In tribute to veteran Paubha artist Gyankar Bajracharya, who passed away on February 24, at the age of 62, the Nepal Art Council and Khwopa Paubha Chwami Pucha jointly organised a commemoration ceremony on Sunday.

Artist Bajracharya, who was born in 1955, had been active in the field of Nepali Paubha art for more than five decades.

The commemoration ceremony saw presence of artists, art enthusiasts and scholars in the likes of Mukti Singh Thapa, Shankar Nath Rimal, Shanta Kumar Rai, Kiran Manandhar and Purna Heuju. Speaking at the event, secretary of Khwopa Paubha Chwami Pucha, Purna Heuju, said, in losing Bajracharya, Nepali Paubha arts has lost an authentic guardian. “Bajracharya’s craft which fused religious motifs with our sacred heritages will be missed,” Heuju said.

The event also saw a screening of a 20-minute film that documents Bajracharya’s life and works.

Bajracharya’s foray into Nepali Paubha art scene began early on, when he was still a child in his hometown. Bajracharya started off by painting portraits of political figures such as Mahendra Shah, Karl Marx, Nehru and Lenin. Bajracharya’s latest work was slated to be exhibited in 2015 but was halted due to the earthquakes.

Bajracharya is survived by his wife and a son.