Physical space we know by heart, yet somehow miss the quiet corners. The idea of home is universal, yet personal. The four walls can represent protection or confinement; its familiar scent can resonate with security or vulnerability. It is a space for us to rest our heads but also rise to anguish. A complicated lovehate relationship where we long to run away from but as soon as we do, we are tempted to come back to its warm realms. Distracted with our mundane routines, we miss out on the small details that weave our reality. Intending to capture these fleeting moments - these invisible spaces, this is an attempt to capture the traversing thoughts that arise as we think of “Home�. The months of seemingly endless lockdown provided us ample time to pause and reflect; culminating in an instinctive yearning as visual storytellers to introspect and express it in our own narrative and style.
I As you grow up, you make new homes to fill the gaps that your birth home cannot. The worst feeling is, though you are finally home, that void is still there, and there’s absolutely nothing you can do about it but wait; wait to be home.
II It’s almost 4 AM and I miss my bed at Pulchowk. It’s been a month since the lockdown. I moved to a new flat only 4 months back and my heart is telling me to go back home. The funny thing is! I am at home. I returned to my parent’s home the night before the lockdown. I miss my new green cup, my sky blue bowl, and my patterned socks. All of this feels so weird and new to me. I recently lost my job and now I might have to leave my flat as well, but here I am… thinking about my room at Pulchowk as if it were mine in the first place.
III This lockdown feels like it has turned my eyes more sensitive to the world around me. It has made me appreciate the way the light falls onto textured surfaces - manifesting abstract shadow realms that exist for a moment before disappearing back into the void. I have used this unplanned - temporary deceleration of time to take in the intricacies of the buildings and structures around me, creating stories for myself as I press down the shutter button.
IV When we say that there is no place like home, we offer our individual arguments for why it is special to us. Underneath the cliché, however, there is something substantial to this claim. Home for me signifies a feeling rather than a physical space. It comes with a sense of familiarity and security. The lockdown orders came with a consolation, ‘Stay Home, Stay Safe’ further cementing its ubiquity. But can a feeling be universal? Isn’t the idea of home a privilege in itself? My work is an attempt to dissect my inherent notion and probe the very concept of home.
V The world used to be my home, free to explore, hospitable to intimacy. A new world has taken over, a world in the company of concealed hazards. Yet, it flourishes and evolves, undisturbed by human intervention. But, my new world is not my home now. Yet, I stumble upon the glints of wonders that life embraces, wondering to me, finding their path into my home. Yes, I once again yearn to intermingle with the exquisiteness that life has to offer. Until then, my home is my new world.
VI My mom would always call me a tourist, as I am frequently traveling and away with assignments. During this lock-down, the connection grew stronger with my family members and my home. Everything around me and every corner of my home reminds me of my childhood and the antecedent it had until now. I have realized that there are so many things that we either miss or ignore around us. These minor things are what make us who we are. Spending time with my family members, including my two pooches, this lockdown has helped create a special bond, and watching the show-reel of their daily chores has turned into my new favorite hobby.
VII I like it when the sky is down on its knees Stripped down of all its mighty blue, Unfiltered and unadulterated The days where it doesn’t put on a show And beam of the perfect hue I love it when the sky was grey As grey as me Away from all the chaos yet battling my own These four wall were familiar But now they feel comfortable, Like a second skin I can dissolve in them And disappear, Veiled with all the lies Tucked away in its comfort Will you leave to find the truth? Or be the one with the deceit?
I
Prajwal Bhattarai
II
Jyoti Shrestha
III
Biplav Shrestha
IV
Robic Upadhayay
V
Dikesh Maharjan
VI
Pramin Manandhar
VII
Sabrina Dangol
Design by : Seetu Shrestha