tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81957287300250164522024-02-07T14:52:16.616+05:30Ragini art & lifeAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08692984228669710412noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8195728730025016452.post-88233911204660441252013-04-06T23:11:00.001+05:302013-04-06T23:23:20.986+05:30Some photos from Berlin exhibition 2013<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/110337184611898194048/albums/5863789849230856593" target="_blank">A great set of pictures</a><br />
<br />
The weather was - - too cold me ....but inside the Studio Am Schloss , Berlin was warm with a glass of wine, meetings friends from Stuttgart , Sweden , Art Lover's even the gallery was small ...its became more interesting when Dr. Thomas Labahn and Nepalese Ambassador for Germany Mr. Suresh P. Pradhan and Nepalese friends Arrive ....</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08692984228669710412noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8195728730025016452.post-19796257782138837142012-06-10T11:48:00.000+05:302012-06-10T11:48:39.239+05:30Speaking for rivers and trees in paintings<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="color: #363636; font-family: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">By KANCHAN G BURATHOKI in <a href="http://theweek.myrepublica.com/details.php?news_id=36107" target="_blank">Republica</a></span></b><span style="color: #363636; font-family: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Ragini Upadhyay Grela’s
current exhibition, “Nature Speaks,” at Solace International Designs in
Lazimpat, Kathmandu, sets the stage for other ongoing and upcoming art events
in the second half of 2012.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Alliance Francaise kicked off
its six-month event, “Planet Nepal: Festival of Arts and Environment” on June
5, while Siddhartha Arts Foundation will be hosting the second Kathmandu
International Art Festival titled “Earth│Body│Mind” in November end. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">What they all have in common
is the underlying environmental messages which are being and will be conveyed
through works of art.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">While the two Festivals will
have a large number of artists participating, Ragini goes solo in her
initiative to highlight the 21st century’s environmental woes, with a total
of 51 acrylic and watercolor paintings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">“I can’t help but feel the
anger of Nature…She is giving back to us what we have given Her,” states
Grela about her latest series in which she interprets nature’s distress as
humans dirty rivers, cut down trees and pollute the air.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Although different in terms of
subject matter from her usual paintings and prints, which are laden with
political commentaries, Grela maintains her bold satirical approach in Nature
Speaks. More importantly, she uses a recurring form in her works to symbolize
nature – a goddess.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">“Clean Us” (acrylic on canvas)
depicts a goddess swimming in a river and picking up garbage, with white
gloves and socks on. But interestingly, the rest of her body remains
unclothed. The goddess holds a bottle in one hand, as the other hand tries to
reach out to some floating fruits that were probably offered to her by her
devotees.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">“Ragini challenges her fellow
Hindus who worship the rivers with one hand and pollute it with the other,”
comments Michelle Winston, the Director of Solace International Designs, who
has been friends with Ragini for years now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">In “Suffocating Bishnumati
River,” Grela creates a sweeping motion for water, again personified by a
goddess. On one hand, it appears like she is gushing down with great force
from the mountains, and on the other hand, the goddess could be attempting to
flee the chaos within her. The watercolor painting gives us only a small
glimpse of the state of our rivers. What we see for ourselves in reality when
we walk or drive along the banks of Bishnumati River or Bagmati is much worse.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Rivers asides, trees also
appear in the form of deities and humans. The sacred tree of Tulsi is
embodied by a woman dressed in pants and a vest. She stands on her pedestal
holding an umbrella and a computer mouse. A single leaf springs out of a
cord, a motif that recurs in the series.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">These paintings with
mutli-armed Tulsi takes us back to her works in the series ‘Love in the Air’
from 2008 where keyboards, computer monitors and cell phones had replaced the
traditional iconography of Hindu goddesses. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">The clash between
modernization and religious values continues to be a major theme of her
works, and she aptly makes references to it again, in Nature Speaks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Majority of the colors in
Grela’s paintings aren’t particularly pleasing to look at. Dark browns, grays
and greens blend and flow into each other, especially in the watercolor
works, to create muddy combinations – almost like the colors themselves are
polluted. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">The whole series has an eerie
undertone with its subdued colors which are not visually attractive, yet
serves the purpose of the issue at hand.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Adding to this eeriness are
images of anthropomorphized trees with frail and disjoint limbs, clad in
shoes and socks yet naked and vulnerable, oversized heads and snakelike eyes
with titles such as ‘Protect Our Future,’ ‘Dream for You,’ and ‘Afflicted
Avatar.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Be it anger, pain or
suffering, the emotions that Grela conveys of nature, as it speaks to her,
come across as disturbing and grim – relevant to the real prevalent
situations in Nepal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">“Nature Speaks” will be on
show at Solace International Designs on Radisson Hotel Road, Lazimpat, until
June 18, 2012. Gallery hours are from 11 am to 7 pm; closed on Saturdays.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #363636; font-family: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Burathoki is the contributing
Arts Editor for The Week.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<!--EndFragment--></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08692984228669710412noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8195728730025016452.post-4674115506248715022012-06-02T14:16:00.002+05:302012-06-10T11:55:59.509+05:30Living Gods And Goddesses In Climate Change<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.4pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 3.6pt; margin-right: 7.2pt; margin-top: 0cm; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">My
latest series</span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;">
</span><i><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">NATURE SPEAKS </span></i><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">is inspired by Nature's suffering
and devastation. Cutting</span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">trees, dumping
waste in river and sea, polluting the air endlessly with our cars all for the
sake</span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.1pt;">of human comfort cannot continue
without consequences. Climate change is Nature's response</span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">and the result is in the violence
of earthquakes, typhoons, hurricanes etc. I can't help but feel</span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">the anger of Nature when I see
proof of these devastating events as if She is giving back to</span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"> us what we have given Her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;">The present climate change is the result of our
negligence and ignorance toward Nature. When I am close to a river, sea or
forest I try to understand their unspoken language and </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">feelings. They speak to me of
pain, suffering, unbalance, injustice and worries for the future.</span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"> My paintings are a translation of
the woes of Nature.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">As humans we think only of our needs as valuable but
truly we are forgetting how dependent</span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">we are on the light of the sun, water of the glacier
and oxygen released by plants. We should</span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">remember how dependent we are on Nature for our lives.
As we respect our lives we should</span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"> respect the cycles of Nature. I have made the
great forces and forms of Nature resemble </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">humans as well as Gods and Goddesses in Hindu
mythology in a quest to illustrate our need</span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.15pt;">to think of Nature as God Herself. Here I question the
Hindus who profess to worship the river</span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"> </span><span lang="FR" style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">Ganga </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;">and
Bagmati as most sacred while polluting them with foul smelling human waste. How
can a Hindu worship a </span><span lang="FR" style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">Pipai </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;">tree with thread and incense
believing in the God in the </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">branches while cutting and choking other trees? My
work illustrates that Nature is God both</span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.15pt;">male and female dressed in our shoes and socks for
protection which they need as our human</span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"> bodies need.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 19pt; letter-spacing: 0.1pt;">Explanation About Few Works<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">My
Parijat tree, </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">symbol
of love in female form, is pregnant which whose the dream of a tree</span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"> for her future as a woman!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">My River Goddess </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">is unhappy because the water is so
polluted that she must wear gloves,</span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">the fish are running away from the dirty water, and
she is forced to clear out the rubbish. She</span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"> is show sweating and furious arriving from the
high mountain glacier.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;">My Monkey God, Hanuman,
</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;">has lost his forest
of Sanjivini.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">The Air God </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">is angry as he pushes down the old
car belching black smoke. His fury shows</span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">as a bird dies in his hand choked by pollution. The
forest of trees disappears as the forest of</span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"> tyres touches the sky.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;">My Buddha </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;">wears socks in order to protect
Nature and Peace in the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;">All
my tulsi, </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;">medicinal
plant, are in modern dress to show the importance of tulsi even in the 21<sup>St</sup>
century !<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;">Ganesh (the elephant god) </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;">with grass (duboo) Lord Shiva with
Bel patra (tree) Lotus with </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">Goddess Laxmi show the connection between GOD and
NATURE which also show the importance</span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"> of nature.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;">Umbrellas, socks, shoes </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;">are used here as symbol for
protection that they all need today.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.05pt;">It is our duty to
protect and love Nature with space and respect. It is in our own interest
because</span><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;">
if Nature dies we all die.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow'; font-size: 14pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;">Remember that if we ruin Nature
She will find a way to continue but we may not.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08692984228669710412noreply@blogger.com0Lazimpat Rd, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal27.720118555725154 85.31892299652127.716604555725155 85.313987496521 27.723632555725153 85.323858496521tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8195728730025016452.post-7216495660556971032012-06-01T16:08:00.001+05:302012-06-10T11:55:00.423+05:30Live and let live<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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KATHMANDU: Nature is the supreme manifestation of power that exists on earth and the Hindus regard natural resources like river, plants, Sun and more as various forms of divine gods and goddess. However, due to the selfish wants of human, the environment is degraded everyday creating an adverse effect on the natural surroundings and the human themselves.<br />
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Artist Ragini Upadhyay-Grela’s new exhibition ‘Nature Speaks’ delves into this very topic. The exhibition on at the Blue Note Cafe, Lazimpat began from May 19.<br />
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In ‘Tulsi in Modern Time’ piece, she has created a white background where the Tulsi is personified as a Hindu Goddess. Goddess Tulsi is coloured green dressed in a modern attire like jeans pants and a tee-shirt, with six hands and carrying six different items like mobile, leaf, flower, diyo, vessel and rock and sitting on a stand light brown and white in colour, which is usually used for keeping Tulsi for worshipping. In the piece, Grela has portrayed that Tulsi had medicinal values in ancient times and still has, hence the modern attire.<br />
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Grela shares, “Tulsi is known for its medicinal value from the ancient period and my Tulsi is wearing a modern dress to show the importance of its medicinal value even in the 21st century.”<br />
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The formation of structures while personifying the natural objects are interesting and can strike one’s mind and convince the viewer that nature needs protection. But her works also suggest that nature will find a way to continue, but humans may not.<br />
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The human touch given to the nature’s works with arms and legs look unusual but with Grela’s bent of artistic imagination they have an elegence of their own. One cannot help but appreciate the flow in the work.<br />
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Her works in this exhibition has nature’s motifs of basil plant, peepal tree, banyan tree, night jasmine, rivers and air all personified and symbolised like various deities like Vishnu, Krishna, Buddha, Kumari, and more. She has given modern attires to some of the personified forms of nature, whereas some female personifications are portrayed nude. According to Grela, all natural things are personified and attired in modern clothes as they are also seeking protection as humans who also wear clothes for protection.<br />
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Grela has used watercolour and acrylic on canvas where colours like green, blue, white, brown, red, yellow and more dominate her painting.<br />
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Ten per cent of the sales of her painting will be donated to the Kevin Rohan Memorial Eco Foundation.<br />
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The exhibition will continue till June 18.</div>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08692984228669710412noreply@blogger.com0Lazimpat Rd, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal27.72000458577013 85.31900882720947327.716490585770131 85.314073327209471 27.72351858577013 85.323944327209475tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8195728730025016452.post-30741930964595760652011-02-19T18:55:00.009+05:302012-06-10T11:51:31.629+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0LOCjQeREIQ/TV_ZWau79vI/AAAAAAAAECU/5K643UUj8r8/s1600/Love%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bair%2BSaraswati.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575413842864502514" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0LOCjQeREIQ/TV_ZWau79vI/AAAAAAAAECU/5K643UUj8r8/s320/Love%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bair%2BSaraswati.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 254px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Contemporising a goddess</span><br />
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Archana Thapa<br />
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FEB 18 2011<br />
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A news item in Kantipur on Feb. 13 attracted my attention. The news was about an objection from the Forum for Hindu Awakening, a US-based religious organisation, to Nepali artist Ragini Upadhaya Grela's painting depicting the Hindu goddess Saraswati. According to the news, the Forum asked Ragini to take the painting off her website. The report reminded me of the same painting that I photographed during the opening of Ragini's exhibit Love in the Air in February 2009. I was particularly fascinated by that particular piece because Ragini's Saraswati did not represent the traditional, iconic image of the goddess; instead it re-imagined the traditional image in the context of contemporary life. Most of the artwork in the exhibition dealt with the theme of an increasingly integrated global world order—a liberal utopian world where, despite cultural and geographical differences, love was a possibility. Most of the works reflected mixed images of god and political leaders. Others showed modern gadgets and cupids flying over world-famous monuments. In addition to the theme of love, some of her work represented serious concerns over the failings of national politics. <br />
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Particularly striking were the works in which the artist self-incarnated into the mythical matriarchal figures of powerful goddesses like Saraswati and Durga, seemingly concerned over the failing political scenario in post-conflict Nepal. Love did seem to be in the air as political parties had finally reached an agreement on rewriting the constitution; however, all was not well. Ragini's artwork represented the troubled national psyche in the land of temples where gods and goddesses reside. In the painting that is now stirring a controversy, Ragini projects herself as a modern Saraswati riding her vahan—a white swan—holding mystical weapons as well as a keyboard, a computer display and a cell phone. Such a representation of the goddess of knowledge, synthesising modern and traditional imagery, generated new perspectives from which to understand new forms of knowledge. In other words, Saraswati received a makeover for the techno-age.<br />
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There were other works where devotional iconographies of Saraswati and Durga were re-imagined in modern, mortal forms and woven within the post-conflict political framework which, to me, looked appealing and appropriate for the moment. Her works were conscripted within a specific political background and overlaid with new religious imaginations. The deity in a new form looked in no way offensive or demeaning. Rather, such a portrayal allowed a new critical perspective to emerge. What is the reason behind the current controversy then? Is it because the iconic representation does not represent the goddess in her traditional form? Or is the modified representation sacrilege?<br />
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Disagreeing to assent to the rigidity of traditional iconography, the artist constructed an altered image of a contemporary Saraswati. By reinterpreting the conventions of religious iconography, she explored the possibilities of re-imagining the traditional image into new, agreeable forms. Gyatri Spivak, an art critic, argues that if we can learn fixed meanings for terms through the processes of ideological interpellation, we can also 'unlearn' those meanings by questioning their fixity. In this case, self-representation of the artist as Saraswati can be seen as an example of such 'unlearning'. Her self-incarnated divine image challenges fixed knowledge-centres and re-locates them to keyboards that anyone can access. On another level, maybe Ragini was 'unlearning' the traditional cultic imagery of the goddess of knowledge and re-imagining a goddess in every mortal human being, including herself. As I see it, the painting is not only liberal and religious, but also very political because it captures the mood of historic times when the power of mortals forced a supposed incarnation of Vishnu to step down. In addition, the embodiment of the artist in devotional iconic features, combined with material goods such as computers and a cell phone, in my understanding, was an effort to bring divinity and humanity closer in an age of modernity. The artist used free play of signifiers—both divine and mundane—to reconstruct divinity in a contemporary form. Combination of the half-human and half-divine figure demystified the beliefs and religious rigidities that have remained resistant to change, even when the nation has been undergoing multiple changes.<br />
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Benedict Anderson argues in his book Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism that "print capitalism" has unleashed the new power of technology on the world, and the revolution of mass media has helped create new cultural affinities and national borders. While Ragini's exhibition was similarly concerned with the technological aspects of globalisation, it simultaneously pointed to the blurring of national and religious borders because of technology. Her paintings also imagine newer religious and mythical forms to redefine cultural meanings in Nepal's post-conflict period. Instead of reproducing religious icons mechanically, she tried to fill in elements of its presence in time and space. She merely revised the political and divine 'aura' of the period and used her artistic imagination to create new, emergent forms in the age of mechanical reproduction. People need to understand that the image that caused the current controversy is not merely meant to be a simple reproduction of the religious icon.<br />
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I have come to believe that we can form as many religious fraternity groups as we want, but if doctrinaire religious views are not redefined, no group will lead anyone anywhere. In times of virtual reality, when cultic-gods are being replaced by techno-gods, when some spiritual babas have formed political parties and have crusaded against political corruption while other babas have acquired a new taste for hi-fi commercial commodities like Rolex watches and fancy communicative gadgets, why can't an iconic god or goddess take on a new, agreeable makeover? Knowledge is never stagnant; it is a stream of fresh and free thoughts that flows across the horizon of our daily experiences. Religious knowledge can only survive if it redefines itself into pragmatic moralism, rooted in humanitarian values and causes. Unless we redefine and rewrite<br />
<br />
rigid theological metaphysical beliefs, those beliefs will never reach new heights. Chained, domesticated religious interpretations and rigid theological dogmas will eventually lose religious credentials.<br />
<br />
Ragini's painting is about more than the religious aspect—it has successfully blended contextual political concerns and religious concerns in an alternative humanitarian form that de-constitutes and situates (but never rejects) the essence of religious imagination.<br />
<a href="http://www.ekantipur.com/the-kathmandu-post/2011/02/18/expression/contemporising-a-goddess/218584.html"><br />Published in Kathmandu Post</a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08692984228669710412noreply@blogger.com4Kathmandu 44600, Nepal27.7 85.333333327.6437645 85.254369300000008 27.7562355 85.4122973tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8195728730025016452.post-73182424059436751832010-12-29T08:09:00.006+05:302010-12-29T08:48:31.341+05:30Art Attack by Abhi Subedi<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V7XaCmQYczg/TRqiWevkHKI/AAAAAAAAD4U/VcjP97lnFPU/s1600/gaijatra2010_.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 265px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V7XaCmQYczg/TRqiWevkHKI/AAAAAAAAD4U/VcjP97lnFPU/s320/gaijatra2010_.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555931597408312482" /></a><br />As always Abhi Subedi provides very fine words for my paintings.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Art Attack<br /><br /></span>A unique visual of Nepali politics is on display at Siddhartha Art Gallery in Kathmandu. This is an exhibition of paintings executed by the well-known mature artist Ragini Upadhyay Grela. She has used oil, drawings and intaglio in her works. One afternoon, I visited the gallery to see her paintings mainly executed round the theme of current Nepali politics. The occasion was Gaijatra, literally translated as cow festival, which is a famous Newar festival. This day triggers ambivalent impulses of fun and sadness. Fun is associated with sadness because Pratap Malla’s queen, inconsolable after the death of their son, had laughed at seeing the fun and frolic created on this occasion. According to historians, the originary of this festival can be traced from much earlier times. However, the dead become the motif of the festival on this day. A combination of street performativity and memory of the dead constitute the uniqueness of this culture.<br /><br />But when I met this artist fluently interpreting her entire art to show the weakness of Nepali politics and politicians, I became very pensive. I have done art criticism since 1971; and as a theatre person, I have used the wisdom, semiotics and symbolism of this festival for my plays as well as for my book on the history of Nepali theatre. But what struck me here was the sheer politics—the burlesque and the anti-climactic moments of Nepali politics created in art form. I know Nepali politics is not the sublime; it is not the only subject of discussion among Nepali artists and writers. But to see this Nepali artist with an international reputation dwelling passionately on the current absurdities that she sees in Nepali politics is a subject of tremendous significance. It raises questions of the following nature.<br /><br />Has the current political imbroglio so completely dominated Nepali artists’ imaginaire as in this exhibition? Has Nepali art always been so responsive to the political consequences of current Nepali history? Why did the artist become so sensitive to the present state of stalemate in negotiations among the parties? I have heard about the bravado of artists and some writers about the political changes and being sensitive to the events in the past years. Some have used the often-repeated stories of their involvement in creating history as artists. But what is never seen is the picture of Nepali history when it was embroiled in the 10-year war.<br /><br />No artist has significantly made any paintings on the fate of those who have lost their lives, lost their properties and become victims of war and homeless. We tried to talk to war victims from different places in the country for theatre. Their stories were heart-rending, but performing the same was not possible because the people who would be linked to the events would not allow the show to go ahead in their areas.<br /><br />To artists and writers, that sombre history mostly remained invisible. Of course, some good works have been written. Semioticists found the impact, the devastation and the faces of the victims and their plight photogenic. Important and sleek volumes have been published; exhibitions have been held in different parts of the country. It is easy to do photographic works and media dissemination of the same. But to execute a similar number of paintings or sculpt works on the gory themes and disseminate the same is not possible for painters and artists.<br /><br />Poets have been going to different places and reading their symbolic poems. Plays have been taken to villages and performed by good theatre artists. But for artists, it is not easy to take their works and exhibit them in different places. The question why comes up. The answer is that artists cannot execute paintings as easily in different situations as media people can manage it.<br /><br />Artist Durga Baral made strong paintings about the war and cartoons of the cow metaphor; several young artists too have executed paintings about the war and its consequences. But of necessity, they had to choose galleries to exhibit them. Very few people go to see the paintings.<br /><br />But Ragini’s intaglios and drawings have drawn so much attention recently in the capital. Her fluent interpretation of her figures did not make me feel happy. I quietly wanted to see her exquisite works on my own. She is a very talented artist. Her lines are amazing. She draws lines without using erasers or pencils. In her intaglio, her combination of colours is powerful and charming. Her print works are very fine; she can give an expressionistic mode to her print works. Many artists who use her medium have ended up in the twilight zone of decorative and expressive art. But Ragini has transcended that. She has exhibited her works in Europe, India and Nepal. She is one of the few Nepali artists who sell their works at good prices. In this exhibition, I found her drawings very interesting and powerful. Though it takes her less time to execute them, they impressed me, I must confess, more than her much hyped intaglio cow figures and figurines in some cases.<br /><br />Ragini’s cow images are amazingly beautiful despite the burden of the bizarre theme she attributes to them. Her cows are dismembered. Some of them are in the belly of the lion that has devoured her. They yield not milk but explosives; people are exploiting her. The cow is people, suavity and the country. Lions are cheats. People are dishonest. But it is a different experience to see these bizarre figures. They do not frighten the viewers. The cows, even in their precariously imposed symbolism by the artist, give the impression of folktales and fables.<br /><br />But what I find difficult and also feel intrigued about is the combination of fables and fabulation. Ragini like a Christian artist valorising a Christian theme is projecting the Hindu holy-cowism in her works. That could be a limitation; but for Hindu viewers and others who know the culture, that is a natural symbolism. But the paintings and the rhetoric of the artist exaggerate the so-called evil of politics. Valorising the holiness of the cow and feudal Hindu values, abusing the democratic system of government and the present state of political awareness, and ignoring the multiple openings of consciousness is not a progressive concept in art.<br /><br />A cow’s body parts are falling off. The artist and the media said that this was the dissolution of the country’s body under a federal structure. The news spread; and I was told that Chitra Bahadur K.C., an anti-federalist communist leader, was going to speak on it at the gallery. That would perhaps be K.C.’s first painting encounter in life. But he would speak about his usual politics, not about art.<br /><br />Ragini is a very good artist; she is a good friend. I will tell her what I feel about her work. But I would like to warn the politicians of this country that their reputation is plummeting; and very soon it will go down in people’s psyche through art, songs, poems, stories and folklore. Better change your ways and write the constitution before you are given permanent places of tricksters in paintings and folktales. Remember, the people’s patience with your politics is running out.<br /><br />Abhi Subedi<br />Originally posted on: 2010-09-01 08:37<br /><br />Do not miss the <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/ragini.grela/Gaijatra2010NepalPoliticalChaos#">web gallery</a><br /><a href="http://ragini-art.com"><br />and my main website</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08692984228669710412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8195728730025016452.post-32612473507367202542010-12-26T16:18:00.005+05:302010-12-26T16:30:08.388+05:30Love Bells a remakeAlbert got a new version of his morphing software and had to experiment it with the Love Bells. It comes quite nice.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxVW_9iIbcQOzXtBTnFGYLhBqN6FWvJkiD47YND3LLeVudP4OKtOnc_Fveie3XcIFoezuV6QDB9nZnhtFhiiQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />You could also look at his other videos on Youtube - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=bubur5&aq=f">just search bubur5</a><br /><br />EnjoyAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08692984228669710412noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8195728730025016452.post-62321734418163825342010-12-26T15:45:00.004+05:302010-12-26T16:14:57.775+05:30Buddha series a new videoBack in 2002 I introduced the Buddha series with these words : <br /><br />"A sun never dies, Buddha lights and Truth shines<br /><br />Since the beginning of time the sun never died so is the real and authentic Truth, it lasts generation after generation despite the oppression, the violence or any obscurantism.<br /><br />The Truth is wisdom and has to be nurtured day after day.<br /><br />The world during the last 15 months seems to me to have forgotten the path to Truth and wisdom. Very close to us in Nepal, the 1st of June royal massacre has instilled a lasting sorrow and a desperate thirst for genuine Truth. Across the oceans, the unthinkable terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre in New York has given us apocalyptic images that are going to be replayed for some generations as a proof of the extreme vulnerability of modern societies in face of fanaticisms. The destruction of the Bamiyan Buddha in Afghanistan was an other blow to the fundamentals of humanity and culture. It was an act of arrogant ignorance and total disrespect for the world cultural heritage.<br /><br />I am still completely puzzled by the magnitude and the depth of such violence , arrogance and disrespect for Life. Are these people putting themselves in the place of Gods. Are they the precursors of KALKIN, the forthcoming reincarnation of Vishnu, supposed to destroy the whole Creation ?<br /><br />Life is already so short when it comes to build knowledge and wisdom. It is already so tedious the know something in this existence, how can so many work to so much destruction and hate ?<br /><br />In this confusion, I felt very healed by the peaceful images of Buddha and I felt compelled to emulate the long succession of artists who found in Buddha a profound source of inspiration and a strong desire to propagate his shining message of compassion, peace and tolerance.<br /><br />So here are my Buddhas, very afflicted by the catastrophes plaguing the humanity , torn apart in some pictures but delivering tirelessly their injunction to meditation, self-control, peace and compassion.<br /><br />May peace prevail. "<br /><br />Today Albert gives a new lease of life to this very nice series of colographs<br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzT84ia4HAwtSmjC6M6jdKntBzAX5Y8OLaQ3ibjh2znzQYnT3HFBFwvHT2P-pfGz5lJXDrmonz3u0NP51Kx' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />You may also visit : <a href="http://users.skynet.be/ragini_art/a_sun_never_dies/a_sun_index.htm">http://users.skynet.be/ragini_art/a_sun_never_dies/a_sun_index.htm</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08692984228669710412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8195728730025016452.post-51245233793717456242010-11-28T09:59:00.004+05:302010-11-28T10:08:06.775+05:30Dusting off an old article - Ragini's political stand 1995From Maurice O’Riordan<br />Asian Art News – August 1995 <br /> <br /><br />Myth and politics have always been a strong and inextricable themes in the artistic career of Ragini Upadhayay-Grela, one of the few fully professional artists working in Nepal today. The title, The Myth of Politics, for her most recent exhibition of 21 paintings was borrowed from an American academic who interviewed her for a thesis on women in South Asian political life It is from this that Upadhayay-Grela explores the joining of power and human destiny. At a more local and contemporary level it also portrayed elections in Nepal (in November 1994) which saw the collapse of the ruling Congress Party and the installation of the Communist Party Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPNUML) minority government.<br /><br />One work which stands out in contrast to the turbulence is Let Them Bark. I Go My Own Way, dedicated to her late father and a center piece to the show. This rather proud and defiant title could easily serve as a motto for Upadhayay-Grela's artistic career. The I of the painting is an impressive elephant lyrically depicted in motion and profiled with several heads at either end. Inside the elephant Upadhayay-Grela has suggested a landscape with angular distant mountain peaks and spiraling water. In the foreground is a consistent symbol in her work, poetic birds in flight or contemplation. Encroaching upon the elephant (but no match for its serene and steady course) are the multitude of hounds suitably cruel and ferocious looking but obviously more bark than bite. These hounds also border the top of the painting and fulfill the failure of their futile menacing by appearing to chase their own tails.<br /><br />The timelessness to which Queen refers in The Mytb of Politics relates not only to human politics but also to rudimentary forms, subtle layering of hand prints and color absorption into the handmade paper which evoke the aura and vitality of ancient rock art. It would be wrong, however, to think that Upadhayay-Grela's paintings only offer a 'bemused' response to political life. The symbols in her narrative reveal a far more profound and poetic investigation. Game of Blood, for example, makes no pretense about the brutal culture of politics while drawing upon a uniquely Nepalese blood-lust context with the Kumari, Khukuri, and goat.<br /><br />The Myth of Politics sheds some light on issues raised in a recent overview of contemporary art in Nepal (Asian Art News, Volume 4, Number 5, September/October 1994). Politics is integral part of Nepali life which in some way accounts for Upadhayay-Grela's choice of theme, as her artistic intention has always been to produce socially meaningful and relevant work. Among the obstacles facing Nepal's contemporary art community the most prevalent are a lack of exposure and exchange. Upadhayay-Grela's enormous body of work builds effectively on the Nepali traditions and techniques with a universality and individuality that exposes the limitations of national or contemporary classifications.<br /><br />In terms of exposure and exchange, Upadhayay-Grela's career echoes the path of the more successful Nepalese artists with initial fine arts training abroad (India) and participation in a number of international workshops, residencies, and exhibitions. Being part of a more global contemporary art scene has no doubt given the humanism of her work greater scope, opening it up to varying modes of expression and more sophisticated media, particularly in terms of printmaking. With The Mytb of Politics, Upadhayay-Grela shows that, although she is an artist in constant quest of new ways and forms of expression, she remains true to the symbols and subject matter which are close to the heart of her Nepalese cultural heritage.<br /><br />In Election 94, Upadhayay-Grela built upon the imagery used by the two elections rivals: the Tree for the Congress Party and the Sun for the CPU‑UML, as well as party flags and political slogans. Throughout Nepal one finds a proliferation of these two key symbols vying for public wall space. Ragini did not hesitate to explain that the prominent tree with its attendant mermaid-goat on the left hand side of Election 94 was a direct copy of an ancient Nepalese folk symbol. For Upadhayay-Grela the appeal of such symbols lies in their potent contemporary and ancient duality and this is arguably the overall strength and effect of the exhibition. A central motif in Election 94 and another, the ten headed human form based on the ten fold incarnations of the Hindu god Vishnu, complete with the prosaic addition of sunglasses and umbrella represent the duality of the political climate perhaps, with the Communist Sun, for the time being, victorious above.<br /><br />The Mytb of Politics was met with a number of enthusiastic reviews in the local press. A review in the newspaper 7be Rising Nepal challenged the degree to, which Upadhayay-Grela had delved into such a loaded subject as politics given its heightened Nepali context. The criticism was, in part, a response to the artists' reliance upon children's folk story telling traditions as the allegorical Truth behind many of her paintings: for example, The Rabbit and the Tortoise and Tbe Matsyanyaya Big (Fish) Eat Small Fish. Perhaps it is fair to say that Upadhayay-Grela is more interested in myth than in politics. Her intuitive style and the unequivocal morality of these folk narratives blend a child-like simplicity and wonder to these paintings which is part of their charm.<br /><br />Dr. Abhi Subedi observed in his catalogue essay: "Ragini's political paintings do not project the grim and violent post-modernist images of the political myth of the recent times." There is unbridled optimism in the love of experimentation, in the vitality of her symbolism and the continuity of her artistic folklore heritage. As with all mythology, her work conveys a sense of timelessness, partly because of her technique, but mostly because of the human players in her narratives, those who are hungry for the power of The Chair, but are no more than the spirit of mythologies that have come before and will ultimately outlive them.<br /><br /><br />Maurice O’Riordan<br />Asian Art News – August 1995<br /><br /> <br />Visit my picture gallery : <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/ragini.grela">http://picasaweb.google.com/ragini.grela</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08692984228669710412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8195728730025016452.post-57193615924971202372010-10-13T16:01:00.005+05:302010-10-13T16:14:31.014+05:30Gai Jatra on canvases<span style="font-weight: bold;">KATHMANDU, Aug 26</span>: <span style="font-size:85%;">Ragini Upadhyay Grela might have had controversies surrounding her after her resignation from the Nepal Art Academy. However, the sassy painter does not seem to be bothered as she continues to do what she does best.<br /><br />Gai Jatra, her latest art series currently on display at the Siddhartha Art Gallery at Baber Maha Revisited is undeniably an interesting series to go through. Coinciding with this year’s Gai Jatra day, the series fully follows the ethos of the festival.<br /><br />Her paintings parody the current political fiasco and the power-hungry politicians of Nepal. About the series, Sangeeta Thapa, curator of the gallery, rightly puts in, “Ragini’s Gai Jatra is a witty and vibrant exhibition that captures the farce of the ongoing socio-political situation in Nepal.”<br /><br />The Gai (cow) symbolizing Nepal as the enduring mother nation, but beset by lions with snake-like tongues and tails, symbolizing the so-called rulers of the nation and the Goddess Kumari, temples and chaityas symbolizing the cultural dignity of our country make up most of her paintings.<br /><br />She continues to use many flying or suspended images, and with the additional sense of Gai Jatra, her subjects are even more topsy-turvy than usual. There are tons of symbolic images on a single canvas, and that is what keeps you pulled in.<br /></span><br /><img src="http://myrepublica.com/news_images/4951.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">In one of her paintings entitled “Divided Nepal,” the beasts or lions clawing on a cow shred her to pieces as the eyes of Kumari watch in distress. In another, while the beast donning a bhadgaunle topi (hat) leaps greedily onto a chair, the cow stares at it, all powerless. Dismantled traffic lights, electric wires, dysfunctional bulbs, cows milked excessively till they bleed, and alarming temple bells are some repeatedly used themes and images in her paintings.<br /><br />For colors, Ragini sticks to bright yellow, pink, green, red and white, keeping in tune with the festive spirit of Gai Jatra. Cows are also ornamented likewise in the festival. However, the painter says it reminds her of “how politicians use the name of public in their speeches in very ornamented and different ways for the sake of public support, but they aren’t even concerned about what the public wants.”<br /><br />Though filled with symbolism, the viewers will easily be able to relate and empathize with Ragini’s paintings.<br /><br />“I see Nepal in a permanent Gai Jatra situation,” says Ragini about the unending political feuds and chaotic situation in the country. And for the awareness of all this, she has echoed her wake-up call through her symbolic images in the paintings.<br /><br />Ragini’s Gai Jatra works will be on display at the said venue till September 20, and for a Gai Jatra fun, this artistic parody is not to be missed out on.<br /></span><br />Visit my other pages : <a href="http://ragini-art.com/">ragini-art.com</a> and the <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/ragini.grela">picassa gallery</a><br /></td></tr></tbody>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08692984228669710412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8195728730025016452.post-47258425560681280372010-10-02T23:53:00.003+05:302010-10-03T14:14:00.634+05:30Opening of Double Vision in Gallery Epreuve d’Artiste – Nepalese artists in Antwerpen - Belgium<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKoQPcvG22c6N7hptjmVrH7PNvg3roEtlqjiRrxLepq49-TgSQkr9q0Seq-gRThF7SUF9nJzC0J_GaktUTsagqULA3o0zlbOLCjtLuk4oAQKOXXqFm5GPJ4kA-mV0jSd7NHtdIuTPv-i0/s1600/Opening+Antwerpen++2+Oct+2010+00-25.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKoQPcvG22c6N7hptjmVrH7PNvg3roEtlqjiRrxLepq49-TgSQkr9q0Seq-gRThF7SUF9nJzC0J_GaktUTsagqULA3o0zlbOLCjtLuk4oAQKOXXqFm5GPJ4kA-mV0jSd7NHtdIuTPv-i0/s400/Opening+Antwerpen++2+Oct+2010+00-25.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523517976626482306" border="0" /></a><br /><style>@font-face { font-family: "Arial"; }@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }a:link, span.MsoHyperlink { color: blue; text-decoration: underline; }a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed { color: purple; text-decoration: underline; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }</style> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">A nice crowd gathered for the exhibit regrouping for the fourth time, the prints of the Ragini Upadhyay, Seema Sharma Shah, Gea Karhof and Nan Mulder. Ragini Upadhayay and Seema Sharma are established Nepalese artists, Gea Karhof and Nan Mulder are originally Dutch but Nan lives now in Edinburgh. The group had previously displayed their work together in Edinburgh, Kathmandu and Haarlem</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">On first October 2010, a heavy evening rain was an uninvited guest but it did not deterred, the Nepalese ambassador and several members of the Nepalese Embassy in Belgium to come to honour some of the most celebrated artists of Nepal.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">His Excellency P.K Hamal spoke highly about the convergence in humanity that these East-West artistic gathering produce. He emphasised the mutual enrichment and deepening of cultural roots resulting from the show.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Gea and Nan explained how their journeys in Nepal, India, Sri Lanka have influenced their work both in shape and concepts.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Ragini developed her vision of an omnipotent Time that she represents very graphically in her <i style="">Time Wheel </i><span style=""> </span>series. She added a few words about the <i style="">Third Eye</i> of the Kumari which allows to see beyond the appearances.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">The combination of the four artists provides a unique echo chamber of artistic and philosophical concepts. The cultural continuum is remarkable despite the strong individuality of the artists.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">The exhibition is hosted by Chris Verheyen at the Gallery Epreuve d’Artiste in Oudekerkstraat 64, 2018 Antwerpen. The display lasts until the 17 October 2010. The gallery can be contacted by email : epreuvedartiste@skynet.com or telephone :03/238.68. 58 . Opening hours : 14 to 18 on Saturdays and Sundays ; on appointment only during week days.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">The photos of the opening on :</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/Albert.Grela/OpeningInAntwerpenAtTheGaleryEpreuveDArtiste#"><span lang="EN-GB">http://picasaweb.google.com/Albert.Grela/OpeningInAntwerpenAtTheGaleryEpreuveDArtiste#</span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">More on the artists web pages : <a href="http://ragini-art.com/">http://ragini-art.com</a>, <a href="http://www.nammulder.com/">http://www.nammulder.com</a>, <a href="http://www.geakarhof.nl/">http://www.geakarhof.nl</a> , <a href="http://www.umaseema.com/">http://www.umaseema.com</a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Albert Grela<br /></span></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08692984228669710412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8195728730025016452.post-40392174864125291342010-02-27T17:45:00.005+05:302010-02-27T17:54:04.065+05:30<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitsJAZIaC08_FOKYBDnPEGpg99JRLmtRd2jf0wES3DDGyq3J2RK6VkrPDL8QfdmTx1j8bNAO7c-RNsBCschqpWNgny7-Wd5BzjG7oaKEQIeTRoT6yxai2Lo-8O6uq0K9-vkw7kg9LuMfE/s1600-h/artist608.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 477px; height: 255px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitsJAZIaC08_FOKYBDnPEGpg99JRLmtRd2jf0wES3DDGyq3J2RK6VkrPDL8QfdmTx1j8bNAO7c-RNsBCschqpWNgny7-Wd5BzjG7oaKEQIeTRoT6yxai2Lo-8O6uq0K9-vkw7kg9LuMfE/s400/artist608.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442896898624460098" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /><br />A walk in the clouds</span><br /><br />By Anwer Mooraj<br /><br />Sunday, 21 Feb, 2010<br /><br /><br />Most visitors who flocked to the well-publicised exhibition of the Nepali artist Ragini Upadhyay Grela at Gallery 919, Karachi, on February 13 were somewhat mystified by what they saw. Perhaps it was because Grela’s work was unlike anything they had come across before. Or because they felt there was certain ambivalence about her art which appeared at once both childlike and highly sophisticated and had to be viewed with a morbid relish.<br /><br />Habitués of exhibitions in Karachi are accustomed to tasting the fruits of realism and occasional forays into the world of the abstract—towards which a large number of local young painters is gravitating. The symbolic and emblematic imagery that this cerebral artist from Katmandu presented, though it was classy and urbane, had for many viewers a disparaging uniqueness to which they could not relate.<br /><br />But if the visitor probed a little deeper, he would uncover a world of fantasy, hope and enlightenment. ‘Love in the Air’, the title of the exhibition, is faithful to the script. Everything that moves does so high above the ground, way up in the clouds.<br /><br />Though there appears a constant striving for man and woman to come together as they whimsically frolic on a celestial trapeze, the love that the artist is trying to portray has a much deeper significance.<br /><br />It has an almost subliminal, religious base, and is, in fact, a discourse on the love for God, the Creator of all things. Underlying the theme are the symbols of globalisation which, along with historical buildings and monuments, insinuate themselves into every frame and run like a thread through the fabric of the pictorial dissertation.<br /><br />The items that were common to most of the compositions were the popular tourist structures that one sees on picture postcards, along with TV and computer screens and mobile phones. Often the women are portrayed as avenging deities and even the goddesses Laxmi and Saraswati, and the Buddhist goddess Nairatma appear conversant with the accoutrements of modern technology.<br /><br />Sangita Thapa, curator of the Siddhartha Gallery in Katmandu, once pointed out that Grela often portrays the female form as enlightened beings that make satirical comments on the failings of politicians.<br /><br />Among other pictures that the visitor saw was a nude riding an elephant over a tilting church steeple and pagoda; a couple on a horse or kissing somewhere in the stratosphere with a telephone wire and cradle dangling from the woman’s calf; a woman with the head of a bird sitting on a cell phone; a couple flying over Big Ben and the Taj Mahal while the Statue of Liberty clutches a mobile phone; a woman flying towards a pram; a snake flying over buildings; a woman on an albatross; women and children flying over the Blue Mosque; a couple atop a quartet of galloping horses after somebody has pulled away the chariot.<br /><br />The Eiffel Tower also pops up somewhere and there is even a woman wearing hijab sailing through the breeze on a flying carpet! And somehow or other, a bull found himself on top of a factory chimney.<br /><br />Altogether, there were 32 exhibits, including digital works manually enhanced on canvas, etchings in mixed media and two ‘unique prints’ whose prices ranged between Rs40,000 and 50,000. Each of the four acrylics in which real gold was used on a traditional canvas was priced at Rs476,256.<br /><br />Grela is very much a part of mainstream Nepali art—along with Urmila Upadhayay Garg, Pramila Giri and Shashi Kala Tiwari—all worthy successors to the pioneer women painters Jawala Shama, Bhadru Kumari and Sihi Pyari.<br /><br />Grela has had considerable international exposure. She has studied in Germany and the United Kingdom, and is married to a Belgian. She has a formidable personal record of 56 solo exhibitions and has participated in 14 group shows where she always strives to be the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree. Outside of Nepal and India, her works have been seen in Belgium, Poland, Finland, Sweden, Germany, Austria and Japan.<br /><br />She has also had numerous appointments and has bagged three prizes and awards, one of which was in the United Kingdom. People who bought her works reside in 24 countries scattered around the globe.<br /><br />The display which was inaugurated by Mushtaq Chhapra, honorary consul general for Nepal, was her third solo offering in Karachi. It is one that will stay in the mind for a long time.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08692984228669710412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8195728730025016452.post-92174688571383723282010-02-27T17:13:00.000+05:302010-02-27T17:14:20.683+05:30Love in the Air - KarachiLove in the Air - Metaphors of love<br /><br />Text and photos by Ameer H Ahmad<br /><br />KARACHI: Nepali artist Ragini Upadhyay Grela is in Karachi once again for her solo exhibition at the Galleria 919 titled “Love in the Air”, the realisation of which has been with her since 2008.<br /><br />Thanking the 21st century technological advancements, which have reduced distances between loved ones, she said she could feel the love in the air, wherever she looked.<br /><br />She said the widespread use of computers and mobile phones has made communicating easier with the person you love, as it reduces distances not just between lovers, but also between families and friends.<br /><br />In this series of works, she celebrates both technology and lovers together, combining elements like computers, mobile phones and keyboards with half-animal and half-human figures.<br /><br />Figures fly across famous landmarks like the Taj Mahal, Statue of Liberty, Eiffel Tower and the Great Wall of China; and physical distances and cultural divides melt away as these figures communicate their love through the air.<br /><br />She has replaced some of the traditional attributes of Hindu Goddesses such as Laxmi or Sarwasti with the modern tools of knowledge and financial power.<br /><br />Lotus, clubs, bows are turned into mobile phones and computers.<br /><br />In some of her works, she has used the traditional Thanka painting technique with real gold and silver paint. Her work echoes with the works of Marc Chagall, a Russian-French artist, but hers is transcontinental and modern.<br /><br />She combines references from the east and the west, an insight into which she gained during her studies in India, England and Germany, and through her extensive travels all over the world.<br /><br />Grela draws inspiration from both secular and mythological sources, the latter from Hindu and Buddhist myths.<br /><br />She is a symbolic artist and it is constantly visible in her work.<br /><br />She has had more then 70 solo and group exhibitions in more then 23 countries.<br /><br />She is a graduate of Fine Arts from Lucknow University and is a member of the Oxford Printmakers, and her first exhibition was held in 1979 in Nepal. Having been a visiting lecturer at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture; the Karachi School of Arts; and the School of Art and Design, Jamshoro, this is her third solo show in Karachi and she has had two solo exhibitions and one group exhibition in Pakistan.<br /><br />The gallery will continue the exhibition of her paintings and prints until February 27.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08692984228669710412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8195728730025016452.post-75471136060876459022010-01-22T22:28:00.005+05:302010-01-22T22:47:17.805+05:30Love in the Air travels to Karachi<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWKObk4kqxjpn8SHCooIF4swqK0tqVIvAm_Pb1jsl2umlNEGGArD-DYf5cPALq8opg1COa8r_WjLcGCWyAKZHSpCeFbW66QnFkh7XXCncMnvreEp4RtlgTN4AHujrpQ5IlFAzl6wPAQI/s1600-h/expo-Pakistan-01red.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 226px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWKObk4kqxjpn8SHCooIF4swqK0tqVIvAm_Pb1jsl2umlNEGGArD-DYf5cPALq8opg1COa8r_WjLcGCWyAKZHSpCeFbW66QnFkh7XXCncMnvreEp4RtlgTN4AHujrpQ5IlFAzl6wPAQI/s320/expo-Pakistan-01red.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429613862701122114" /></a><br /><br /><br />The invitations have been printed and the Honorary Consul of Nepal, the Honourable Mushtaq K. Chhapra will be the chief guest. The show opens on February 13 2010 at 5:30 pm at the Galleria 919 (<a href="http://www.galleria919.com/contact.html">http://www.galleria919.com</a> ). <br /><br />It is located : <br />108/2 3rd Avenue.<br />Block-5. Clifton.<br />Karachi. Pakistan.<br />Phone: +92 21 5833681-2<br />Fax: +92 21 5871286<br />Email: info@galleria919.com<br /><br />The exhibition will be on display until the Saturday 27 th February 2010<br /><br />You could have a look at the online presentation : <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/ragini.grela/LoveInTheAir2008#">http://picasaweb.google.com/ragini.grela/LoveInTheAir2008#</a><br /><br />The other URL : <a href="http://ragini-art.com">http://ragini-art.com</a> provides a more comprehensive coverage.<br /><br />I hope to see many of you during the exhibition.<br /><br />Cheers !!!!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08692984228669710412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8195728730025016452.post-4288396867311307732009-09-13T23:05:00.007+05:302009-09-13T23:52:17.435+05:30Ragini at Riddaren Gallery - Stockholm<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKQ5vwqTErFtZUdFF5RC6n6NNpHjvP2rvGWvqbUhYOZ6lbooLkVry59fqWZc-UAkLOGtbifb82v52sQQFH0L0iJ-1bLj6zK-YeFKBUpotBzsetE2Dd57sN_IOxKkfb5n09hN-u3-sBobg/s1600-h/Riddaren+Gallery+Stockholm+22+Aug+2009+22-19.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKQ5vwqTErFtZUdFF5RC6n6NNpHjvP2rvGWvqbUhYOZ6lbooLkVry59fqWZc-UAkLOGtbifb82v52sQQFH0L0iJ-1bLj6zK-YeFKBUpotBzsetE2Dd57sN_IOxKkfb5n09hN-u3-sBobg/s320/Riddaren+Gallery+Stockholm+22+Aug+2009+22-19.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381008479554046338" border="0" /></a><br />It was a great success : 18 works were sold out of 24 exhibited.<br /><br />Thanks a lot to Anna Karin, Matz, Carl, Lena, Brigitta and all the clients and well wishers.<br /><br />Have a look at the photo gallery : <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/ragini.grela/RaginiAtRiddarenGalleryStockholm?authkey=Gv1sRgCJCEqqGAy5_HqgE&feat=directlink">click here</a><br /><br />The fully developed website is at url :<br /><br /><a href="http://ragini-art.com">http://ragini-art.com</a><br /><br /><br /><a href="htt://ragini-art.com"></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08692984228669710412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8195728730025016452.post-49520705891404715092009-05-30T09:26:00.006+05:302009-05-30T10:00:01.191+05:30Exhibition in Stockholm, August 2009<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJkQyphCV_gohjZRIVoYzzmaHfSuXn8NHh14hmS4cnVCnX3StmKhkGaAgH2EfyZNzbwl5oQibW5v5pfztRUcVC0-_N295WyECF84AmmeA5nAXHv5CkrKiLAMjA1hNxFwklfd_U1M-atVg/s1600-h/Invitation-Sweden-Aug-09.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 204px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJkQyphCV_gohjZRIVoYzzmaHfSuXn8NHh14hmS4cnVCnX3StmKhkGaAgH2EfyZNzbwl5oQibW5v5pfztRUcVC0-_N295WyECF84AmmeA5nAXHv5CkrKiLAMjA1hNxFwklfd_U1M-atVg/s320/Invitation-Sweden-Aug-09.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341466462302635618" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Plans with the Gallery Riddaren started a long time ago but it is now certain that my work will hang on their walls from the 22nd to 28th of August 2009. Much of the exhibit will be made with the Love in Air and the Time Series collections. The gallery is located at Köpmanbrinken, 8 in Stockholm. I will give a small talk about the women challenges in Nepal at 5 pm on the opening day. I look forward to seeing you all at this occasion.<br /><br />In the meantime, have a look at my <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/ragini.grela">Picasa Gallery</a> and my web site : <a href="http://ragini-art.com/">http://ragini-art.com</a><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08692984228669710412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8195728730025016452.post-40899878114845245672009-05-02T10:13:00.008+05:302009-05-30T09:26:16.529+05:30Price updatesDue to a sudden peak demand for my work, I realized that I had forgotten to update my price list during many years. I did it finally and many of my recent works published on the Internet have received an indicative price tag.<br /><br />Visit my Picasa web galleries for the details :<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/ragini.grela/LoveInTheAir2008#">Love in the air</a><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/ragini.grela/LoveBells#">Love Bells</a><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/ragini.grela/RaginiForScotland2007#">Ragini for Scotland 2007</a><br /><br />To find my place you can search Ragini Kathmandu in <a href="http://maps.google.com/">http://maps.google.com/</a><br /><br />or click <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Ragini+Kathmandu&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=28.39116,79.101563&ie=UTF8&z=13&iwloc=A">here</a><br /><br />visit also the more static : <a href="http://ragini-art.com/">ragini-art.com</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08692984228669710412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8195728730025016452.post-26541233642066470462009-02-25T12:51:00.002+05:302009-02-25T12:53:39.565+05:30Ragini's World by media for freedom<table style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(17, 17, 17);" bg="" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 51);font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;" > <i>By:</i></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;" ><b> <a title="Author Detail" href="http://www.mediaforfreedom.com/DetailAuthor.asp?AuthorID=8">media for freedom </a> </b> </span></td><td> <p align="right"><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 51);font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;" > <i>Posted on: <i>2/23/2009</i></i></span><i> </i> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> <span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><span class="inner_news_title">Ragini's World </span> </span><p class="side_links"><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >Kathmandu, Nepal: Artist Ragini Upadhyaya tries to see the world through the new technological order</span></p> <span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" > </span><p><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><strong>By A CORRESPONDENT</strong></span></p> <span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" > </span><p><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >The world of artist and poet is unlimited. If someone has imagination and vision, they can catch it. But, translating the whole thinking in the canvas requires the vision, tranquility in mind as well as capability.</span></p> <span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" > </span><p><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >This is what one can see in the solo art exhibition Love in The Air of renowned artist Ragini Upadhyay Grela. Inaugurated by EU Charge d' affairs Dr. Alexander Spachis, the exhibition which is currently going on in Siddhartha Art Gallery in Babar Mahal, the exhibition is creative as well as full of perception of artist Upadhyay. </span></p> <span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" > </span><p><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >Artist Upadhayay's art works speak well about her well-heeded journey to the world that enjoys and appreciates the modern communication and wired to the world. In her arts, many well known monuments of the world appear in her paintings. Whether it is Eiffle Tower of France or Taj Mahal of India and the historical and culturally importance monuments of Nepal, one can see them in her paintings.</span></p> <span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" > </span><p><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >As usual, artist Upadhyay's paintings have also some political smell as she painted the present political alliance flying in the sky with all modern amenities. She sees Prachanda, Girija Prasad Koirala, Madhav Kumar Nepal and Upendra Yadav on her paintings. Produced in 2008, Ragini's paintings are full of meanings and imaginations. Her experiments with the modern technology and traditional ways with respect to historical monuments are remarkable.</span></p> <span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" > </span><p><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >"Many international monuments make their appearances as a cultural reference of her travel," said Sangita Thapa, Curator of Siddhartha Art Gallery. "The physical distance and cultural divide between countries melt away and are seen as inconsequential as Ragini skilfully places the monuments and iconography from her own country to the same canvas."</span></p> <span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" > </span><p><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >In this exhibition, artist Upadhyay gives supreme importance to the modern equipments of communication, even the goddess Laxmi and Saraswati now wield modern means of communication. "Very often, she portrays the female form as avenging goddesses or enlightened being to make satirical comments on failings of politics and politicians," said Thapa. </span></p> <span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" > </span><p><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >After looking at the paintings of artist Ragini, one can see the influence of her recent visit to Europe. The magic of modern communication network and their powerful presence are reflected on her paintings. </span></p> <span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" > </span><p><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >"It is strongly inspired by my recent trip to Europe which have marked my mind with places and communication habits," said artist Upadhyay. "The omnipresence of computers, mobile phones, PDA is for me a great opportunity. There is magic in the air which makes full of messages and vibrant. The reference to famous landmarks such as Taj Mahal, Eiffel tower or the Statue of Liberty expresses my perception of the global culture, global village and global background for love. I have also replaced some of attributes of traditional forms of goddesses," said the artist.</span></p> <span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" > </span><p><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >Ragini has proved herself different than other artists in this exhibition. She displayed her creation full of imagination and the perfection of elaborating them in canvas. As it is said, an artist does not belong to any country as they see the entire world as their home. Ragini displayed that her imagination ranged from local cultural monuments as well as world's renowned monuments with the perfect combination when they are linked by the modern means of communications.</span></p> <span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" > </span><p><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >Selections of colors combined with her paintings make them lively. "I studied in Germany and UK and travelled all over Europe and I married a Belgian man. As a Nepali, I enjoy my life in Nepal," she said. The Exhibition will continue till March 8.</span></p><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >Source:Spotlight.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08692984228669710412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8195728730025016452.post-39403269693724055562009-02-08T11:25:00.016+05:302009-02-12T11:36:28.091+05:30Love in the Air opens at Siddartha Gallery on Sunday 8th February 2009 at 5:30 pm<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_V7XaCmQYczg/SY9J7pD7FRI/AAAAAAAACEE/MhiTlIRh4JI/s1600-h/Love+in+the+air+Eifel+Tower.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 318px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_V7XaCmQYczg/SY9J7pD7FRI/AAAAAAAACEE/MhiTlIRh4JI/s400/Love+in+the+air+Eifel+Tower.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300536575421781266" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Dr. Alexander SPACHIS</span><br />Minister - Counsellor, Charge d'affaires a.i, European Union<br />has kindly consented to open the exhibition<br />on Sunday 8th February 2009 at 5:30 pm<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/ragini.grela/LoveInTheAir2008#">Click here to watch the whole series</a><br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwO5rSbe9LITJjGy4scAmFeB2guow_RMfqrBFrOS2noyqlsbDeTeQC2ImxWLoBjwOCmmionwdWvOAs_RZ0aSw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />The opening had to face an usual power outage and visitors enjoyed the works at candle light.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://picasaweb.google.com/ragini.grela/LoveInTheAirPressArticles#"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 173px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0FSLxC4OBsN7UVsnZwGoKAfFzoAXsQB7zpW4wBbqHjXTUOszbqWzEiKQgXB-bKBjOolTglsN4Ls2pBwGOtBWAm4EGhzduvfURBpca6fhteEt8CFtiDODb-kEMohHDjpXpQONqW_WHco4/s320/article_0001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301787454235096674" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/ragini.grela/LoveInTheAirPressArticles#">Click here to see the articles published in Nepal</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08692984228669710412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8195728730025016452.post-34695931602462178402009-02-06T06:53:00.000+05:302009-02-09T07:20:23.875+05:30Even cowgirls get the blues - by BHUSHITA VASISTHA in myrepublica.com“Love is in the air<br />In the whisper of the tree<br />And I don´t know if I´m just dreaming”<br /><br />When Australian singer John Paul Young wrote these famous words in 1978, it had been just five years since the first cell phone (Motorola Dyna-Tacthe) hit the market, and SMS was still to be discovered. Naturally, it felt as if he was “dreaming” to feel “love in the air”.<br />In 2007, twenty-nine years after the song was released, Nepali artist Ragini Upadhyay Grela felt she wasn’t just dreaming, thanks to her mobile phone and its SMS function in particular, to feel love in the air.<br /><br />“It was during my stay in Vienna when I realized how air has become the carrier of love,” the artist said, explaining the muse behind her forty-ninth solo exhibition - “Love in the Air”. The show will kick off from Saturday at Siddhartha Art Gallery, Babar Mahal.<br />“I was staying with a woman who was in love, and she used the text message to express it to her beloved. Suddenly, for me, it wasn’t the same air I had been breathing all my life. It was so special, it was love!”<br /><br />The exhibition has fifty-three art works, mostly mixed media. In this series, she has celebrated both information technology and lovers together. The half-animal, half-human figures, idiosyncratic of Ragini’s work, fly across the Taj Mahal, Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty and Ghanta Ghar with messages of love popping through her cell phones and computers.<br />She said the exhibition is a welcome to Valentine’s Day, which is just around the corner.<br /><br />As usual, some of her art gives strong political commentaries. For instance, in one satiric picture, she makes fun of five major political leaders of Nepal, who are trying to light the whole country with a small candle.<br /><br />“Really, it is weird to see their response to recent power cuts. Information technology has worked miracles in the world, while in Nepal we’re still struggling to have our room lit with electric bulbs." she lamented.<br /><br />A graduate of Fine Arts from Lucknow University, Upadhyay grew up in a small village in Ramnagar, a border town on the Indian side. As a farmer her father’s biggest dream for his daughter was to be a graduate, it didn’t matter in which subject.<br /><br />So, she was sent to Allahabad, India, to pursue her studies. But for Ragini there was something in academics which didn’t click at all. “Slowly my parents weren’t surprised to learn I flunked my subjects,” she smiled, sighed, and smiled again.<br /><br />After completing her high school level studies, Ragini knew if there was anything she could graduate in, it was art. “You wouldn’t believe it, I couldn’t copy good hand-writing but could emulate every other face I saw.”<br /><br />“It was very difficult to study art then. My mother showed a thousand and one reasons not to study it.” She added, “But I had made up my mind. I told her if I couldn’t study art, she had better start looking for a suitor.”<br /><br />Upadhyay had her first exhibition in 1979 and never looked back, although financially the days weren’t as easy. “As an artist, I was always paid in terms of my satisfaction. However, we need to cultivate an aesthetic culture in Nepal as well.”<br /><br />“For instance, people live in a house worth millions and hang a poster of Bangkok.”<br /><br />In her experience, the rapidity with which Indian society is catching up with art is a lesson for Nepal. During artist’s stay in Gadhi Art Village at India in 1984, there was an extremely talented senior artist named Himmat Shah. But Shah was so poor he couldn’t pay the nominal rent charge for his studio, let alone pay to have two good meals a day. “But now, within some decades, Shah has become a big-shot artist in India, while his contemporary Nepali artists are still having hand-to-mouth problems.”<br /><br />bhushita@myrepublica.com<br />Published on 2009-02-06 21:31:00Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08692984228669710412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8195728730025016452.post-75263369545600232362008-08-26T05:16:00.003+05:302009-11-14T14:03:53.291+05:30How to reach Ragini Art Village<iframe width="425" height="350" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&geocode=&ie=UTF8&source=embed&msa=0&msid=114114459262545232150.000455481ee6c1bedbf38&ll=27.666639,85.366044&spn=0.003326,0.00456&z=17&output=embed"></iframe><br /><small>View <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&geocode=&ie=UTF8&source=embed&msa=0&msid=114114459262545232150.000455481ee6c1bedbf38&ll=27.666639,85.366044&spn=0.003326,0.00456&z=17" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">Ragini Art Village - Balkot</a> in a larger map</small>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08692984228669710412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8195728730025016452.post-90844102462885307192008-07-24T08:05:00.028+05:302009-02-12T11:44:25.472+05:30Ragini CV July 2008<h3 style="text-align: center;" align="center"><i><span style="" lang="EN-US"><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-family:verdana;">Ragini – oil painter and print maker</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></i></h3> <h1><span style="" lang="EN-US"><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >Education</span><o:p></o:p></span></h1> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">1982- Graduated in Fine Arts from Arts and Crafts College, <st1:city st="on">Lucknow</st1:city> (<st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">India</st1:country-region></st1:place>).<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p>1983-1985 - Studied the print’s techniques at the <st1:placename st="on">Artist</st1:placename> <st1:placename st="on">Corner-Lalit</st1:placename> <st1:placename st="on">Kala</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Academy</st1:placetype>, Garhi, <st1:city st="on">New Delhi</st1:city> (<st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>) <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p>11-1987 to 03-1988 - Fellowship<span style=""> </span>sponsored by the British Council in Peacock Printmaker in Aberdeen (Scotland) and 3 months in Oxford Printmaker (England), <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">10-1989 to 03-1990 - 5 months course at the Künste Akademy of Stuttgard sponsored by the German-Nepal help Association,.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <h1><span style="" lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size:130%;">Professional appointment</span><o:p></o:p></span></h1> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p>1992, 1994, 1996 - Guest Artist<span style=""> </span>at<span style=""> </span>the Radier Werkstadt, Kampen (<st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Germany</st1:country-region></st1:place>).<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p>April-May 1996 - Visiting lecturer at the <st1:city st="on">Lahti</st1:city>’s Fine Art Institute and Türku Fine Art Institute (<st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Finland</st1:country-region></st1:place>).<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p>1996 - Visiting Lecturer at Indus <st1:place st="on"><st1:placetype st="on">school</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename st="on">Art</st1:placename></st1:place>. <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Karachi</st1:place></st1:city>. <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Pakistan</st1:place></st1:country-region><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p>1998,1999- Visiting lecturer at the Helsingborg Museum, Sweden.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p>2006, 2007 - Visiting Lecturer at <st1:city st="on">Karachi</st1:city> <st1:placetype st="on">school</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename st="on">Arts</st1:placename> and <st1:placetype st="on">School</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename st="on">Art</st1:placename> and Design , <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Jamshoro</st1:city>, <st1:country-region st="on">Pakistan</st1:country-region></st1:place> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p>Member of BP Koirala Foundation since 2006<o:p></o:p></span></p> <h1><span style="" lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size:130%;">Solo exhibitions</span> </span><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></h1> <table class="MsoNormalTable" style="width: 419px; border-collapse: collapse; height: 1796px;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 60.2pt;" valign="top" width="80"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">1979<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 470.4pt;" valign="top" width="627"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">National Association of Fine Art, Kathmandu in the presence of late poet Bal Krishna Sharma<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 60.2pt;" valign="top" width="80"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">1980<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 470.4pt;" valign="top" width="627"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">Royal Nepal Airlines, Kathmandu<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 60.2pt;" valign="top" width="80"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">1981<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 470.4pt;" valign="top" width="627"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">October Gallery, Vajera Hotel, Kathmandu<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 60.2pt;" valign="top" width="80"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">1981<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 470.4pt;" valign="top" width="627"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">Fine Art Academy of Lucknow (<st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on"><b style="">India</b></st1:place></st1:country-region>).Sponsored by Lalit Kala Academy of Lucknow and opened by late B.P. Koirala<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 60.2pt;" valign="top" width="80"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">1982<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 470.4pt;" valign="top" width="627"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">Morya Hotel, <st1:city st="on">Patna</st1:city> (<st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on"><b style="">India</b></st1:place></st1:country-region>).<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 60.2pt;" valign="top" width="80"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">1983<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 470.4pt;" valign="top" width="627"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">Fine Art Academy of <st1:country-region st="on">India</st1:country-region>, Ravindra Bhawan (<st1:city st="on">New Delhi</st1:city>), sponsored by the Nepalese Embassy in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on"><b style="">India</b></st1:place></st1:country-region>.<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 60.2pt;" valign="top" width="80"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">1985<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 470.4pt;" valign="top" width="627"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">October Gallery in Vajera Hotel, Kathmandu.<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 60.2pt;" valign="top" width="80"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">1986<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 470.4pt;" valign="top" width="627"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">National Association of Fine Art, Kathmandu, opened by her <b style="">Majesty the Queen of Nepal</b><o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 60.2pt;" valign="top" width="80"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">1987<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 470.4pt;" valign="top" width="627"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">October Gallery in Vajera Hotel, Kathmandu.<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 60.2pt;" valign="top" width="80"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">1988<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 470.4pt;" valign="top" width="627"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">British Council Hall, Kathmandu, inaugurated by the Prime Minister Mr Marish Man Singh.<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 60.2pt;" valign="top" width="80"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">1989<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 470.4pt;" valign="top" width="627"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="" lang="DE">Deutsch-Nepalischen Hilfgemeinschaft, Stuttgart(<b style="">Germany</b>).<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 60.2pt;" valign="top" width="80"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">1990<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 470.4pt;" valign="top" width="627"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">Goethe Institute , Frankfurt (<st1:country-region st="on"><b style="">Germany</b></st1:country-region>), guests of honours : the Consul of Nepal in <st1:place st="on">Frankfurt</st1:place> and late Mrs Busak<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 60.2pt;" valign="top" width="80"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">1990<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 470.4pt;" valign="top" width="627"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">Goethe Institute , Schwabish Hall (<st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on"><b style="">Germany</b></st1:place></st1:country-region>)<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 60.2pt;" valign="top" width="80"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">1990<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 470.4pt;" valign="top" width="627"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">Goethe Institute , Kathmandu opened by the Prime Minister Mr Krishna Prashad Bhattrai<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 60.2pt;" valign="top" width="80"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">1991<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 470.4pt;" valign="top" width="627"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">Shimba Gallery at Tokoshima (<st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on"><b style="">Japan</b></st1:place></st1:country-region>)<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 60.2pt;" valign="top" width="80"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">1991<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 470.4pt;" valign="top" width="627"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">Ujuka Gallery at Naruto (<st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on"><b style="">Japan</b></st1:place></st1:country-region>)<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 60.2pt;" valign="top" width="80"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">1991<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 470.4pt;" valign="top" width="627"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">Hananj restaurant and gallery at Kamojima (<st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on"><b style="">Japan</b></st1:place></st1:country-region>)<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 60.2pt;" valign="top" width="80"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">1992<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 470.4pt;" valign="top" width="627"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">British Council Hall ,<span style=""> </span>Kathmandu<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 60.2pt;" valign="top" width="80"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">1992<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 470.4pt;" valign="top" width="627"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="" lang="FR">Galerie Art du Temps, Verviers (<b style="">Belgium</b>)<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 60.2pt;" valign="top" width="80"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">1992<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 470.4pt;" valign="top" width="627"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="" lang="DE">Galerie Eglau, Radier Werkstadt, at Kampen (<b style="">Germany</b>)<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 60.2pt;" valign="top" width="80"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">1994<br /><!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br /><!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 470.4pt;" valign="top" width="627"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">French Cultural Centre, Kathmandu, & </span><span style="">Galerie Eglau, Radier Werkstadt, at Kampen (<st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on"><b style="">Germany</b></st1:place></st1:country-region>) </span><span style="">title : « Politics, Dust and Love»<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 60.2pt;" valign="top" width="80"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">1994<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 470.4pt;" valign="top" width="627"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">Gallery Gamlastan, Helsingborg (<st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on"><b style="">Sweden</b></st1:place></st1:country-region>)<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 60.2pt;" valign="top" width="80"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">1995<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 470.4pt;" valign="top" width="627"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">National Fine Art Association, Kathmandu, title : « The Myth of Politics »<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 60.2pt;" valign="top" width="80"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">1995<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 470.4pt;" valign="top" width="627"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">Gallery S, Eupen (<st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on"><b style="">Belgium</b></st1:place></st1:country-region>)<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 60.2pt;" valign="top" width="80"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">1996<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 470.4pt;" valign="top" width="627"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">Gallery Joella, Türku (<st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on"><b style="">Finland</b></st1:place></st1:country-region>) title : « Windows »<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 60.2pt;" valign="top" width="80"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">1996<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 470.4pt;" valign="top" width="627"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><st1:placename st="on"><span style="">Majuma</span></st1:placename><span style=""> <st1:placename st="on">Art</st1:placename> <st1:placename st="on">Gallery</st1:placename>, <st1:city st="on">Karachi</st1:city> (<st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on"><b style="">Pakistan</b></st1:place></st1:country-region>)<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 60.2pt;" valign="top" width="80"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">1997<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 470.4pt;" valign="top" width="627"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">Goethe Institute, Kathmandu, “Goddesses and Women, Mythology and Reality”<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 60.2pt;" valign="top" width="80"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">1997<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 470.4pt;" valign="top" width="627"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">Grand Hotel, <st1:city st="on">Taipei</st1:city> (<st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on"><b style="">Taiwan</b></st1:place></st1:country-region>), as part the YWCA World Meeting on “Violence Against Women”<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 60.2pt;" valign="top" width="80"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">1998<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 470.4pt;" valign="top" width="627"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">Gallery Oljemark, <st1:city st="on">Helsinki</st1:city>, sponsored by the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the <st1:country-region st="on">Nepal</st1:country-region> <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on"><b style="">Finland</b></st1:place></st1:country-region> Society<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 60.2pt;" valign="top" width="80"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">1998<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 470.4pt;" valign="top" width="627"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">Gallery Harmaja, <st1:city st="on">Oulu</st1:city> (<st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on"><b style="">Finland</b></st1:place></st1:country-region>) sponsored by the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 60.2pt;" valign="top" width="80"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">1998<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 470.4pt;" valign="top" width="627"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">Gallery Bellange, Atelje, <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Stockholm</st1:city>, <st1:country-region st="on"><b style="">Sweden</b></st1:country-region></st1:place><o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 60.2pt;" valign="top" width="80"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">1999<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 470.4pt;" valign="top" width="627"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">Siddhartha Art Gallery, Kathmandu, “Sensitive Women”<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 60.2pt;" valign="top" width="80"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">2001<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 470.4pt;" valign="top" width="627"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">Siddhartha Art Gallery, Kathmandu, “Ragini’s Odissey 2001” inaugurated by her <b style="">Majesty the Queen of Nepal</b><o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 60.2pt;" valign="top" width="80"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">2001<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 470.4pt;" valign="top" width="627"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">Studio am <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Schlob</st1:city>, <st1:state st="on"><b style="">Berlin</b></st1:state></st1:place><o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 60.2pt;" valign="top" width="80"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">2001<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 470.4pt;" valign="top" width="627"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">Atelier S, <st1:city st="on">Eupen</st1:city>, <st1:country-region st="on"><b style="">Belgium</b></st1:country-region> – Inaugurated by H.E. K.P. Shrestha Ambassador of <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Nepal</st1:place></st1:country-region> to the EU<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 60.2pt;" valign="top" width="80"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">2002<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 470.4pt;" valign="top" width="627"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">The Sun never dies, Buddha lights and Truth Shines – Kathmandu Sep 2002 – Schorndorf (<st1:country-region st="on"><b style="">Germany</b></st1:country-region> Sep 2002) - Zielona Gora (<st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on"><b style="">Poland</b></st1:country-region></st1:place>)<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 60.2pt;" valign="top" width="80"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">2003<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 470.4pt;" valign="top" width="627"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">Permanent display at the International Club – Sanepa – Nepal<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 60.2pt;" valign="top" width="80"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">2003<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="padding: 0in 3.5pt; width: 470.4pt;" valign="top" width="627"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="">Rotary Club, <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Halle</st1:city>, <st1:country-region st="on"><b style="">Belgium</b></st1:country-region></st1:place><o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr><td style="vertical-align: top;"><span style=""> 2004</span></td><td style="vertical-align: top;"><span style="">Permanent display at the « GALLERY MOKSH » - Jamsikhel – Lalitpur – <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Nepal<br /><br /></st1:country-region></st1:place></span></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align: top;"><span style=""> 2005</span></td><td style="vertical-align: top;"><span style="">Time Wheel at <st1:placename st="on">Siddhartha</st1:placename> <st1:placename st="on">Art</st1:placename> <st1:placename st="on">Gallery</st1:placename>, <st1:place st="on">Kathmandu<br /><br /></st1:place></span></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align: top;"><span style=""> 2006</span></td><td style="vertical-align: top;"><span style="">Time Wheel at the <st1:placetype st="on">Academy</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename st="on">Fine Art</st1:placename> and Literature, <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on"><b style="">New Delhi</b></st1:place></st1:city> sponsored ICCR<br /><br /></span></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align: top;"><span style=""> 2006</span></td><td style="vertical-align: top;"><span style="">Time Wheel at the ICCR Gallery, <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Hyderabad</st1:city>, <st1:country-region st="on"><b style="">India<br /><br /></b></st1:country-region></st1:place></span></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align: top;"> 2006<br /></td><td style="vertical-align: top;"><span style="">People’s Power at Nafa Art Gallery Kathmandu, opened dpty Prime Minister KP Oli<br /><br /></span></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align: top;"> 2007<br /></td><td style="vertical-align: top;"><span style="">Sound of Love at <st1:placename st="on">Majmua</st1:placename> <st1:placename st="on">Art</st1:placename> <st1:placename st="on">Gallery</st1:placename>, <st1:city st="on">Karachi</st1:city> <st1:country-region st="on"><b style="">Pakistan</b></st1:country-region><b style=""> &</b> Art Shop, <st1:place st="on">Kathmandu<br /><br /></st1:place></span></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align: top;"> 2007<br /></td><td style="vertical-align: top;"><span style="">People Power - Culture House ( Manufaktur ) <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Shorndorf</st1:city>, <st1:country-region st="on"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Germany</span><br /><br /></st1:country-region></st1:place></span></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align: top;"> 2008<br /></td><td style="vertical-align: top; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:Arial;">Venetian Multiveral Academy, Stoss im Himmel Vienna, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Austria</span></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on"><br /><br /></st1:country-region></st1:place></span></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align: top;"> 2009<br /></td><td style="vertical-align: top;"><st1:placename st="on"><span style="">Love in the Air, Siddartha</span></st1:placename><span style=""> <st1:placename st="on">Art</st1:placename> <st1:placename st="on">Gallery</st1:placename> , <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Kathmandu</st1:city> , <st1:country-region st="on">Nepal</st1:country-region></st1:place>.<br /><br /></span></td></tr> </tbody></table> <h1><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" ><span style="" lang="EN-US">Group exhibitions</span></span><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></h1> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size:100%;">Kathmandu <span style=""> </span>:<span style=""> </span>1979, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989,1999<br /><st1:city st="on">Calcutta</st1:city> (<st1:country-region st="on">India</st1:country-region>)<span style=""> </span>:<span style=""> </span>1980<br /><st1:city st="on">Madras</st1:city> (<st1:country-region st="on">India</st1:country-region>) <span style=""> </span>:<span style=""> </span>1980<br /><st1:city st="on">Srinagar</st1:city> (<st1:country-region st="on">India</st1:country-region>)<span style=""> </span>:<span style=""> </span>1980<br />Tokoshima (<st1:country-region st="on">Japan</st1:country-region>) :<span style=""> </span>1988<br />Arijiano (<st1:country-region st="on">Italy</st1:country-region>) <span style=""> </span>:<span style=""> </span>1990<br /><st1:country-region st="on">Luxembourg</st1:country-region> <span style=""> </span>:<span style=""> </span>1992<br />Liège (<st1:country-region st="on">Belgium</st1:country-region>)<span style=""> </span>:<span style=""> </span>1992<br />Eupen (<st1:country-region st="on">Belgium</st1:country-region>)<span style=""> </span>1994<br /><st1:city st="on">Lahti</st1:city> (<st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Finland</st1:country-region></st1:place>)<span style=""> </span>:<span style=""> </span>1996</span> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">2007 – GALLERY OPEN EYE, <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Edinburgh</st1:city> , <st1:country-region st="on">Scotland</st1:country-region></st1:place> , U. K.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">2007 - KUNSCENTRUM HAARLEM – <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Haarlem</st1:city>, <st1:country-region st="on">Netherlands</st1:country-region></st1:place>.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">2007 - <st1:placename st="on">SIDDARTHA</st1:placename> <st1:placename st="on">ART</st1:placename> <st1:placename st="on">GALLERY</st1:placename> - <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Kathmandu</st1:city>, <st1:country-region st="on">Nepal</st1:country-region></st1:place>,</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">2008 - <st1:placename st="on">JAMSHORO</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">School</st1:placetype> of Art and Design Gallery – Jamshoro – <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Pakistan</st1:place></st1:country-region></span></span><o:p></o:p></p> <h1><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="" lang="EN-US">International exhibitions</span></span><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></h1> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size:100%;">International Biennial, Lubjiana (ex <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Yugoslavia</st1:place></st1:country-region>), 1983.<br />International Print Graphic Exhibition, Rafi Marg, <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">New Delhi</st1:city></st1:place>, 1983 and 1984.<br />International Asian Biennial, Dhaka (Bangladesh) 1983.<br />British International Print Biennial, Cardwright Hall, Bradford (England) 1986, Osaka Triennial 1991.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <h1><span style="" lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size:130%;">Prizes and awards</span> <o:p></o:p></span></h1> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="" lang="EN-US">National Exhibition Prize (Nepal) 1979, 1985, 1988.<br />Kate and Robert Wilson Prize, Bradford (UK) 1986.<br />Birendra Aswaria Memorial Medal Kathmandu 2002.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <h1><span style="" lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size:130%;">Present in official collections</span> <o:p></o:p></span></h1> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 6pt 0in;"><span style="" lang="EN-US">Bradford Museum, UK., SARC building, Kathmandu, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Tribhuvan Airport, VVIP room, Kathmandu. Nepal Television Office, Kathmandu, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other governement Offices,<span style=""> </span>Kathmandu, Fine Art Academy, Lucknow, India, King Birendra Art Gallery, Kathmandu, Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, Japan.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <h1><span style="" lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size:130%;">Present in private collections</span> <o:p></o:p></span></h1> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">In Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Holland, India, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Nepal, Malaysia, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, United Kingdom, USA<i style="">.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p> <h1><span lang="FR" style="font-size:130%;">Contact<o:p></o:p></span></h1> <h2><span lang="FR" style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Ragini Upadhyay - Grela</span><o:p></o:p></span></h2> <h2 style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="" lang="FR"><span style="font-size:130%;">Balkot – 1/110, Bhaktapur<br />Nepal</span><o:p></o:p></span></h2> <h3 style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><a href="mailto:ragini@mos.com.np"><span style="" lang="FR">ragini@mos.com.np</span></a></span><span style="" lang="FR"><o:p></o:p></span></h3> <h3 style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span lang="FR" style="font-size:130%;">tel : +977 1 6630335<o:p></o:p></span></h3> <h3 style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="" lang="FR"><span style="font-size:130%;">Mobile : +977 98510 52244</span><o:p></o:p></span></h3> <h3 style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;" align="center"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><br /><!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><a href="http://ragini-art.com/">VISIT MY WEB SITE : http:\\ragini-art.com</a><br /><!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></h3> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08692984228669710412noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8195728730025016452.post-33400678375623629892008-06-14T09:19:00.020+05:302008-12-09T17:27:19.212+05:30Love in the air 2008<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V7XaCmQYczg/SFN8DVI-kQI/AAAAAAAABf4/1DcJpCCgbiU/s1600-h/Love+in+the+air+-+Europe+06.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_V7XaCmQYczg/SFN8DVI-kQI/AAAAAAAABf4/1DcJpCCgbiU/s400/Love+in+the+air+-+Europe+06.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211645590454046978" border="0" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_V7XaCmQYczg/SFNJhlwXxPI/AAAAAAAABbg/j-qTKxPiMuM/s1600-h/Love+in+the+air+East_West+02.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_V7XaCmQYczg/SFNJhlwXxPI/AAAAAAAABbg/j-qTKxPiMuM/s400/Love+in+the+air+East_West+02.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211590035217302770" border="0" /></a></p><span style="font-size:130%;">Love in the Air 2008 - Mixed media etching prints and acrylic paintings on traditional Tanka canevasses with real gold paint.<br /><br /></span> <p class="MsoNormal">This series is produced during 2008. It is strongly inspired by my recent trips to <st1:place st="on">Europe</st1:place> which have marked my mind with places and communication habits. The omnipresence of computers, mobile phones, PDA are for me a great opportunity for lovers to exchange feelings and emotions. There is a magic in the air which makes it full of messages and vibration. The reference to famous landmarks such Taj Mahal, Eifel tower or the Statue of Liberty express my perception of the global culture, global village, global background for Love. I visited many of these landmarks and monuments. I also replace some of the traditional attributes of Hindu Goddesses such as Laxmi or Sarwasti with the modern tools of knowledge and financial power.Lotus, clubs, bows are replaced by mobile phone and computers who are so much entering our lifes and transforming the Love and Power game. I like also to mix East & West references because the deep cross fertilisation between Asian and European culture is a fact of my personal life. I studied in <st1:country-region st="on">Germany</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region st="on">UK</st1:country-region>, traveled all over Europe and married a Belgian man but I still enjoy my life in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Nepal</st1:place></st1:country-region>. For these canvasses, I have used a traditional Tanka painting technique with real gold & silver paint.</p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_V7XaCmQYczg/SFNJhlwXxPI/AAAAAAAABbg/j-qTKxPiMuM/s1600-h/Love+in+the+air+East_West+02.jpg"><br /></a></p><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsKvB16zwiMb37kW5rnpK0razbFW86efv_CpAMNgfLsFQ4AecTzwZ1WfH2ekVacwh5aOwLd0ty5t9_t0s1z5E2yvggU35gI5u6MWdqGIZTVaAj8x1DBDS1_W5Sq0JoogWyuhRXsRyryrE/s1600-h/Love+in+the+air+-+Europe+01.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsKvB16zwiMb37kW5rnpK0razbFW86efv_CpAMNgfLsFQ4AecTzwZ1WfH2ekVacwh5aOwLd0ty5t9_t0s1z5E2yvggU35gI5u6MWdqGIZTVaAj8x1DBDS1_W5Sq0JoogWyuhRXsRyryrE/s400/Love+in+the+air+-+Europe+01.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211580215995079058" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Hereafter a few clues to decrypt the symbols that I use in the pictures.<br /><br /></span></span> <p><span style="font-family:Arial;">Lotus – Symbol of Purity, Education, wisdom.<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial;">Horse – Symbol of Feeling and active movement. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial;">Eye - Symbol of Sensitiveness.<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial;">Third eye – Symbol of our own soul.<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial;">Wire – Symbol of Connection.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial;">Deer - Symbol of heart and mind. jump in a same way as deer.<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial;">Flower – Symbol of Love.<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial;">Elephant – Symbol of Power.<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial;">Bull - Symbol of boldness and assertiveness.<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial;">Bird – Symbol of Freedom and unlimited travel.<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial;">Tortoise – Symbol of Patience.<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial;">Moon – Symbol of Romance.<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial;">Clouds – Symbol of Dream.<span style=""><br /></span></span></p><p><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style=""></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style=""><br /></span></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Colors symbols</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial;">Pink – Symbol of Romance. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial;">Sky Blue – Symbol of Freedom and openness. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial;">White – Symbol of Peace. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial;">Gold – valuable and Unique. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial;">Green – Symbol of Positive & Nature</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial;">Red - Symbol of Warmth, Excitement, Attraction, Passion . </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial;">Purple – Symbol of Mystery. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial;">Yellow – light , sun. <span style=""> </span></span></p> For a full gallery just click <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/ragini.grela/LoveInTheAir2008?authkey=DRWaiJ7Ji5k">here</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_V7XaCmQYczg/SFN614SGwjI/AAAAAAAABfo/g8krBcn_r14/s1600-h/Love+in+the+air+-+Europe+02.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_V7XaCmQYczg/SFN614SGwjI/AAAAAAAABfo/g8krBcn_r14/s400/Love+in+the+air+-+Europe+02.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211644259857777202" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_V7XaCmQYczg/SFN8CfHwsfI/AAAAAAAABfw/6ovqZmFFuXo/s1600-h/Love+in+the+air+UK+Big+Ben+2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_V7XaCmQYczg/SFN8CfHwsfI/AAAAAAAABfw/6ovqZmFFuXo/s400/Love+in+the+air+UK+Big+Ben+2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211645575953428978" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08692984228669710412noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8195728730025016452.post-78205376158506275532008-03-07T18:29:00.004+05:302008-03-07T18:49:36.040+05:30Time Series slideshowThe Time Series is a reflection about the absolute power of Time. The irreversible ticking of the clock is unbeatable. Powerful people of the present and the past had to learn that rule too.<br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzccGTfXLFYrpX76sP19kQGmjMNDImfSVCnOXfnX1_-NFCiyIlx9JcXZtK8uekeXUL3P0rW4HOqH_FIVG3_lw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />An other copy is available on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAD7rtDA75w">YouTube</a><br /><br />You may also visit the Picasa Gallery :<br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/ragini.grela/TimeSeries">http://picasaweb.google.com/ragini.grela/TimeSeries</a><br /><br />and <a href="http://ragini-art.com">http://ragini-art.com</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08692984228669710412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8195728730025016452.post-54870970275161318572008-03-07T17:44:00.007+05:302008-03-07T18:27:22.331+05:30People Power 2006 a new slideshow<span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">The compilation of prints is inspired by the popular uprising in Kathmandu during April 2006. It overturned the one man rule imposed by King Gyanendra and restored the parliament prerogatives<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GOeOSHRnPI"></a><br /></span></span><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw7a8H2TGTiQ0DXS3byu0NIC0WlkgwgWj7MFcA8tnCmJi1ELMGGsXAJuFdNInXon9VronR8wrV-6GCJ6ygsmg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">An extra copy of the slideshow is available on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GOeOSHRnPI">YouTube</a></span></span><br /><br />You may also have a look at the Picasa Gallery : <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/ragini.grela/PeoplePower2006">http://picasaweb.google.com/ragini.grela/PeoplePower2006</a><br /><br />and visit <a href="http://ragini-art.com/">http://ragini-art.com</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08692984228669710412noreply@blogger.com0