A blue bicycle on a red background. That was the only object on the first painting by Anup Bhandari that I remember seeing, and I was immediately taken with it. The painting, which is titled "Journey" conjures warm memories that span my lifetime: the first taste of freedom as a child riding around the neighborhood, the old college bike always leaned against an interior wall of several different apartments, and my current bicycle, a fire engine red Specialized with custom bamboo fenders and a certain willful Pee-wee Herman quality. As I began noticing more of Anup’s art, I realized that Journey was a bit of a stylistic departure. As an artist, Anup tends more to abstract rendering of geometric shapes and portions of figures in the great cubist tradition of the 20th century. Many of his paintings employ religious symbols and images of peace, but no matter the exact technique or style of his work, they are all evocative. The emotional content of Anup’s work is consistent and powerful. Having seen quite a few of his paintings, I wasn’t too surprised to find out that Anup is a passionate advocate of the healing and transformative power of art. Originally from Nepal, Anup lives in Kilgore where he is studying photography. He graduated from the University of Texas at Tyler with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and plans on moving to Dallas to pursue his graduate studies after he completes the photography program at Kilgore College. As a child, Anup observed his father reaching out to those in need. As an adult, the artist continues his father’s legacy of compassion in his own work with the homeless. Two years ago, Anup was in a grocery store parking lot when he noticed a woman. “It was early morning and very cold, and I saw a homeless lady walking; she didn’t have any shoes. I asked her if she was hungry, and she said she needed a blanket. I felt so bad, I didn’t have a blanket with me,” he said. After he went home, Anup says the experience continued to bother him. He wanted to do something, so he turned to an increasingly powerful tool, social network. “I thought, I will post something on Facebook.” Anup asked his friends to donate extra blankets that he could donate to the homeless population. “I thought I could collect a few blankets, but I got an unbelievable response. Everybody started donating, and I ended up collecting 500 blankets,” he said. Anup was able to distribute blankets to
every shelter in Longview, as well as to people living on the streets and in camps. After his blanket drive, Anup organized an exhibition of his own photography featuring as its subject members of the homeless population in his community. “I took photographs of most of the homeless people living in camp and in the street, and I also wrote a small story about each of them. My goal was to show the community that homeless people are not bad people.” I asked Anup why he was drawn to their plight, and he answered with sympathy and compassion. “They don’t have any family to care for them, there is no Christmas for them to celebrate,” he said. “We can help them. We should help them if we can.”
“MY MAIN GOAL IS TO BRING HOPE TO THE HOMELESS AND SEND AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE SUFFERING FROM HOMELESSNESS ARE NO DIFFERENT FROM US.” The artist completed his second blanket drive in December, and he continues to be an advocate for homeless people in East Texas through his art. “Being an artist, I feel that art is a powerful tool to heal and inspire. Feeding their bodies is one thing, feeding their minds is a whole different thing,” he explains. “I want them to express their feelings and share their talent to our community. It heals them.” In July 2011, the Longview Public Library exhibited 30 paintings created by patrons of Longview’s Newgate Mission who participated in an art class led by Anup. His second show was exhibited at Longview Museum of Fine Arts in December, and Anup expects to make this an annual event. The works on view were all for sale, and the artists donated the proceeds back to the Newgate Mission. Nearly all of the pieces were sold, and Anup says that it was touching to watch the homeless artists, who attended the reception, talk to other guests about their artworks. “They had never been to the Museum before, and to see their work at the Museum…was a big boost to them,” he said.
“WE ARE MEANT TO MAKE A BETTER DAY FOR [OURSELVES] AND FOR OTHERS. I SEE MYSELF A WORTHY ARTIST NOT BY CREATING ART ALONE, BUT TOUCHING AND MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN AS MANY LIVES AS POSSIBLE WHILE DOING SO.” Going forward, Anup would like to build financial support for the art program at Newgate. “My main goal is to bring hope to the homeless and send an important message that people who are suffering from homelessness are no different from us,” he said. Similar programs to the one he envisions exist in other communities, such as The Stewpot Open Art Program in Dallas, where homeless artists’ works are exhibited and sold during an annual gallery event. One of the artists whose works were originally exhibited through the Stewpot program was able to sell enough of his work during and after the show to become a professional artist and ultimately rent his own apartment; through art, he was able to overcome homelessness and start a new, independent life. “We are meant to make a better day for [ourselves] and for others. I see myself a worthy artist not by creating art alone, but touching and making a difference in as many lives as possible while doing so,” said Anup. Next time you run across a painting by Anup Bhandari, pause for a moment and take a look; you may discover that through the vibrant colors and bold lines, a soft spirit tugs at your heart. Perhaps this is because the artist believes that art is more than something to see, it is a force that can change lives, unify communities, and empower human beings to understand each other in a new way. You can see Anup’s work in Tyler at Wasabi Asian Bistro and Soju. For up-to-the-minute information on the artist and his current projects, you can look him up on Facebook at www.facebook.com/artbyanup. By Zoe Lawhorn