Arts, Young Artists Group, Artists’ Society of Nepal
Education:
2010: Master’s Degree in Fine Arts, Central Department of Fine Arts, Tribhuwan University
1996: Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts, Fine Arts College, Kathmandu, Nepal
1991: School Leaving Certificate – Bal Vidya Griha, Lalitpur, Nepal
Awards:
2019: Welt Museum Wien Travel Grant, Nepal Art Now Exhibition, Vienna, Austria
2015/2016: NAC Travel Grant, Nepal Art Council for India Art Fair, Delhi
2013: Special Regional Award – National Art Exhibition, Nepal Academy of Fine Arts
2010: Consolation Award – IACC, Kathmandu
2006: 1st Prize – National Art Exhibition, Nepal Association of Fine Arts, Kathmandu
2005: Best Prize – National Film Festival, BICC, Kathmandu
2003: Araniko Youth Award and Gold Medal, Rastriya Yuwa Sewa Kosh, Kathmandu
Solo Art Exhibitions:
2018: The Wrathful Himalayas, Dalai-La Art Space, Kathmandu
2018: New Beginning, Dalai-La Art Space, Kathmandu
2017: Tradition Subverted, Yala Mandala, Patan
2014 : A 20-Year Retrospective, The City Museum Kathmandu
2013 : Parallel Journeys, Siddhartha Art Gallery, Kathmandu
2011 : Avatars & Interpretations, Siddhartha Art Gallery, Kathmandu
2010 : Aerial Perspective, Park Gallery, Lalitpur
2008 : Open Art Show, Park Gallery, Kathmandu
2008 : Open Art Show, Mitra Cafe, Kathmandu
2007 : The Scream, The Art Shop, Kathmandu
2007 : Ceramic Expressions, Siddhartha Art Gallery, Kathmandu
2005 : Folk Fusion, Siddhartha Art Gallery, Kathmandu
2004 : Inside the words, Gallery Moksh, Lalitpur
2002 : Folk Images of Nepal, Siddhartha Art Gallery, Kathmandu
Group Art Exhibition (International):
2019: Chiang Mai Art Connecting 2019, BlueChips and La Luna Gallery, Chiang Mai, Thailand
2019: Exhibition of Finest Artworks from Representative of Asian Artists, Hanoi, Vietnam
2019: Nepal Art Now Exhibition, Welt Museum Wien, Vienna, Austria
2019: Parallel Journey, Yak and Yeti, Vienna, Austria
2019: Kyusyu International Art Exhibition, Fukuoka, Japan
2018: Hanoi March Connecting 3rd, Hanoi Industrial Fine Arts University, Hanoi, Vietnam
2018: 5th KMUNTB International Art Exhibition, Bangkok, Thailand
2018: 2nd Andaman International Art Exhibition, Andaman Art Museum, Krabi, Thailand
2017: Shanghai International Art Exhibition, Hongqiao Contemporary and Modern Art Museum,
Shanghai, China
2016: KKB International Art Workshop and Exhibition, KKB, Malaysia
2016: Residency Art Exhibition, Kalakriti Art Gallery, Hyderabad, India
2016: Intl Spring Art Camp, Jammu & Kashmir, India
2016: India Art Fair, New Delhi, India
2016: Khajuraho Art Festival, Khajuraho, India
2015: Nepali Art Show, LeSutra Gallery, Mumbai, India
2015: Asropa Intl Art Exhibition, Gunsan, South Korea
2015: Sasaran Intl Art Exhibition, Galarie Seni Mutiara, Penang, Malaysia
2014 : Sasaran Intl Art Festival and Exhibition, Sasaran, Malaysia
2013 : Namaste Nepal! Contemporary Artist Voices, Twelve Gates Arts, Philadelphia, USA
2013 : Namaste Nepal! Contemporary Artist Voices, Janalyn Hanson White Gallery, Mount
Mercy University, IOWA, USA
2012: Arts of Nepal, The Art Center, Chicago, USA
2012 : Nepali Contemporary Art Show, L’Epicea Galleria, Briancon, France
2012 : Nepali Contemporary Art Show, E-Funktion, Cologne, German
2012 : Nepali Contemporary Art Show, Chautara Gallery, Almere, Netherlands
2012 : Nepali Contemporary Art Show, Berlin, German
2010 : Kasthamandap Group Show, Cafe Arora, California, USA
2010 : Art exhibition organised by Camlin Art Foundation, Kolkatta, India
2009 : Nepali Art Show, Holland
2009 : Impression & Colour” SAARC Art Show, Hotel Radisson, Dhaka, Bangladesh
2009 : Harmony, Reflections Art Gallery, Indore, India
2009 : Breaking Boundaries, Druk Hotel, Thimphu, Bhutan
2009 : Asian Art Festival, Changwon Asian Art Festival, South Korea
2008 : Kasthamandap Group Show, Belgium
2008 : Hotel Hyatt, Dubai, UAE
2008 : Himalayas of Nepal, Alpha Gallery, Seoul & Honggang Gallery, Ulsan, South Korea
2007 : Kasthamandap Group Show, SomArts Bay Gallery, San Francisco, USA
2007 : Kasthamandap Group Show, Gandhara Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2007 : Art exhibition organised by Camlin Art Foundation, Patna, India
2007 : Kasthamandap Group Show, Gallerie 25, San Francisco, USA
2006 : Kasthamandap Group Show, Chautara Gallery, Holland
2005 : Kasthamandap Group Show, India Habitat Center, New Delhi, India
2005 : Kasthamandap Group Show, Galerie de Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka
2005 : Kasthamandap Group Show, Den Blank, Belgium
2002 : Art exhibition organised by Camlin Art Foundation, Kolkota, India
Group Art Exhibitions (National):
2018: Dalai-La Art Space, Thamel
2017-2019: Himalayan Art Festival, Nepal Art Council, Kathmandu
2017: Himalayan Art Camp, Pokhara and Kathmandu
2014: Centenary Celebration of Poet Siddhicharan Shrestha, Painting on Poem, NAC
2013: Autumn Festival on celebration of 50th Anniversary of Nepal Art Council, Kathmandu
2013 : 20th Anniversary of Kasthamandap Art Studio, Sarwanam Gallery, Kathmandu
2011 : Sri Ganesh, Art Show at Nepal Art Council, SCC
2011 : Live Painting with Sukarma Music Group at Russian Culture Center
2011 : Live Painting with Rudra Music Group at Blue Notes
2010 : Samrishran, The Art Shop, Kathmandu
2010 : Peace – Paintings & Poetry, organized by Royal Norwegian Embassy, Kathmandu
2010 : IACC, National Level Paintings Exhibition, Nepal Art Council, Kathmandu
2010 : Grand Show, Rotary Club of Chandigarh, Sirjana Art Gallery, Kathmandu
2009 : Nepal – Bangladesh Art Show, Siddhartha Art Gallery, Kathmandu
2009 : International Art Festival, Siddhartha Art Gallery, Kathmandu
2009 : Alfresco, Nepal Art Council, Kathmandu
2009 : 15th Anniversary of Kasthamandap, Siddhartha Art Gallery, Kathmandu
2008 : World Festival, NAFA
2008 : Bagmati on Canvas, Hotel Radisson, Kathmandu
2008 : Amalgam, Exhibition organized by Siddhartha Art Gallery, Kathmandu
2007: Sangalo, Exhibition organized by Nepal Lalitkala Manch
2007: Amalgam, Exhibition organized by Siddhartha Art Gallery, Kathmandu
2007 : Sarbonam Art Exhibition, Art Council, Kathmandu
2007 : Nature’s Call, IUCN, Art Council, Kathmandu
2007 : Kasthamandap Group Show, The Art Shop, Durbar Marg
2007 : Kasthamandap Group Show, GTZ Office, Sanepa
2006 : Kasthamandap Autumn Show, Kiran Bhawan, Sanepa
2006 : In memory of “IBSEN” Exhibition, Embassy of Norway, Kathmandu
2005 : Anniversary Art Exhibition at Buddha Gallery, Thamel
2004 : Kasthamandap Group Show at Gallery Moksh, Pulchowk
2004 : Kasthamandap Group Show at Buddha Gallery, Thamel
2004 : Dhulikhel Art Exhibition at Singh Art Gallery, Lagankhel
2003 : Kasthamandap Group Show at Lazimpat Gallery Cafe, Lazimpat
2002 : Painting Exhibition organized by NAFA, Naxal
2002 : Four Men Show at Sirjana Contemporary Art Gallery, Kamaladi
2002 : “Children without art” organized by Jasutara Art Foundation, NAFA, Naxal
2001 : Painting Exhibition organized by NAFA, Naxal
2001 : Kasthamandap Group Show at J Art Gallery, Durbar Marg
1999 : Rangalal Bangdel Smriti Art Exhibition, Nepal Art Council, Babar Mahal
1998 : Four Men Show at C.S.I. Gallery, Durbar Marg
1996-2006 : 26th – 36th National Art Exhibition, NAFA, Naxal
1994 : Vision 51- Art Exhibition, Fine Arts Campus, Bhotahity
1994 : Group 37- Art Exhibition, Nepal Art Council, Babar Mahal
1993 : Human Happiness Art Exhibition, Nepal Art Council, Babar Mahal
1992 : T.U. Day Art Exhibition, Fine Arts Campus, Bhotahity
1992 : Human Happiness Art Exhibition, Sirjana Art Gallery, Jamal
1992 : Group Art Exhibition at Goethe Institute, Gana Bahal
Art Workshops & Residencies (National & International)
2019: Chiang Mai Art Connecting 2019, BlueChips and La Luna Gallery, Chiang Mai, Thailand
2019: Kyusyu International Art Camp, Fukuoka, Japan
2018: Hanoi March Connecting 3rd, Hanoi Industrial Fine Arts University, Hanoi, Vietnam
2018: 5th KMUNTB International Art and Design Workshop, Bangkok, Thailand
2018: 2nd Andaman International Art Workshop, Krabi, Thailand
2017: Shanghai International Art Workshop, Shanghai, China
2017: Himalayan Art Camp, Pokhara, Nepal
2017: Vishnu Manchu Art Foundation, Tirpuati, India
2016: Kuala Kubu Bharu Intl Art Festival, Malaysia
2016: Kalakriti Art Residency, Kalakriti Art Gallery, Hyderabad, India
2016: Intl Spring Art Camp, Jammu & Kashmir, India
2015: Yogyakarta Intl Art Festival, Indonesia
2014: Sasaran Int’l Art Festival, Sasaran, Malaysia
2013: Britto Int’l Artist Workshop, Dhaka, Bangladesh
2013 : Dhampus Kala Yatra, Pokhara, Nepal
2011 : “Siddhi Charan Shrestha Satbarshi Diwas”, NAFA, Kathmandu
2010 : International Tourism Day, organized by Thamel Tourism, Kathmandu
2010 : Celebrating Lines, Kathmandu Contemporary Arts Center, Lalitpur
2010 : “Sadbhav”, Nepal Academy of Fine Arts, Kathmandu
2010 : “PEACE” Painting & Poetry Happening at Residency of Norwegian Ambassador
2009 : Art workshop organized by Gurukul, Kathmandu
2008 : Art workshop organized by WAGON, Kathmandu
2007 : Sarbonam Art Workshop, Kathmandu
2007 : International Artist Day, Art Workshop, Kasthamandap Art Studio, Lalitpur
2006 : In Memory of Legend Artist R.N Joshi, Park Gallery, Lalitpur
2006 : In memory of “IBSEN” workshop at Residency of Norwegian Ambassador
2006 : Arts, Poems and Photographs at Bungamati
2004 : Poetric Expressions at Godawari
2004 : Numafung Art Workshop, Kathmandu
2004 : Dhulikhel Art Workshop, Dhulikhel
2001-02 : Kala Upaban, workshop organized by NAFA
2001 : Workshop organized by Voice of the Youth
2001 : Workshop organized by Artist’s Society of Nepal
2000 : Prashanta Smriti Workshop, NAFA
Mixed Media, Installation & Performance:
2018-2019: Art Judge, Real School of Nepal, a nation wide art competition organized by Dabur Nepal
2018: The Masks, Performance, Taragaun Museum, Hyatt, Baudhha
2014: International Live Performance Art, Bindu, at Nepal Academy of Fine Art, Kathmandu
2013: Video Installation, National Fine Arts Exhibition, Nepal Academy of Fine Arts
2013: KalaJatra, an art carnival, KCAC, Patan Museum
2013 : Installation and Interactive Art, Britto International Artists Workshop, Dhaka, Bangladesh
2012 : Arts from Earth, Residence of American Ambassador, Kathmandu
2011 : Installation, National Fine Arts Exhibition, Nepal Academy of Fine Arts, Kathmandu
2011 : Installation on Menstrual Hygiene, Water Aid at Hotel Himalaya
2009 : Living Canvas, The gallery without walls, YDF Hall, Thimphu, Bhutan
Private Collections:
Ministry of Foreign Affairs-Nepal, Embassy of India-Nepal, Nepal Art Council, Himalayan Bank, Nepal Investment Bank, Sunrise Bank, Agni Group, Chaudhary Group, Fulbari Resort, Civil Group, Hotel Radisson, Hotel Kutumba, Museum of Nepali Art, Kathmandu Guest House, Ghalia Art Foundation-Kenya, Andaman Art Museum-Thailand, Vertical Gallery-Thailand, Flamingo Group-Vietnam, Sasaran Art Museum-Malaysia, Chautara Gallery-Holland, D.P. Dhar Memorial Trust-India, Vishnu Manchu Art Foundation-India, Kalakriti Art Gallery-India, and private collection in Nepal and abroad.
Travel:
USA, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, France, Italy, German, Netherlands, Indonesia, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Japan, Hungary & Austria
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