Nepal has many sacred pilgrimage sites atop secluded, hard to reach hilltops. Binod Pradhan in his exhibition ‘Sacred Realms’ takes the liberty of building his own temples and stupas amid visibly inaccessible mountains and landscapes.

Pradhan, primarily a landscape painter, has been working on the recurring themes of culture, heritage and nature. Born and raised in Basantapur, Pradhan, in this most recent exhibit, combines the culture and heritage he grew up in and the nature and landscape he witnessed during his recent trek to Annapurna Circuit.

For the past 15 years, Pradhan has been working on his skills of blending watercolour and acrylic. In the exhibition, the artist uses this specialised skill-set in landscape painting while taking an imaginative freedom to look into the future and anticipate events. The artist also raises issues of global warming, and its effects on the nature around these holy places.

One such painting is ‘Fewa Lake Existing.’ “Tal Barahi temple of Fewa lake is one popular site among travellers, both domestic and foreigners, but the lake has been shrinking each year. Fifty years down the lane, I doubt if it will even exist. This sad anticipation led me to create this painting,” adds Pradhan.

The majority of the paintings in Pradhan’s latest collection were made in 2020, at a time when the country was on a nationwide lockdown. The paintings worked as spiritual healing for the artist and that must be why even though it raises issues of global warming and drought with red and grey hues, the artworks are all pleasant to look at.

The timely collection urges viewers to contemplate nature and pilgrimage sites.

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What: Sacred Realms by Binod Pradhan

Where: Siddhartha Art Gallery, Babar Mahal

When: November 4 to November 25

Time: 11:00am- 5:00pm (Sunday to Friday)

12:00pm- 5:00pm (Saturday)