incmiart: Sarita Dongol : Nepali artist

Sarita Dongo

My career in art began in the year 1989. I was very

much influenced by landscapes, therefore, I painted

landscapes through various mediums and displayed

them in a couple of exhibitions. Later, I focused on

nature, to be specific towards trees. I started portraying various kinds of trees in my canvas. Now the subject for my painting is Immobile Objects, which indeed really fascinates me. The Objects include chilly plants and essentials of nature that have become a part of our life. The feeling towards these objects has directly or indirectly motivated and influenced my creative enthusiasm and it currently has become my perfect subject matter for painting. If arranged in certain ways, I find them quite artistic and interesting. Furthermore, I find a deep relationship between humans and the subject that I am dealing with. And my paintings are the conjunction between human emotions and my creative sentiments towards immobile objects. When I come to think of life in general that persists in nature, I find a deep connection of time, continuity and sharing of space between human beings and other life forms such as chilies and plants. Humans go through varied sensations and experiences in life, such as happiness, pleasure, pain, fear, satisfaction, etc. Likewise I feel plants also go through similar experiences but in different ways. But they are not able to express as we do. Plants also go through the inevitable natural processes. In this series of artwork I have made an effort to link the hidden but significant interrelation between various immobile and mobile life forms. have expressed this relationship through my personal language by assorted colors, forms, texture, characters, composing all of them in my canvas.

Prakriti Ka awaj harouu by Sarita Dongol solo collection painting Exhibition at classic gallery do visit exhibition till 15 April 2019

Sarita Dongol is a visual artist with a Master degree in Fine Arts from Tribhuwan University, Nepal. Her paintings have focused on nature, destruction of nature and its inter-relationship with humans and society. Sarita is the founder of Community Children Art School (2007)and also a Lecturer at Himalayan College of Architecture. In addition to her 12-solo exhibitions in Nepal, Japan, France and Australia, her works have also been exhibited in many national and international galleries since 1992. She received South Asian Artist Residency in Fukoka, Japan in 2002 (Three Months) , Gwanju Museum, South Korea, International Artist Residency in 2006 (Three Months)and international residency program Floating peers in Bangaldesh 2014. She was awarded the Special Prize in National Art Exhibition in 2009 and was also awarded a Gold Medal from Arniko Yuwa Sewa Koshin 2011. She received 1st prize in Human Happiness Art Competition 2000, 1st Prize in Art Competition organized by Camlin Art Foundation, India and was awarded women talent Hem Ganga Award 2013,Toyota City assembly Chairman Award ,org Global Arts Movement, Japan respectively. She is an advisor Arniko Sagit Pathsala, Lokanthali and a member of the Artist Society of Nepal and Women Artist Group of Nepal.

Sarita dongol

www.saritadongol.com

canvasnepal@gmail.com

Professional Education:

1992-1994 : IFA Lalit Kala Campus, Tribuvan University, Nepal, (History of Art, Painting)

1996-1998 : BFA Lalit kala campus, Tribuvan University, Nepal, (History of art, Painting)

2002 (three months) Kyushu Sangyo University Faculty of Art, Fukuoka, Japan, (Special Painting Course Under Professor IMAIZUMI KENJI)

2013-Master Degree of Fine Arts (History of Art, Painting) Tribuvan University, Nepal

Professional work experiences:

1992-03 Art Instructor at Mitri Shishu Bording School, Swayambu

1998-03 Art & Craft Coordinator/Instructor of ECCA project at (Dharan, Sankhuwasaba, Brdiya, Tulsipur, Dang, Gotikhel, Nepalgange, (with street children /disable children)

2007 : Private Art School Establish CCAS, Chakupat, Patan

2010 : till now- Lecturer Himalayan College of Engineering (ARCH), Baneswar, KTM

2010 : till now Art & Craft Instructor at “ SUNAGAVA” Women Mentally Disable centre, Durbar Marg

2011 : 2013 Art & Craft Instructor at Disable Service Association Center, Bungamati Village Org. CHETANA

2011 : Art Education Teacher Training in Kanya College, Pokhara, Japan-Nepal

Present Position :

Lecture : Himalayan College of Engineering, Chyshal, Lalitpur

Founder : Community Children Art School, Chakupat, Lalitpur

2010-2018 : Gallery Curator in Newa Chen Gallery, Kwalkhu Lalitpur

2014 : Founder-Classic Gallery, Chakupat, Lalitpur

Awards:

1992 : 1st Prize in “Human Happiness” org. by Srijana Contemporary Art Gallery Nepal

2001 : 1st Prize “The Second Eastern Region” Painting Competitions and Exhibition, India

(Org. by Camlin Art foundation, Kolkota)

2004 : Special Prize of 35th National Wide Painting Competition, org. Nepal Association of Fine Arts Nepal

2011 : Arniko Youwa Puraskar Samman & Gold Medal , Nepal

2013 : Hem Ghanga Young Talent Women Artist Award, KTM, Nepal

2014 : JANAMAT Mahendra Lala Samman Award at Banepa, Nepal

2018 : “Toyota City Assembly Chairman Award’’ org. Global Arts Movement, Nagoya, Japan

International Artist Workshop & Residency:

2002 : Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, Fukuoka City, Japan (Three months)

2006 : Uijea Art Museum, Gwanju City, S.Korea (Three months )

2010 : International Painting, Music, Dance Seminar “SAMBHAV” at Delhi, India

2013 : Floating Peers International Social Practice Workshop , Porapara Space For Artist, Chittagong, Bangladesh

2018 : Thailand – Nepal Art Exchange Workshop and Exhibition Program, Krabi, Thailand org. Andaman Museum

2018 : The 7th China-South Asian Art Exchange Exhibition, Kunming, China

Solo Exhibitions :

2000 : ‘‘Defining Trees” org. Siddhartha Art Gallery, KTM. Nepal

2001 : Painting Collection Exhibition Org. R.A.P.S Association and MAIRIE de comps, France

2001 : Contemporary Painting Exhibition at Mahendra Art Gallery, Pokhara

2002 : “Trees and Trials” at NAFA Art Gallery, Naxal, Nepal

2002 : “My View on Trees” at Sapporo Station, Hokkaido Japan

2003 : “Creation and Creations” at NAFA art Gallery, Naxal, KTM Nepal

2004 : “Revelation of Invisibility” an Installation and Paintings Exhibition at Gallery Nine

2004 : “ Scream of nature” at Lumbini Art Gallery, NAFA Nepal

2005 : Recollection from 1998-2005 Paintings Exhibition at Buddha art Gallery, KTM Nepal

2005 : The Sinuous Shapes of Trees at NANNANSEI NO KAZE Gallery, Dazifu City Japan

2006 : “Tree and Voyeurism’’ at Art Shop, Durbar Marg, Kathmandu

2012 : ‘‘Voice Of Nature’’ The Dipot Gallery II Sydney, Australia

2019 : “Prakriti Ka Awajharu” Collection since 1999 Exhibition, on the occasion of women’s Day

Performance Arts :

2002 : Performance at Patan Durbar Square org by Sutra

2013 : Performance at NAFA –org BINDU ARTIST SPACE-Environment and plastic

2014 : Performance at Classic Gallery jointly with Artist Saurganga

2015 : Performance at Haytta Hotel, org BINDU ARTIST SPACE--Helpless Death Pupils

2017 : performance at Hayatta Hotel . org Bindu Artist space – Red Colour and Ritual

Selected Group Exhibition & workshop Participation :

From 1999 to till 2019 around 60 Painting Exhibition and Participation Different Workshops in Nepal,

France, India, Dhaka, USA, Japan, South Korea, China and Australia.

Visited :

Australia, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Thailand, Japan, Germany, South Korea, Holland,

India, Bangaladesh, China and Australia.

Country of Art collection :

Norway, Fukuoka Art Museum Japan, Canada, Australia, Korea, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, India, U.K, U.S.A

& National museum in Nepal (NAFA), Uijiea Art Museum, Gwangu city, S. Korea, JK Art Museum, Pokhara & lot of privet

collection in Nepal.

Acknowledgement

Manjul, Annamaria Forgione, Madan Chitrakar, Ramkumari & Ganesh Maharjan, Suresh Man Dongol,

Sudikshya dongol, Amar & Anju Maharjan, Ramita & Sudip Shrestha, Astha Gurung, Dibya Bajracharya and Ashma.

Sarita Dangol - a well familiar name in Nepali Art today - arguably doesn’t need a long and elaborate introduction. This is because as a visual artist, SaritSa’s unrelenting spirit to move on continually, since her debut in 1999, is well known. Since then, there’s been no looking back for her. The list of her creative public exposures is long, uninterrupted and continual. For sure, since the debut, she apparently has made sure that her presence is felt constantly – through her Solo shows as well as her participation in

numerous collective exhibitions, almost every year.

To Sarita, Solo show has obviously become an annual feature in her creative calendar. But what is more amazing is her daring exploration of new creative forms while remaining faithful to her first love - Mother Nature in her various expressions. While learning from nature on her canvas, she simultaneously began to explore a new creative world. This only reflected her steadfast zeal to create

an individual style since her very early years. No

surprise that series of creative forms – dating from her early years and subsequently are all essentially based on nature. After getting higher degrees later, she not only discovered her ability to evolve wider but also to retain individual creative idioms better, and she matured. But she never seemed to abandon her first love – the beauty of nature – embodied in the form of a tree. Moreover, later on, other childhood memories also seemed to follow her constantly in her creativity. Her recent series based on the diverse forms found in the ‘Chillies’ – green and red alike - testify to the long memories she carried all through. In addition to the physical shapes and colors found in a Chilly, she’s also been fascinated with the local superstitions associated with it – like driving away the evil spirits by hanging chilly garlands on the main door ; and all these amazing tit-bits found colorful expression in her paintings later. Besides, we often find that she is yearning for greater and wider freedom or that she decries its absence through her visual expressions. Over the years and until today – after a series of creative exercises in interesting diverse forms, Sarita has indeed made long and quick strides. Her expressions have indeed gained new heights – revealing better and powerful expressions - with the latest thoughts, forms and media. Sarita – an Artist, a Teacher and a Promoter But today, to describe Sarita only as a practicing artist would be rather unfair. For nowadays,

she incarnates a dynamic person – an artist and much more than that. For quite some time, she has proven that she is well aware of the need not to act just as a self-centred artist. Apparently, she has never been content with being ‘only a self-centred’ artist. A keen observer would note that Sarita has always been aspiring to sensitize the new generation to Art ; this has always been important for her. The launching of ‘Community Children’s Art School’ as a platform for Children’s learning Art is a glaring example of her aspiration. She might be very proud that some of her students have managed to establish themselves as professionals today in the Nepali Art world. Yet, there is one more area where Sarita’s initiatives have proved beneficial to the next and coming generation of young artists : it is the creation of a suitable and accessible public platform for Art. For quite some time, her Gallery has proved to be greatly helpful for promoting younger artists and exposing their works. Now that she has shifted her Gallery to a more spacious space, we hope that her concern to promote art and young artists will be even more fruitful in the future. Looking at her continual strides over time, one is impressed by a very encouraging narrative. She definitely deserves our hearty congratulations for her high spirits and her endeavours. And fortunately, her sincere and hard work has been well recognized not only in the country, but also abroad. As a recent example, she was one of the few selected Nepali artists who earned a name for the country by winning a prestigious award in a recent Art Exhibition held in Nagoya, Japan. It shows that hard work indeed pays.

In conclusion, it is fair to say that Sarita is indeed a very proud and promising person in Nepal Art today. Actually, she can also be described as one of the few lucky young Nepali artists who were able to achieve success and get recognition within a very short span of time. It is all due to her sincere efforts to take continual long strides in her Art journey. For sure, one can hope that she will be able to provide an ideal model for the new generation to come in the future. With all the best wishes.

Madan Chitrakar

Artist|art Writer