At Siddhartha Art Gallery, “Chitra Katha: Contemporary Works from Bhaktapur” (April 11–May 11) gathers 28 artists whose creations breathe new life into Bhaktapur’s rich artistic and cultural traditions. Visitors are greeted by Manoj Dhoju’s striking Bhairav—its graphite-drawn mudras invoking knowledge and grounding—setting the tone for a show steeped in spiritual symbolism, everyday ritual, and evolving urban identity.
From Balkrishna Banmala’s dynamic acrylic depictions of Hindu deities to Mukesh Shrestha’s pastel goddesses reimagining divine femininity, sacred themes resound. Meanwhile, works like Laxman Kamacharya’s Skull Factory and Kabir Kayastha’s Nyatapola guardians provoke thought on impermanence and strength.
Artistic expressions of memory and transformation feature in Narayan Bohaju’s nostalgic Echoes of Childhood and Meena Kayastha’s Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas, created from salvaged machine parts. Everyday objects find poetic form in Preeti Duwal’s ceramics, while Ramesh Pradhan’s minimalist Freedom quietly interrogates constraint and release.
Music, movement, and festivity animate works by Suraj Shilpakar and Jugal Rajbhandari, while Sudeep Balla fuses jazz and Nepali tradition into joyful resonance. Urban transitions take center stage in Srijan Ulak’s cement works and Hitesh Vaidya’s scenic pen-on-block compositions.
Materials become metaphors: from Minod Bhaila’s satirical “Ganesh coins” to Magal Prajapati’s clay watercolors and Dhiraj Manandhar’s sculptural lamps, each work bridges tradition and innovation. Pop influences meet heritage in Sharada Vaidya’s Gai Jatra and Bikash Tamakhu’s mythical paper-mâché beasts.
Through vibrant landscapes by Rajendra Yakami and spontaneous plein-air sketches by Punya Ram Matang, Bhaktapur’s living essence is lovingly preserved. “Chitra Katha” is more than an exhibition—it is a narrative of continuity and change, of a city’s spirit reimagined for today.
