BELOW THE CLOUDS
“Above the Horizon” Acrylic on canvas by Govinda Sah ‘Azad’ 30 x 90cm Triptych courtesy of the October Gallery £3000 Showing @ Coombe Gallery Dartmouth
Introduction In 2016, a year after the earthquake, Paul & I visited Kathmandu and numerous villages high in the Annapurna region. The devastation was still clearly visible and the pollution tangible. Like many visitors to Nepal since 2015 we asked ourselves what we could do to help. We were also deeply inspired by the country, which led to our desire to make new work responding to our experience. With two galleries within the family the decision to collaborate with others and to show our work alongside artists from Nepal was a natural one. At the excellent Siddhartha Contemporary Art Gallery in Kathmandu we were privileged to meet it’s founder and curator Sangeeta Thapa who introduced us to the outstanding work of the artists in this exhibition, many of whom are internationally recognized but not well known to British audiences. Some lost homes and studios in the earthquake thereby their livelihood and the means to create it. In keeping with past traditions at Coombe galleries we also invited two other talented UK artists, Derek Eland artist in residence at Everest base camp in 2016 and Celia Washington co founder of Kathmandu Contemporary Art Centre, to contribute to the show. At Coombe Farm Studios we are also excited and honoured to be hosting Birendra Pratap Singh for a three week residency during the exhibition. I’m sure all who visit this show will be touched by the quality and diversity of the work which references the past of folklore, religion and calligraphy whilst addressing challenges for the country including climate change and political uncertainty, and the need to physically rebuild much of the country. Tina Riley, Curator Cover Image: I am sad & Alone by Kabiraj Lama, The images in this catalogue represent a small proportion of those in the exhibition across two galleries. To view all the works and for more information on the artists see
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This exhibition is a historic milestone for Nepal as it marks 200 years of diplomatic relations between Nepal and Britain. The paintings that have been selected serve as a powerful visual narrative of the socio-political and cultural landscape of a country that opened its borders to the world only fifty four years ago. The year 2015 will be remembered in the annals of Nepali history as a year of political strife as the much awaited Constitution failed to address the demands of the disenfranchised and as a year of sorrow as two powerful earthquakes with a magnitude of 7.8 and 7.3 rocked Nepal, killing 8686 people, maiming 16,808 and rendering thousands homeless. Several artists were also affected by the earthquake - some lost family, some suffered injuries and some lost their homes. International artists in Holland and Bangladesh came forward to help Nepali artists affected by the earthquake. In the UK, Celia Washington co Founder of the Kathmandu Contemporary Arts Studio hosted a fundraiser in the UK to help Nepali artists in this time of crisis.
The artists that are represented in this exhibition are at the vanguard of the art scene in Nepal
Sangeeta Thapa Director/Curator Siddhartha Arts Foundation.
Kiran Maharjan
“Good & Evil” Acrylic on Canvas by Kiran Maharjan, 20mm thick, 1.2 meters x 1.5 meters £750 Showing @ Coombe Gallery Dartmouth
Kabiraj Lama
“Reflections of insecurity” Stone Lithograph Edition 2/5 by Kabiraj Lama, 80h x 109 cm £835 / Showing @ Coombe Gallery Dartmouth
“I’ve lost everything/I lost my shelter” Stone Lithograph by Kabiraj Lama, Edition 3/4 80h x 109 cm £835 / Showing @ Coombe Gallery Dartmouth
Birendra Pratap Singh
“Electrocardiogram series” Mixed Media by Birendra Pratap Singh 18 x 34 cm / £680 Showing @ Coombe Farm Gallery
“Electrocardiogram Series” Mixed Media by Birendra Pratap Singh 34 x 18 cm / £680 Silver Showing @ Coombe Farm Gallery Gold @Dartmouth Gallery
Subash Thebe
Subash Thebe’s ‘The Himalayan Myth, draws elements from climate change and its effect on the glaciers of the Himalayas. It uses aerial photographic imaging of the Everest region as a resource and the graphs showing the nature of glacier melting in the region published by researchers, repeatedly screen printed on top. During this exhibition Subash will be showing his paintings alongside a sound installation.
“The Himalayan Myth” Oil, acrylic and screen print on canvas by Subash Thebe - 140 x 140 x 5 cm £5,000 Showing @ Dartmouth Gallery
Tina Riley
Left: Prayer flags necklace - Silver, copper, onyx, gold plate onto silver L 40cms Weight 21.78 grms - ÂŁ105 Right: Nepali colours necklace coral centre - Coral, turquoise, silver, onyx ,wood - L 40cms L Weight 49.54 grms - ÂŁ180 Both by Tina Riley Showing @ Coombe Farm Gallery
Govinda Sah ‘Azad’
I aim to provide an abstract insight into the spiritual-contemplative passions and related creative reflections of artists living and working in Nepal, it feels to me of such importance to share that with Western audiences, who may otherwise have no knowledge of such spiritual-orientated creativity.
“Salvation” Oil & acrylic on Canvas by Govinda Sah ‘Azad’ courtesy of the October Gallery,148 x 148 cm £12,000 @ Dartmouth Gallery
S C Suman Mithila art is original to its surrounding nature. It is an ancient, indigenous and traditional art, one that is also getting modernized... day by day. My special focus is to revive traditional techniques (which were in the verge of extinction) and use natural pigments with a flair for incorporating issues of contemporary political conflict and social disharmony prevalent after the earthquake of 2015.
Opposite: “Tree of Life” (blue) Acrylic on Nepali paper 72 x 50 cm / £835 Showing @ Coombe Farm Gallery This page: Part 1 Triptych titled “Rebuild Nepal” Acrylic on Nepali paper 72 x 50 cm / £835 Showing @ Dartmouth Gallery
Paul Riley
“Crossing the Void” Acrylic on Canvas by Paul Riley 70h x 50w cm £1250 Showing @ Coombe Farm Gallery
Derek Eland
“Being Human at Everest Base Camp” Digital Print 1/1 by Derek Eland 90 x 120 cm £400 Showing @ Dartmouth Gallery
Sandhya Silwal
“Strength” Cutout Nepali Lokta paper by Sandhya Silwal 91 x 91 cm £1400 Showing @ Coombe Farm Studios
Dr Seema Sharma Shah
“Mystical Song” Etching by Dr Seema Sharma Shah - 50 x 101 cm - £2100 Showing @ Coombe Gallery Dartmouth
Celia Washington
“The Road to Peace” Oil on handmade Nepali Lokta paper by Celia Washington 89 x 64cm £1,400 Showing @ Coombe Gallery Dartmouth
EXHIBITING ARTISTS The prints created by Kabiraj Lama evolved from the artist’s observations in the wake of the Great Earthquakes. His lithographs document poignant stories of loss - not just of human lives but also address the daunting loss of a nation’s heritage. His narratives of survival have been sensitively translated into artworks that are a testament to the resilience of Nepali people. Govinda Sah ‘Azad’ is a prolific artist and has held numerous solo art exhibitions and group shows in Nepal and internationally including those sponsored and organised by the British Council in Nepal. His works can be found in private collections worldwide, he currently lives and works in the UK, from an early age Govinda was interested in drawing and sculpture. From March-June 2000, Govinda began a nation-wide cycle tour to spread the awareness of peace through art, later in 2015, he burnt a selection of them from that tour as a sacrifice to honour those in Nepal that have died in the struggle for their rights. Govinda obtained a MA in Fine Art from Wimbledon College of Art in 2008. Kiran Maharjan aka H11235 uses street art to address social issues within the local community. His murals pack a lot of power with funky design and the artists unique calligraphy. Maharjan’s works deal with multiple issues: trafficking in persons, the seven deadly seasons, the forces of good versus evil and our evolution from Neanderthal to Homo Sapien. H11235 is decidedly a cool artist whose works would find resonance anywhere. Senior artist Birendra Pratap Singh addresses myriad issues with his work: the impact of human greed on the environment as seen in his monumental Lokta paper works, the imprint of one’s heritage on the psyche as seen in his series of pen and ink drawings that addressed the fragility of our cultural monuments even before the great earthquake of 2015. His unique “electrocardiogram” series on paper dwells on the state of the heart and mind of an artist when a loved one is in hospital. Over the years, advanced information systems have sharpened the response of Nepali artists to a wide range of local happenings. Subash Thebe’s paintings and installations have focused on the play of power, politics, and corruption and the exploitation of metadata. Thebe explores the question whether art has a moral obligation to address social issues apart from giving pleasure and more importantly, is it capable of bringing about any changes. His new work - a sound installation - thus addresses the issue of climate change and glacier melt. It is important to note that Nepal is in a climatically vulnerable position with the ice towers of the mighty Himalayas feeding many rivers downstream as far as Kazakhstan in the West and China in the East. A rise in global temperature would lead to glacier melt and the ensuing consequence disastrous for the world. Following a successful career in the fashion industry, running Coombe Farm Studios and bringing up a family Tina Riley is now focused on her jewellery making, which is either ethnically inspired by her wide travels or by nature which surrounds her home in South Devon UK.
S.C. Suman’s modern Mithila works and folk motifs brings joy to the exhibition with his skilful and innovative rendering of the mithila cosmos, intimate stories of everyday life among the people of the Terai plains and the universal tree of life that promises abundance and bounty. Suman’s paintings can also be viewed as an ethnographic documentation of the cultural heritage of the people of historic Maithali Kingdom, which encompasses the territories of both India and Nepal. Paul Riley, an internationally exhibited painter and author of four books on watercolour painting has, in this exhibition, reflected on his own indelible experiences of Nepal. The paintings illustrate the sheer scale and force of nature in the high Annapurna region along with the precarious daily life and co-dependence of the people and their animals. Derek Eland is a multidisciplinary artist based in the county of Cumbria, UK. His art explores what it means to be human particularly in stressful and challenging situations. His work creates a narrative dialogue using images, text and objects and seeks to challenge the perceptions of viewers in relation to preconceived ideas about issues and places.. Derek spent April-May 2016 at Everest Base Camp, the first artist to spend the entire climbing season working there. Previously he was an official war artist based in Afghanistan during 2011. The artist Sandhya Silwal suffered a setback as her family house was levelled by the earthquake - Taking into account her plight Silwal was offered a residency at KCAC. In the quiet of the studio situated in the garden of Patan Museum, Silwal chose to make cut out works on Nepali paper – the fragility of the works as delicate as her own physical and emotional being. The painstaking process of cutting into paper, thus serving as a meditative exercise to help her recover from the trauma of the earthquake and find her “place” in the intricate mandala of her own life. The artist Dr Seema Sharma Shah’s detailed etchings draw inspiration from traditional religious iconography and are steeped in symbolism. Her command of the medium is evident in the sheer scale of her work and in her ability to achieve the luminous viscosity of colour in her prints. Her prints are mystical tableaux that one surreptitiously stumbles on and discovers a host of celestial beings in a space where time has stood still. Celia Washington’s work, reflects a deep fascination with poetic and psychological myth and symbolic legend. Celia works in oils, mixed media, drawings and printmaking and has established an international reputation with shows in London, New York and many other countries. She has lived and worked in Florence, Madrid, Tokyo, Paris & Edinburgh. Together with Sangeeta Thapa, Celia is co-founder/director of the Kathmandu Centre for Creative Arts, she now lives in London and is represented by the October Gallery. Text on the eight dynamic Nepali artists: Birendra Pratap Singh, S.C Suman, Dr. Seema Sharma Shah, Kabiraj Lama, Sandhya Silwal, Kiran Maharjan and UK based Nepali artists Govinda Sah and Subash Thebe provided by Sangeeta Thapa with thanks.
ABOUT COOMBE FARM STUDIOS & COOMBE GALLERY Coombe Gallery, located on Foss Street Dartmouth, Devon, has played an active role promoting new talent alongside Internationally acclaimed artists for 13 years. It is also dedicated to promoting the best of predominantly Westcountry artists and makers and provides a platform for emerging artists with an annual ‘Rising Stars’ exhibition highlighting the best of graduating students from across the country each year. Coombe Farm Studios is a residential art centre located near Dartmouth which focuses on supporting artists from amateurs to professionals through residential short courses, exhibitions, performances, professional development retreats and residencies. Both Coombe Farm Studios and Coombe Gallery are pleased to support organisations and charities that assist artists and help those who work to improve our environment. Works in this catalogue represent a small fraction of those in the exhibition which is split across both sites. It is indicated in this catalogue and online where each work is being exhibited. For more information see www.coombegallery.com and www.coombefarmstudios.com -------------------Coombe Gallery Dartmouth, Foss Street, Dartmouth, Devon TQ6 9DR 01803 835820 mark@coombegallery.com Coombe Farm Studios, Dittisham, Nr Dartmouth, Devon TQ6 0JA 01803 722 352 lara@coombefarmstudios.com
Back cover: “The Journey Home” Acrylic on Canvas by Paul Riley 70h x 50w cm £1250 Showing @ Dartmouth Gallery
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