Forms of Abstraction, an exhibition curated by Roshan Mishra, highlights abstraction as an ongoing and evolving artistic language in Nepal, showcasing work developed over many years of practice. The exhibition opened to the public on April 2 at 4 pm at Taragaon Next with a performance by Sundar Lama.
Supported by the Saraf Foundation, ‘Forms of Abstraction’ presents a current overview of abstract art practices in Nepal, featuring over 26 living Nepali artists who have been continuously engaged in abstraction across themes such as motion, emotion, nature, architecture, geometry and culture.
Rather than a break from tradition, the exhibition shows how abstraction in Nepal has grown over time while staying connected to earlier artistic approach and traditions. Artists use gesture, rhythm, and material to express inner experiences and layered meanings, carrying forward the meditative and symbolic qualities of earlier traditions into contemporary forms.
Find the catalogue here!
Forms of Abstraction had it's own version of our Guided Tour which was curated specifically for students. We held a guided tour, asked explorative questions, had a worksheet encouraging them to read the materials of the exhibition and to observe each artwork to be able to evoke emotion from it. The students also had the opportunity to create their own abstract art afterwards and present it if they wished.
'Forms of Abstraction' presents a current overview of abstract art practices in Nepal, featuring over 20 living Nepali artists who have been continuously engaged in abstraction across themes such as motion, emotion, nature, architecture, geometry and culture.
To understand where abstract art started from, the evolution of the movement and it's cultural significance, participants read and dissected 5 articles.
Collaboration with the Thames Writing Center and Heart and Mind Hub
"On May 21, we gathered at Taragaon to engage with abstract art created by different artists, and based on those works we tried to explore the idea of abstraction. As we worked in pairs, and tried to make meaning out of different art works, we delved deeper into the ways each one of us perceive art. We discovered similarities as well as differences in the process of meaning making; for some participants it brought back memories they cherished, while for others it brought a sense of discomfort. This made us ponder on where that discomfort was coming from, and if it was necessary to hold space for it.
Towards the end, leaning on abstract art as well as the idea of abstraction, we had the participants reflecting on how they struggled with connections and boundaries in their lives. The participants mentioned that these conversations filled them with questions and discomfort, but it was still important to hold space for those feelings."
Roshan Mishra is the director and curator of Taragaon Next and a Kathmandu-based visual artist. He is in charge of the Nepal Architecture Archive (NAA), which is run by the Saraf Foundation for Himalayan Traditions and Culture, the patron organization of the Taragaon Next. Roshan is the founder of the Global Nepali Museum and Nepalian Art, and he initiated the Mishra Museum.
