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Sanothimi, Bhaktapur is dotted with many governmental offices, mainly related to education and training. A particularly colorful three-storey building in the area belongs to the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT), which falls under the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology. Oddly though, the colorful office seems impervious to outsiders.

The motto of this office is: ‘Skilling Nepal for People’s Prosperity’. The education minister is the chairperson of CTEVT while the vice-chair is appointed by the Cabinet. In other words, it’s pretty much filled with political appointees. According to the government of Nepal, “CTEVT is a national autonomous apex body for technical and vocational education and training committed to the production of technical and skillful human resources required for the nation.” This is exactly why we wanted to contact them.

We could not. There was no one to pick up the three different phone numbers listed on CTEVT website, during office hours, but all lines were busy, all the time. This is just an example of the kind of dysfunction and unresponsiveness that characterise our academic and vocational education establishments.

The number of ‘educated unemployed’ in Nepal is increasing by the day. Graduates are struggling to land good jobs while organizations, both public and private, fail to fill vacancies. Our academia appears incapable of producing qualified human resources.

Are our businesses and industries not investing enough in human resource development? Or is it the state’s failure to come up with the right policies, programs, and incentives? But there is no good answer on offer. The education ministry is largely out of reach. Just like at the CTEVT, all your attempts to contact ministry officials will be futile.  

Also read: The Triangle Conference: Let’s discuss the future of Nepal 

Yes, the government is unresponsive, says Shekhar Golchha, president of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), but the private sector is doing its bit to improve things. For instance, the FNCCI is undertaking a research titled ‘Ilam’, which is now in its final phase. “We were researching the type of human resources the industry needs and the kind the academia is capable of providing,” he says after agreeing that there is indeed a lot of job-skill mismatch.

Lok Raj Baral, a political scientist, blames the political parties and politicians for the mess. “Both the universities and the private sector are badly politicized,” he says.

For Golchha, the solution to this crisis is not far-fetched. Only if the education ministry, CTEVT, and other concerned bodies took their research seriously, the private sector would get qualified and sufficient manpower, he says. And for Baral, politics is primary, so it should be purified in the first place.

With all these problems in the country, the youth either end up in no-prospect jobs or head abroad.

Even as the country faces all these problems, stakeholders are mum. In the absence of meaningful dialogue between them, the government, the academia and the private enterprises are each pursuing their own goals. But only when all these sectors align can the country develop, while even a little non-alignment can disrupt the entire system.

‘The Triangle Conference: Let’s discuss the future of Nepal’ (November 25-27) is a platform initiated by The Annapurna Express to get these stakeholders talking and hasing out their differences so that they can work in mutually beneficial ways.

During the seven sessions spread over three days, politicians, bureaucrats, academics, private sector representatives, student leaders and other representatives from the three sectors will discuss the gaps in their communication, their future vision for Nepal, entrepreneurship, leadership, and policy issues. 

“We lack the blueprint of planning”

Shyam Shrestha, former member of the High-Level National Education Commission

We lack proper nationwide planning on the quality and quantity of human resources we need in each sector. This is largely due to the inaction of the National Planning Commission (NPC) whose job it is to coordinate with all sectors and plan for them. 

When I was at the education commission, I found that our national needs and the manpower we produce are poles apart. We informed the government about this, but nobody cared. We lack a blueprint for proper planning.

We produce educated manpower of international standard, but due to mismanagement they end up going abroad. This is a substantial loss for us, both economically and psychologically.

We think we are more developed than Bhutan, but Bhutan is miles ahead in terms of planning for the human resources it needs. 

Birth: 5 April 1958, Kaski
Death: 14 November 2021, Kathmandu

In the darkness of the stage at Sarbanam Theater, as the spotlight was turned on, the audience could see just two things. One was a calendar with ‘2014’ written on it and another, in front of it, poet Vijay Bajimaya sitting in his wheelchair. As light gleamed on his wrinkled forehead, Bajimaya recited his poems and, in between, narrated the struggles of his public as well as personal lives.

Until the age of five, Bajimaya was physically fit. But, he was then trampled on by a horse and his legs suffered injuries. He still used to play and run but slowly—with more minor accidents—he couldn’t move his legs and had to resort to a wheelchair. But this didn’t stop his literary progression, nor did it stop him from making the most of his political, social, and business life.

His friendship and close relations with poets and writers inspired him to write. Celebrated litterateurs Sarubhakta, Jagadish Ghimire, Indra Mali, Tirtha Shrestha were his friends and relatives who helped Bajimaya throughout his literary journey.

Also read: Bhairav Prasad Lamsal obituary: The anti-corruption crusader 

Inspired by his friends, Bajimaya started his professional writing career with the poem ‘Prajatantra’ in 1973. He then published ‘Samaya Bhaneko Samaya Ho’ (poem collection), ‘Antatwogatwo’ (story collection). He also worked as a journalist. At the age of 15 in 1972, he became the editor of ‘Fewataal’, a local newspaper. Later, he also wrote and reported for other newspapers. Bajimaya also established a public library at home. 

Before the 80s, poem recitation events were open to all and there were no entry fees. But Bajimaya started implementing a ticketing system for such programs so that writers and poets also got their fair share of earnings.

After 1985, he came to Kathmandu and started a hotel.

For his evergreen contributions to Nepali literature, Bajimaya got multiple awards such as ‘Byathit Kaabya Puraskar’, ‘Yuwa Barsha Moti Puraskar’, ‘Maanshree Puraskar’, ‘Rashtriya Pratibha Puraskar’, and ‘Gazalshree’.

Bajimaya, who remained a bachelor for life, died on 14 November 2021, at the age of 63, at his residence in Kathmandu. His funeral was held in his hometown of Pokhara. 

American TV personality Jim Cramer once said, “Every once in a while, the market does something so stupid it takes your breath away.”

This statement resonates even among the followers of the Nepali stock market. But for most passionate investors, the uncertainties only whet their interest.

It is not easy to invest in the volatile Nepali share market and consistently earn profits. Everyone knows that you need to buy shares when the prices are low and sell them when they are high. But only those who can take quick action by sensing the market-pulse, say market veterans, can sell near the highest point and buy near the lowest point to maximize profits.

The recent bull run offers investors a hard lesson. When Nepal went into lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, NEPSE dropped from 1,670 to 1,150 points, triggering panic selling among new investors. But those who sold their stocks cheaply were soon ruing as the market climbed to an all-time-high 3,200 points only months later.

Also read: Of the beginning of NEPSE and its bears & bulls 

But then, soon again, the index plunged to a low of 2,500—and some experts even declared the start of a downtrend.

Those who bought shares when the index hit the all-time high mark were stranded, with the price of their stocks declining rapidly for over a month. In stock market parlance, they wore the ‘topi’ (a stock bought at a high price that is difficult to hold as the market tumbles). But some sold most of their stocks when the market recorded an all-time high anticipating a downfall, and returned to buying shares only when the index plunged by some 500 points.

This shows that those who know the tricks of the trade and can control their emotions can make money in the market, but it’s not easy.

ApEx talked to experts and an online NEPSE counselors’ team for some tips. Hopefully they will help you navigate the choppy waters of today’s stock market.

Also read: Digitization: Need for constant improvement 

Investing Nepal, Online advisors

We have been addicted to getting fast results and believe that the share market is an easy place to make money, which is not true. No investor in the world, no matter how talented, has a strategy or a stock portfolio that will give them constant and sustained growth for 10-20 years with no downfall in between.

This is itself a trick of the trade as tricks, by their nature, are only ideas based on what has worked in the past.

Most of us own certain stocks in companies or have filled out an IPO issue form because our friends, relatives, or someone we know told us we could make quick money. Or, we are just following the trend. Whatever the reason, we depended on others. This is a wrong investment practice.

So, the first step would be to develop genuine passion for investing and learning new things.

Beginners in the stock market follow the trend and think with their hearts rather than their heads. Experienced investors always take measured and rational steps, keeping their emotions in check. So, as a beginner, it is important to shut out the noise and think rationally.

Staying updated with factual data and analyzing that data are among the most important traits of a good investor. Constantly staying updated with the current happenings in the share market and performance of companies is the key. These tricks can be used anytime, irrespective of the market situation.

Also read: The vicissitudes of Nepali stock market 

Mukti Aryal, financial expert

We are still in a bull run and I think it will last for at least another year. Yet ups and downs in the market are normal. The market is gaining balance because of the high volume of investors and the growing number of institutional traders.

When there are frequent corrections, the market can sustain longer bulls. The share market is like a rubber band; the farther you stretch, the greater will be the subsequent contraction.  

The market is underpinned by strong fundamentals, so if the listed companies grow and can give decent dividends to their stakeholders, NEPSE will grow accordingly.

I suggest you study the companies you want to invest in and not panic. You would do well to keep your expectations low right now. The biggest mistake an average investor makes is harboring false hopes about potential returns. Being specific (what you want and how to achieve it) is important in setting a goal. Having a specific goal in turn makes it easier to achieve.

Also read: Women in stock market: The more the merrier 

Ambika Prasad Poudel, Expert and investor

In the market cycle, every time we head towards a bearish trend from a bullish one, we lose around 70-80 percent of investors who had entered the market during a bull run. Similarly, when we move towards a bull from a bear, we add new investors in almost the same ratio.

This is the nature of the market and this is also a reason there are only a few long-surviving traders and investors. When the market is on a bull run, investors become optimistic, assuming the market will forever grow. This mindset has not changed in all these years and it is the reason for most traders’ failure. If you realize and analyze this thing, this can be the most useful investment trick.

The market is relatively low these days. Ultimately, in the capital market, there are more losers than winners. So, it is wise to adapt quickly to the changes in the market—either by selling or buying. That is the only way to survive.

Dr. Keshav Shrestha, Financial manager

You have to learn a few things before investing, but even if you have entered the market without much understanding, work on it now—it’s never too late. Stop taking loans at high rates just to invest in shares. This is one important tip I would give in today’s market scenario. 

These days, CPN (Maoist Center) is doing everything it can to bounce back in Nepali politics—either by training party cadres or by conducting massive membership distribution drives. Are they doing the right things to get back on the political stage? Also, why would the people join the Maoists rather than the Nepali Congress or the CPN-UML? There have also been discussions on finding a successor to even Prachanda, who often expresses his desire to unite all left-wing groups. Pratik Ghimire of ApEx talked to political analyst and Tribhuvan University lecturer Bishnu Dahal on the issue.

Is the revival of Maoists possible?

Politics is a game of possibilities, so we can’t close the door to any event in the future. But it is not a straightforward path for them to reach that destination.

What steps should the Maoists take to ensure their revival?

The progolonged disputes between China and India affect all surrounding nations—which make the Asian geopolitics always volatile. So, firstly, Maoist should clarify their stand in Asian and world politics. Their economic plans, foreign policy, stand on climate and environmental issues, and agenda for the betterment of the livelihood of Nepalis are the things that will matter in the coming days.

If they succeed in convincing the public that they are indeed in favor of progress and that their armed revolution led to the restructuring of the state, they might stand a chance to bounce back.

Are the Maoists different from the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML? How?

If we look at the historical background of the Nepali Congress, it claims to have gradually accustomed the people about democratic practices and developed the nation through an open economic policy.

Similarly, the CPN-UML advocated for a mixed economy with people’s participation in social development. But, the Maoists said the structure of the state was what was keeping us behind in development.

So, the Maoists’ view differed from that of other parties. But as of now, I find that all political parties are the same, it’s just that they have a different name and a logo.

Also read: JSPN fissures will benefit Nepali Congress 

The Maoists succeeded in implementing their agenda, but they focused on changing the ruler. They didn’t deal with the lifestyle of the masses—whose condition never changed, even when the state was restructured.

Nepali political parties could not establish a culture of competition. Rather, they opted to share power and resources through consensus.

Who do you think will lead Maoists after Prachanda?

We changed the structure of the country but not economic policy. A party only needs a new leader if it changes its policy. But Maoists have not done that.

So, whoever comes in Prachanda’s place, little will change. Yet, I find a quote from Baburam Bhattarai relatable in this scenario, “We have achieved the agenda set by the Maoist revolution, so there is no option but to dissolve this party and come up with newer progressive agendas.”

There is no place for a new leadership without new agendas. But, if you ask me about Prachanda’s successor, I see Janardan Sharma and a couple of others.

Do Maoists have the strength to unite all the left-wing groups in Nepal?

Prachanda has the potential to either unite or break other communists’ groups, but what matters here is, can he prove the necessity of such unification? I don’t think so. 

A young man in big wire-rimmed glasses pops up on your social media timeline. His voice is soothing and his storytelling captivating. Soon you find yourself browsing his profile, wanting to listen to more of his stories. Eventually, you become his regular listener as his voice puts you to bed after a hectic day. 

This is the story of many Nepalis who spend hours listening to Santosh Pokharel, widely knows as Saigrace on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, or any other social media platform. From his childhood, he was a devotee of a Sai Baba so his family gave the name Saigrace—grace of Sai Baba.

Saigrace writes and recites stories on the universal themes of love and struggle that his audiences can easily relate to as if they were their own. There is also enormous solace in his voice.

His storytelling journey started when he was small and his father used to tell him folklores after the family dinner. Entertainment sources were limited back in those days. Inspired by his father, Saigrace also started telling stories, but only to his friends and classmates. 

Almost everyone who listened to his stories became his fan. This made him realize the power of storytelling, and that it was not just about the script but also the way a story is narrated. “But, seriously, I never thought storytelling could ever become a job,” he says.

Saigrace was in the 12th grade in 2012 when he recited one of his stories at a conference before a mass of 1,500. “It was then that many people suggested that I start a career in storytelling,” he recalls. 

Soon, he started doing voice-overs for documentaries and movies. With a decent number of projects under his belt, he also appeared on screen during the pandemic-triggered lockdown. Once he started to tell stories on screen, he got much more appreciation and became a sensation in a matter of weeks.

“I was happy with my job even before people saw my face. Yet I think the videos of 2020 lockdown helped establish me,” Saigrace says while sharing the breakthrough moment of his career.

All the stories he recites are his own. He loves to write and recite his own experiences so that they directly connect with the people. “I have already published five audio novels and all of them have done well,” he says with an air of satisfaction.

Saigrace, who lives and works in Barcelona, is now in Nepal on a vacation. But he is busy conducting school programs and telling students that no skill goes to waste. 

“Having a commanding voice is just a plus point. It is our knowledge, learning, research, and practice that help us succeed in what we do,” he says. “You don’t need much to go viral, but to sustain, you must work on technicalities.”

For every video session, Saigrace prepares a story plot and writes it down with the characters, scenarios, buildup, climax, and more. “Your writing skills get better only if you have a habit of reading,” he says—and he does read a fair bit.  

After that, he sets up mic and camera and starts reciting, always focusing on his pronunciation, pauses, and stresses. Lastly, he edits and designs videos before publishing them. 

Also read: Purnima Shrestha: Passion to climb, urge to click 

“I work in the media so it is quite easy for me to edit videos,” Saigrace, who also owns a production house, explains the behind-the-scenes to ApEx.

“We must be aware of the ethics of our job because it directly affects the society and something you say could easily backfire,” he warns those who want to enter this field. “Stories are the society’s mirrors and the social norms and values must be maintained at all times.”

Audience reach is one of the key challenges of storytelling. So, you need consistency and continuity, he tells aspiring storytellers. If you do that, you will gradually get better. 

Soon, other people seeking indirect motivation will follow your job. “I have seen people follow my presentation techniques. Those who were not interested in literature are now interested in it because of my videos,” Saigrace says with a satisfying smile.

“Our country doesn’t have a voice industry,” he says. “Yet it’s a powerful medium and something we must promote.”

Tihar, the festival of lights and flowers, is incomplete without sayapatri (marigold), makhamali (globe amaranth), and godavari (chrysanthemum).

Although Nepalis use a significant amount of flowers throughout the year, the demand is high especially during Tihar. But domestic production has been unable to meet demand, even in off-peak months.

Demand for flowers increases by around 15 to 20 percent every year in Nepal. So, to supply enough flowers in the market, professional florists often import flowers from India. As usual, this time too, they have prepared the logistics to bring flowers from India.

The Floriculture Association of Nepal (FAN), an NGO that studies the flower market, helps farmers and florists. It suggests that around 1.85 million garlands (usually a meter long) will be sold in the market this Tihar. Of them, around 1.5 million will be sayapatri, 0.3 million makhamali, and the remaining are of godavari.

Last year, due to the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown, the domestic production of commercial flowers was significantly low, and so was the demand. But things are different this time. The demand for flowers is estimated to have gone up by 15 percent over the previous two years. It is believed that around 15 percent of total demand will be met by imported flowers.

Nepali production could have met 90 percent of the total demand, but the recent unseasonal incessant rain destroyed matured flowers that were almost ready to be harvested for Tihar. “The Covid-19 pandemic has also heavily affected production,” says Biswomani Pokharel, general secretary of FAN. 

Due to the risk of coronavirus, farmers didn’t invest as much in flowers as in previous years, which has led to a further decline in production. But the demand has increased. “The planting time was from February to August, the time when we experienced the deadly second wave, so the farmers didn’t take the risk,” he adds.

Prices are expected to rise this year as demand is high and more flowers have to be imported from elsewhere than the previous year. The price of one garland is expected to hover around Rs 80 to 100. It was Rs. 60 to 70 last year.

The flower business, which had been losing Rs 10 million daily due to the Covid-19 pandemic for a long time, is now churning out business worth around Rs 7 million a day. Every year, August to March is the busiest season for the market as flowers are in high demand during the wedding season.

Flowers worth Rs. 400 million are sold annually in Nepal. But internal production in off-seasons is still unsatisfactory.

Almost 65 percent of flowers are imported for occasions other than Tihar. “Nepali farmers are focused only on supplying flowers during Tihar, so domestic production is weak during other seasons,” says Sitaram Panta, owner of Fresh Flower Shop in Jawalakhel. “If the production capacity increases, we won’t have to depend on India.” 

The climates of India and Nepal are similar, and Nepali florists could also produce and meet the demand here for all seasons. Uma Shankar Prasad, economist and member of the National Planning Commission, accepts that the government and concerned parties haven’t studied this subject.

“Floriculture is a part of agriculture and it has no visible contribution to the national economy, so none of the government departments have calculated the exact data of demand, production, consumption, and supply of flowers,” he says.

“Nepal, till date, has not considered flowers as cash crops.”

FAN has tentative data on floriculture, but the Nepal government is yet to conduct research on it. “Quality training, irrigation, technology, and futuristic seeds could help our farmers a lot,” says Panta. “We could eventually cut imports to zero if the concerned bodies help farmers on all-season farming.” 

Along with the increase in demand for flowers, commercial floriculture has expanded to 28 districts, including Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Kaski, Chitwan, Gulmi, Palpa, and Morang. Nepal currently produces 450 species of flowers commercially. They are cultivated by 700 farmers in an area of ​​about 157 hectares.

The Securities Board of Nepal (SEBON), the securities market regulator, doesn’t have exact data on women investing in the share market. 

According to Nepal Stock Exchange Limited (NEPSE), there are around 3.4 million users registered in the ‘MeroShare’ website, i.e. they can apply for Initial Public Offering (IPO) of any company online. NEPSE also informs that almost 925,000 users are registered in the Trading Management System (TMS), which allows users to trade, mostly online.

Yet the officials of these bodies ApEx contacted broadly agree that around 25 percent of all investors in the primary market are women while the corresponding ratio is 15 percent in the secondary market. Even though the number is much smaller compared to men, it has been on the rise.

Many women in Nepal are full-time investors who monitor NEPSE index fluctuations on their mobile phones or laptops—all-day-long.

Sushila Dahal, 41, has now been a regular investor in the Nepali share market for a decade and says she is not interested in any other job. Back in 2011, she had around a million rupees but had no idea what to do with it. “At first, I thought of starting some business,” she says. That was before her uncle introduced her to the share market. She has seen many ups and downs in the market in this time but is still standing firm with a portfolio of Rs 6.5 million.

Also read: ApEx Series | Of the beginning of NEPSE and its bears & bulls 

Bindu Singh, 47, shares her experience of entering the share market in 2013: “My neighbor, a senior Nepal Rastra Bank officer, advised me to invest.” A full-time NGO worker, she had some savings back then, which she decided to invest in shares, and she currently has a portfolio of over Rs 10 million. Singh spares some time from her job every day to keep abreast of market fluctuations.

Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020, many young women, with not much else to do, have jumped on the share-market bandwagon. In fact, the lure for youngsters has since been steadily on the rise.

Sarishma Kafle, who is only 19, was one of them. Her whole family has decent investments, which was motivation enough, not just to start investing but also to join a brokerage. During the lockdown lull, Kafle started with investing her mother’s money. She has now already amassed a portfolio of over a million rupees. “Since I started working at a brokerage, I have become an ever better investor, and I am thoroughly enjoying it,” she shares while narrating her year-long experience of the bear-bull roller coaster rides.

There are women who invest a part of the money their husbands remit from abroad, which has been a fruitful venture for many.

Also read: ApEx Series | ​​Digitization: Need for constant improvement 

“I invest a fraction of the money my husband, who is working in Qatar, sends as house expenses,” says Rama Nepal, 36, who entered the market after it started online in late 2018. She had initially kept her share investments a secret from her husband and let him know only when she started making a profit. “We are both happy now and my husband sends extra money for investment whenever I ask for it,” Nepal shares.

Samyukta Bhandari, 29, was pursuing her MBA back in 2016 when she got into share-investing, which was a part of her college assignment. Now, she has amassed a portfolio of almost Rs 7 million. She says the start of online trading has been a boon for women investors. “Some women were investing even before that. But online trading was a ground-breaker, as it removed many of the traditional barriers that prevented women from investing in shares,” she says.

In order to attract more women into the share market, International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, is collaborating with NEPSE. The goal is to raise awareness on gender equality in finance, in a campaign called ‘Ring the bell for gender equality’.

According to an IFC report, of the 132 board members of 20 Nepali companies, only 12 (nine percent) are women. Despite Nepal’s Companies Act 2066 BS requiring at least one female board member, only three out of every 10 public companies have women on their boards.

Also read: ApEx Series | The vicissitudes of Nepali stock market 

Dambar Chemjong, head of the Central Department of Anthropology at Tribhuvan University, is happy that more and more women are getting into the stock market. “The share market helps move capital, and keeps the economy humming,” he says. “The involvement of more women, who make over half of the country’s population, will ensure a more equal distribution of this capital.”

Shreejana Subedi, an executive member of Nepal Investors Forum, appeals to women to be more confident and invest in the share market. For her, women are natural savers; they tend to be risk-average and invest only based on solid market research. “This ultimately provides higher returns even though the share market is considered a high-risk area,” she adds. “Rather than working for others, more and more women should look to gain self-sufficiency this way.”

Swechha Shrestha, a Chartered Accountant at Everest Bank, suggests some caution though. “A lot of my friends, including myself sometimes, like to follow some supposed market maven and invest blindly—which is definitely unwise,” she says. “Share market investing can be a good source of income for women provided they learn to do it wisely.”

These days, every food place provides wireless internet to keep its visitors entertained. Some are also into creative décor. Satendra Kaji Shrestha, founder of Souvenir’s Gallery Café, has added his own twist to lure visitors.

The 58-year-old former tourist guide always wanted to work in tourism as he considers the industry a major source of the country’s income. “Art and cafés are the two strong pillars of tourism,” he says. This is why, he adds, places like Souvenir’s, an exhibition place-cum-café, could be an instant hit among tourists.

“We can make this place the busiest tourist hangout area if everyone works together,” says Shrestha about his Soltee Mode-based eatery and the surrounding area.  

For this purpose, Shrestha has collaborated with five internationally recognized Nepali painters, none of whom expects much profit from the venture. We are here to start a new trend, they say. 

Krishna Manandhar

One of the senior-most artists in Nepal, Manandhar completed his Bachelors in Fine Arts from Sir JJ School of Arts, Bombay in 1970. With more than 35 years of teaching under his belt, Manandhar has five solo and 25 group exhibitions to his credit. 

Abstract works with natural beauty gives him great aesthetic pleasure. “In the melodious motion of life, we sometimes see sudden silences,” says Manandhar.

Sushma Rajbhandari

Rajbhandri, head of the department of painting at Lalitkala Fine Art Academy, has been in the art scene for over three decades. She has a master's degree in creative painting and has successfully organized 16 physical solos and two worldwide virtual solos.

The artist, trainer, educator, and academician, creates compositions with spiritual tones and divine figures. Her paintings of lord Ganesh are widely recognized.

Says Rajbhandari about her works: “The parallel patterned texture provides a distinct dimension, adding delicacy and mysterious directions to my painting”. 

Krishna Prakash Shah 

A visiting lecturer at Kunst Akademie Kalkar, Germany (2016-2018), Shah is an established contemporary abstract Nepali artist. His canvas reflects a variation of close-knit colors and its rhythmic taste.

Shah completed his Master in Fine Arts from Tribhuvan University. An art studio member of Nepal Fine Arts Academy (1997-2015), he took part in the 14th Asian Art Biennale, 2010, in Bangladesh. He has showcased his paintings at three solo exhibitions in Nepal and Europe. No one can escape the instant artistic pleasure of his works.

“Abstraction is the perfect vehicle for innovation,” says Shah. 

Nem Bahadur Tamang

A PhD scholar in visual art, Tamang is also known for his abstract visual arts. Also an assistant professor at Fine Art Campus, TU, he writes poems and passionately follows philosophical works. He has four solos and hundreds of group exhibits to his name.

“I focus on the depth of materialist figures,” says Tamang, who avoids cosmetic veils. He explores the complexity of human psychology to make his painting unique and inclusive. Instead of trying to find joy in the physical world, he likes to dive into the depths of imagination to draw pearls. 

Mukesh Shrestha

A gold medalist artist, Shrestha holds a Master in Fine Arts degree from Banaras Hindu University, India. He enjoys the fusion of traditional and contemporary paintings, which is a result of his socio-political inspiration. His six solos and more than 70 group exhibitions all connect structure and divinity, forcing all viewers into deep thought.

“I like to evoke feelings of love, compassion, and spirituality in my paintings,” says Shrestha whose works attempt to help spectators discover the path of love and spirituality. To add lucidity, he reduces the colors and curves–and avoids superficial decorations.