Krishna Prakash Shah
As we stand in front of Krishna Prakash Shah’s canvas and view his flowing images and colours, the magnetic power of the canvas invites us within itself. Then, we swing together with spontaneous music of the colors. The movement takes us to the adventurous journey to the unknown setting and horizon. The pulsating life of the artwork swings us toward the edges and centre again and again. We are not conscious about our own existence. In other words, we happen to be the colour, music and unrecognizable moving shapes. Thus, the viewing subject assimilates itself with the viewed object, the work of art-the experience of epiphany.
As we stand in front of Krishna Prakash Shah’s canvas and view his flowing images and colours, the magnetic power of the canvas invites us within itself. Then, we swing together with spontaneous music of the colors. The movement takes us to the adventurous journey to the unknown setting and horizon. The pulsating life of the artwork swings us toward the edges and centre again and again. We are not conscious about our own existence. In other words, we happen to be the colour, music and unrecognizable moving shapes. Thus, the viewing subject assimilates itself with the viewed object, the work of art-the experience of epiphany. As we have enough swinging and traveling of the virgin land, colourful clouds and the whirling waves of colours, let’s take rest at some junction where paths diverge. As new thoroughfares are still not explored, let’s ride the colours again and go galloping as the cowboy rides wild stallion in the woods. The ride goes on and on-it is painful to get off. It is hard to disconnect ourselves from the sweeping colour field.
Shah’s artworks free us from the sense of specific time and space, for the images and colours in the canvas do not refer to the worldly objects and events. They are not either about the past and the future events. We need not to spend our time and effort searching the link with recognizable things of our world. Thus, the artworks have presentational immediacy, and the spots of time, that is, we take part in the spontaneous movement of the colour at the first sight. The colours and the forms are not employed to represent some content or signify certain meanings. In other words, the colours and forms themselves are the essence and contents.
Each canvas is the presentation of the frozen music. Generally, music unfolds on time, that is, we have to wait to listen more in music CD or the song by the singer. But, in Shah’s canvas, we can view/hear entire music on a single surface. Presenting the feelings in all-at-once-ness mode is the advantage of painting. The musical form has soothing and consoling effects.
One colour walks hand in hand with other in harmony. One image fits aptly with other creating cohesion and pattern. As one element elegantly connects to the next, all the constituents hang in harmony as the cells and organs in a living being. In other words, the artworks have organic unity that produces aesthetic pleasure and a sense of comfort and solace.
The works seem to remain ever new in the sense that we encounter novel images and paths to go through in our first viewing. In the subsequent viewing, we take the new route to explore the canvas, we reach to the new horizon of our imagination. The more we look the more comforting shapes we visit. Thus, the painting remains forever new. The painting breaks our monotony, lengthens and engages our perception.
His paintings evolve on the process of creation without pre-mediation and preplan. His imagination and sub-conscious rhythm drives his brush ahead. The uninterrupted glide of the colours and images suggest so. He paints for himself, that is, he disconnects himself from the external world on creative process. He unravels his own internal and intangible reality on the canvas. As human nature is universal, when we plunge into his canvas, we perceive our own internal world, we connect to the experience and feelings of the artist.
Master’s Degree in Fine Arts (Tribhuvan University, Nepal)
Solo Painting Exhibitions:
2007 – Real Salvation, National Association of Fine Arts, Kathmandu, Nepal
2012 – My Paintings – Presentation of Inner Feelings and Emotions
Nepal Art Council, Babar Mahal, Kathmandu, Nepal
2012 – Expression of Inner Beauty
Hotel Airport Emporium, Kathmandu Nepal
Selected Group Exhibitions:
2010 – 14th Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh-2010, Bangladesh
2009 – Group Exhibition (RAG), Nepal Association of Fine Arts Gallery, Kathmandu
2008 – Group Exhibition, Nepal Art Council, Babar Mahal, Kathmandu, Nepal
2006 – Painting Exhibition at Democracy Exhibition Hall, Gangtok Hills, India
National Art competition and Exhibition, organized by Nepal Academy
36th National Fine Arts Exhibition, organized by Nepal of Academy of
Fine Arts
2005 – Art Festival and Exhibition, Alliance Francaise, organised by Bhav Art
Gallery
35th National Fine Arts Exhibition, New Delhi, organized by Camlin
Art Foundation, India
2003 – 33rd National Fine Arts Exhibition, organized by Nepal Association
of Fine Arts
2002 – 32nd National Fine Arts Exhibition, organized by Nepal Association
of Fine Arts
2000 – 30th National Fine Arts Exhibition, organized by Nepal Association of
Fine Arts
1999 – 29th National Fine Arts Exhibition, organized by Nepal Association of
Fine Arts
Painting exhibition, organized by Nepal Art Council Babar Mahal
1998 – National Painting Competition and Exhibition, organized by World
Education Nepal
1997 – 27th National Fine Arts Exhibition, organized by Nepal Association of
Fine Art
1996 – NAFA Gallery (organized by Nepal Association of Fine Arts)
1995 – Feelings of Life, Art Exhibition, Lalitkala Campus, Kathmandu,
College Art Exhibition, Goethe Institute, Kathmandu, Nepal
Grand National Painting competition and Exhibition
Hotel Shangrila (organized by Yuba Samaj Sudhar Kendra)
1994 – Contemporary Art Exhibition, Org. by SBU, Fine Arts College, Nepal
Selected Residency Arts Workshops:
2011 – National Sculpture Workshop, Butwal
2008 – Workshop cum Exhibition organized by SUTRA, Nepal Art Council
2007 – Workshop and Exhibition, organized by Department of Architect,
Pulchowk Engineering Campus
2006 – Painting Residency Programme, Govt. of Sikkim, Gangtok Hills, Sikkim, India
National Painting Workshop and Exhibition
NAFA Gallery, organized by Artists’ Society Nepal
Art Workshop and Exhibition by Nepal Association of Fine Arts, Naxal
Workshop at Gongabu Buspark and Exhibition at NAFA Gallery
2005 – Contemporary Paintings Workshop cum competition 2005
Singha Art Gallery, Patan (organized by Patan Jesis)
National Painting Workshop and Exhibition, organized by Nepal
Association of Fine Arts
Painting Workshop and Exhibition, organized by Artists’ Society Nepal
2004 – Residency Arts Workshops and Art Festival, organized by Nest and
Cave Resort Nagarjun, Nepal
1995 – Workshop cum Competition, General Welfare Association, Kathmandu
Awards:
2011 – Regional Award, National Fine Arts Exibition-2011, organized by Nepal
Academy of Fine Arts, Kathmandu
2005 – Third Prize in National Art Competition, organized by Nepal Academy
2005 – Third Prize in Contemporary Paintings workshop cum competition,
organized by Patan Jesis
1996 – Third Prize in National Painting Competition, organized by Mahila
Tatha Samaj Kalayan Mantralaya
1996 – Third Prize in National Painting Competition, organized by World
Education Nepal
1996 – Third Prize in National Poster Competition, organized by Nepal
Government, Ministry of Population and Environment and UNFPA
1995 – Third Prize in Grand National Painting Competition, organized by Yuba
Samaj Sudhar Kendra, Lazimpat
