Curated by Tenzing Sedonla Ukyab and Abeer Gupta
The exhibition is grounded, in and hopes to initiate conversations around complex relationships with the idea of home and ways in which it shapes the understanding of ourselves and the world around us with artists from the Himalayas at the intersections of identity, mobility, and the coexistence of diverse perspectives.
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It explores the perspectives from the periphery, their relation to multiple centers in flux, and the fluidity of identities, in an attempt to challenge notions of representation, access, inclusions, and exclusions. Rooted in the politics of representation of the Himalayas, it attempts to focus on nurturing living cultural practices and vernacular realities.
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This exercise hopes to offer a critical exploration of nuanced relationships between the experience and materiality of the self, place, and community.
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Gallery 1 - Landscapes
Pasang Dolpo
Pasang Dolpo was born in Bhijer Village in Upper Dolpo, a rugged mountainous region in North-West Nepal. From a very young age, he was interested in drawing, although most of his time was taken up with helping his mother: as the eldest son, he had to step in to assist when his father passed away when he was only 5 years old. He would go herding animals like yaks, sheep, goats, and horses. Pasang would spend some of the winters with his uncle and maternal grandfather from whom he studied traditional, formal education of reading and writing Tibetan, which is his native language. Currently Pasang is based in Kathmandu where he continues his drawing and painting work, and side by side he runs a hospitality business focused on improving opportunities for and skills of women from his homeland Dolpo.
Jigmet Angmo
Born and raised (mostly) in the cold Himalayan desert region of Ladakh, the rugged landscape with its barren mountains, deep valleys, and high plains, developed a strong sense of wonder and imagination in Jigmet Angmo, which she explores within these very surreal settings. Vernacular architecture has been a central theme in her work, mostly using watercolours and acrylic. She believes them to be a living, breathing shelter that watches, nourishes, and endures the people who have come and gone through time.
Skarma Sonam Tashi
Skarma Sonam Tashi's works seek to generate a new relationship and experience of an image beyond the material's functionality. They are playful, and intuitive and often refer to the transforming experience of landscape. In Skarmai’s words, “l am fascinated by my own native landscape. The egg tray reminds me of the mountain ranges of Ladakh, where l was born and grew up. Since l stayed for many years outside Ladakh, away from mountain ranges, but still they were an important part of my memory of my homeland.” A metaphor lies in the coexistence between the organic and industrial practice, because the raw material itself is organic and biodegradable, while the casted shape of egg trays are made from an industrial process.
Zahara Batool
Zahara Batool is an artist from Kargil. Her work is carefully made using combinations of different types of wires, along with materials such as wood and mesh. The impetus behind her practice is, as Batool herself puts it, “my artwork and my art practice is inspired from my native place, culture and traditions. I find every culture and traditions very beautiful and colourful and I find its rawness very appealing.” Batool’s works are an attempt to capture and preserve the essence of the beauty of her culture, traditions, and topography of her native land, her home. Her choice of material reflects a deep consideration of the elements that drive her artistic practice and her profound reverence for where she comes from.