January 12, 2024

The Leonard Pearlstein Gallery of Drexel University’s Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design will present “NEPAL: Contemporary Paintings and Early Photographs in the collection of Dr. David Nalin” on Thursday, Jan. 18 with an opening reception from 5:30-7:30 p.m. The exhibition will bring together more than 40 contemporary paintings and over 40 historical photos from the Nalin collection.

Forty-one paintings by 13 contemporary Nepali artists will be on display alongside 42 early photographs from late 19th- and early 20th-century Nepal. This is the first exhibition of contemporary Nepali artists in the United States.

The exhibition will run from Thursday, Jan. 18 through Tuesday, March 19. Operating hours are Tuesday through Friday from 12 p.m. - 6 p.m. and Saturday 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. in the URBN Annex (3401 Filbert St.).

The inaugural showcase in the U.S. of Nalin’s collection is exclusively devoted to the current art scene from the “Roof of the World.” Featured Nepali artists Sabin Acharya, Sabita Dangol, Ajaya Deshar, Krishna Lama, Roshan Pradhan, Rajan Pant, Ishan Pariyar, Jasmine Rajbhandari, Uddab Raj Rimal, Shiva Kumar Sharma, Prithvi Shrestha and Erina Tamrakar, together are gaining considerable international acclaim for their style.

A distinctive feature of their practice is the seamless integration of traditional elements with modern aesthetics. They often draw inspiration from the cultural heritage, folklore and religious iconography of Nepal and broader South Asia, while employing contemporary techniques and conceptual frameworks. Themes of individual and cultural identity, gender equality, conflicts and crises, and the interplay between tradition and modernity resonate strongly in the images being displayed.

“The artists grapple with questions of belonging, the impact of globalization, and the preservation of cultural heritage in the face of rapid change,” said Pia Brancaccio, PhD, an art history professor in the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design. “They articulate narratives that bridge the traditional and the modern, the local and the global.”

交流

A day-long symposium dedicated to the exhibition themes will take place in the gallery on Saturday, Feb. 24 in morning and afternoon sessions. Speakers will include Ajay Sinha, PhD, professor of Art History at Mount Holyoke College, Kerry Brown, PhD, professor of Art History at Savannah College of Arts and Design and Gautam Vajracharya, PhD, scholar of Nepali art. A roundtable with the artists will conclude the day. The symposium is open to the public with reservations.