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The Weeping Banyan is an exhibition of 10 artworks by American Visual Artist Maureen Drdak, a Fulbright scholar pursuing her fellow­ship in Nepal. Seven of her artworks employ lapis lazuli (a gem) and palladium and blend them with graphite draw­ings. The other three employ a more complicated combi­nation of copper repousse metal integrated with paint­ing, ‘a material synthesis’ pioneered through her study with Master Rabindra Shakya of Patan.

At first, one could be bewil­dered trying to decipher the meaning behind the art­works. But on introspection, what appears to be a random stroke of brushes gradually make sense.

The exhibition is a “visual meditation on environmental degradation” inspired by a banyan tree Maureen saw in the nearby Kalikasthan. Con­strained from growing into its natural form, the tree’s roots became hanging appendage of tree mass. Maureen drew a parallel with Kathmandu’s development and its spite for nature. The result: the Weep­ing Banyan.

The exhibit at the Contem­porary Art Gallery, Taragaon Museum, runs through Feb 24.

1. Icy roads and deep snow made the two-day walk to Humde tough, but it added to the alpine spirit of the adventure.

2. Even when the participants got snowed out on their last day of climbing, organizers found other ways to keep the stoke high with other activities. Bishnu Tamang hangs from ice tools in a pull-up contest.

3. Saman Shrestha demonstrates a good stance as he cruises up his second ice climb.

4. Pasang Rinzee Sherpa checks out a route that Prem Gurung and his team, Anup Gurung and Vinayak Jaya Malla, established four years ago.

5. Rewat Tuladhar takes a swing at fresh ice.

6. IFMGA guide Prem Gurung coaches new ice climbers while advanced climbers explored the other lines Gurung and his team established nearby. Nima Samdup Gurung (left) learns to swing an ice tool.

Irish singer-songwriter, musician and record pro­ducer Damien Rice is all set to perform in Nepal, in what will surely be a luscious treat for his Nepali fans. Rice is an internationally recognized musician who began his musical career as a member of the 90s rock group Juniper. He began his solo career in 2002 with the release of his debut album ‘O’, which reached number 8 on the UK charts and won him many awards globally. With hits like “Cannon­ball,” “The Blower’s Daugh­ter,” and “Cheers Darlin’”, Rice’s blend of folk and indie-rock music is recog­nized worldwide and the news of his concert in Kath­mandu has created quite a buzz on the social media.

Search for “Nepali stand-up comedy” on Youtube and you will be flooded with suggestions of various chan­nels and comedians. One of them will invariably be Apoorwa Kshitiz Singh. Apoorwa’s mini superstar­dom in the stand-up comedy scene is rising, thanks to the ever increasing hits on the Youtube of his satirical take on KP Oli government’s porn ban and of his self-mimicry of ‘Being a Madhesi’.

“What we are doing is urban stand-up comedy, which is performed in limited space, for limited audience, and with the use of slang words and adult content,” explains Apoorwa Kshitiz Singh, 25. “This makes it different to the traditional stand-up com­edy performed by the likes of Madan Krishna Shrestha, Hari Bansha Acharya, Jitu Nepal and Daman Rupakheti.” Urban youths do not feel offended by slang and strong language, he says.

Apoorwa was initially inspired by the growing pop­ularity of stand-up comedy in Delhi during his student years. He realized he too could use stand-up to increase aware­ness on social issues back home, while he also enter­tained young audiences. Apoorwa has been in this “creative indulgence” since June 2018.

With the help of his stand-up comedian friend Dipesh Dahal, Apoorwa managed to land a comedy gig with Com­edy Circle, and soon became popular for his unabashed wit. He has also performed stage shows for audiences in Pokhara and Bhairahawa.

“I am happy with the way Nepali stand-up comedy is gaining momentum and youth support. Compared to past years, comedy is getting better with more creative approach, youth-centric agenda and more innovative use of words,” says Apoorwa.

Born in a village near Gaur, Rautahat, the stand-up comic spent most of his childhood in Sarlahi district. He was always inclined to entertain his friends, teachers and rela­tives by sharing jokes.

The majority of his audiences fall under the age-group 16- 30, and come from various walks of life

For Apoorwa stand-up com­edy offers a sense of relaxation and helps him escape the daily absurdities of life. The major­ity of his audiences fall under the age-group 16-30, and come from various walks of life. “If we can mix satire and social message, it is sure to be effec­tive,” says Apoorwa.

In his experience, modern stand-up comedy is getting its due recognition, but “our comedians are still wary of talking about politics, com­munities, religions, celebrities and feminism”. Yet he is also delighted to see more women participate in the stand-up comedy scene in Nepal.

“The comedy scene has changed drastically. The advent of social media and seamless video streaming on platforms like Youtube is a boon for the current genera­tion of stand-up comedians,” says Apoorwa.

Asked if stand-up comedi­ans in Nepal face censorship, Apoorwa replies: “There has been a paradigm shift in comedy with regards to audi­ences, contents, platforms and issues. Today, there is no censorship. Few years ago, comedians used to be arrested for their satire of the state and those in authority.”

Apoorwa hopes Nepali stand-up comedy will fur­ther improve with bigger audiences, more interactions between the comics and their audiences, and more income for the performers.