Shilash Thapa Tamang
9 September 2023
An exhibition of artist Umesh Shrestha’s paintings was inaugurated at Siddhartha Art Gallery, Babar Mahal on Friday. The exhibition titled “From Mundane Friction to Self-Flow” features the drawings and paintings of visual artist Shrestha that explore the visual diary of the artist’s personal journey of creativity.
The program was inaugurated by former Member of Parliament Dibya Mani Rajbhandari by lighting the votive lamp. Senior artist Kiran Manandar and poet Mahesh Paudyal were the guest attendees of the program.
The exhibition which features dozens of visual collections of Shrestha since 1992, communicates different aspects of human life. The paintings, as claimed by the artist himself, are the manifestation of artist Shrestha’s journey from worldliness to self-discovery. The recurrent motif of the ‘bell’ is succinctly visible in Shrestha’s art and it marks a symbol of alertness and warning.
During the inauguration, poet Mahesh Paudyal recited a poem based on one of the paintings that projected a scene of political turmoil in the name of revolution where a bell in the middle was a constant reminder of the dream differed. Mr. Paudyal explored the theme the art and questioned the significance of various armed struggles which brought no significant change in the life of the working class.
Senior artist, founder and chancellor of Nepal Academy of Fine Arts Kiran Manandar applauded Mr. Shrestha’s unwavering journey in visual art in spite of several challenges an artist has to face in Nepal. He also shared a story of hardship like that of Shrestha especially while pursuing his carrier in fine arts.
Speaking on the occasion, exhibitor Mr. Shrestha shared how he had to be distanced from his family for pursuing the subject of his passion. “I have tried to express my difficult and complicating journey from mundane friction to self flow through these visual arts,” he said.
The exhibition going at at Babal Mahal Revisited in Kathmandu will continue till the 29th of September and will run throughout the week from 11 am to 5 pm except on Saturday when it will remain open from 12 noon to 5 pm only. 
