Kriti Kaushal joshi

Most of the artworks of Kriti Kaushal Joshi explore socio-political issues of contemporary Nepal. Some of his paintings are the responses to the political unrest, violence and naivety of the ordinary people. The streets are disturbed, terrified and chaotic because of the demonstrations and movements. Common folks are exhausted due to their perpetual participation in political activities. Their faces express pain, suffering and agony.

Most of the artworks of Kriti Kaushal Joshi explore socio-political issues of contemporary Nepal. Some of his paintings are the responses to the political unrest, violence and naivety of the ordinary people. The streets are disturbed, terrified and chaotic because of the demonstrations and movements. Common folks are exhausted due to their perpetual participation in political activities. Their faces express pain, suffering and agony. But they are unaware of the fact that for whom they have been working and fighting. They have participated several times in such struggles but their situation remained as it was or perhaps turned worse, for the appearance of power holders changed but their actions remained same. People are promised peace, prosperity and happiness in words but the words do not feed them.

The artist distorts the images and alters the colours to depict the disillusioned and disenchanted inner feelings. The images in the canvas are not the realistic representations of objects, events and people but the artist’s response to them. The anxiety ridden artist finds difficulty to endure this gruesome and chaotic situation and presents satirical comments through his visual arts.

Some of his works express the nationalistic feeling using the images like Nepali flag. Because of the greed, selfishness and hypocrisy of the so called political leaders, the nation is about to be ruined. The facial expression of the ordinary people is blurred, indistinct, pale and dimmed. The sun and the moon, the image in the foreground of the flag are fading away. There is the coherence between the people and these images, for both of them share the dimmed presentation. The leaders pretend to advocate for nationalism but real nationalism is about to be defunct. The state is on the verge of disintegration as the images of the sun and the moon are fading away.

Kaushal’s works also throw light on the pathetic condition of Nepali women. They are still suppressed, oppressed and misrepresented under patriarchy. Sometimes, women are called goddess to flatter them and then to control them. But the artist subverts this traditional concept by calling them ‘kitchen goddess’. They are the owner of the kitchen for cooking, cleaning and washing utensils. Denying their existence and identity, they are forced to limit themselves within the kitchen. The female characters in the paintings ask such questions: “Are we made for this only?”, “Is not the wider horizon open to us?” His artworks also react, resist and question the existing norms that are not reformed on the basis of humanistic values.

Some of his works reveal the irony between external appearance and inner reality, facts and fiction, myth and objective analysis that exist in social context. He also captures the natural beauty of the mountains and rural landscapes. Some paintings are introvert, for they analyze and present the artist’s own inner feelings and emotions. Environmental concern is another subject matter of his artwork.

Date of birth: 1975 Feb 2, Kathmandu, Nepal

EDUCATION

2003 Master Degree in Fine Arts, Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing
2000 Advance course in Oil painting, Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing
1996 Bachelors graduate in Fine Arts, Lalit Kala College, Kathmandu, Nepal

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS / PARTICIPATION

2009 ‘Separating myth from reality’ International Art Festival, Siddhartha Art Gallery, Kathmandu

2009 ‘Unifying- A Woman’s World’ Art Exhibition, Gallery de l’Annapurna, Siddhartha Art Gallery

2008 Installation art project ‘ Chopsticks” solo exhibition, Jiangxi, China

2006 Mural painting, GATES, Fukuoka, Japan
2004 Harbin International Show Sculpture Contest, Harbin, China
2004 Harbin International Ice Sculpture Contest, Harbin, China
2004 ‘Spring’ Chinese Painting Workshop, Beijing, China
2004 Broad Junction, Art exhibition, CAFA Gallery, Beijing, China
2003 ‘Chorus’, Art exhibition, Classic Gallery, Beijing, China
2002 ‘Intertwine Experience’, TianQiao Theatre, Beijing, China
1996 Annual Art Exhibition, National Association of Fine Arts, Kathmandu

1996 Group painting show, Fukuoka, Japan
1995 “Feelings of Life”, Art Exhibition, Lalitkala Campus, Kathmandu
1995 Collage Art Exhibition, Goethe Institute, Kathmandu, Nepal

AWARDS / SCHOLARSHIP

1997 Chinese Government Scholarship

1996 Special Award, Inter-college Art Contest, Kathmandu
1996 Honorable Award, National Painting Contest on Environment, Kathmandu

1996 Silver Medal, National Poster Competition, Kathmandu
1995 Second Prize, “Women’s Equality”, (UNFPA), Kathmandu
1995 Best Participant, “Feelings of Life” Painting Contest, Lalitkala Campus, Kathmandu
1994 Honorable Mention, “Population – Key to the 21st Century”, International Poster Contest organized by UNFPA
1994 First Prize, “Population – Key to the 21st Century”, National Poster Design Contest, National Poster contest, UNFPA

EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCE

2007 Visiting artist, Yu Gong Feng Liang International Art College, China
2006 Art Instructor, ELC learning Centre, Shanghai, China
2005 Art Instructor, Shanghai Jiao Tong University lCEC, Shanghai, China
2005 Visiting Lecturer, Yu Gong Feng Liang International Art Institute, Jiang xi, China
2002 Freelance comic artist for Cosmogirl, Cosmopolitan magazine (dec) Beijing
2002 Freelance illustrator for Beijing Topek international education investment Co. Ltd
1997 Designer and illustrator for KIIRTI STUDIO, Kathmandu, Nepal
1995 Designer and illustrator for EKTA books publishing, Kathmandu, Nepal

CURRENT STATUS

Lecturer at Kathmandu University, Center for Art and Design