Artist Chering Gurung’s first solo exhibition, ‘Duthik: Stories from Dolpo’, is currently on display at The Kalä Salon in Thamel. The exhibit showcases 34 artworks rooted in the culture and everyday life of Dolpo, Gurung’s ancestral home.

The show is named after Duthik, a Dolpo word that refers to the scent of smoke. Gurung associates this sensory memory with his homeland. His paintings, both on canvas and the Indigenous Bojh Patra (bark paper), aim to preserve and celebrate Dolpo’s traditions at a time when they are under threat from modernisation, climate change, and outward migration.

“This is my way of returning to and reconnecting with a place I call home,” says Gurung, born in Dolpo but raised in Kathmandu. “I may not speak the language of Dolpo fluently, but I try to speak through my art.”

Gurung’s medium, bark paper, is particularly significant. Traditionally used in Dolpo for roofing, writing, and makeshift plates, Bojh Patra is waterproof and locally sourced.

Gurung is among the first artists to paint on it, using it not only as a canvas but as a living symbol of indigenous culture. His commitment to preserving this practice reflects his broader aim: to ensure Dolpo’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage is not lost to time.

Across his collection, Gurung uses mineral pigments in earthy primary tones to depict everything from portraits to intimate scenes of daily life. The hand-loomed wool textiles of Dolpo play a central visual role in many of his works. They not only serve as motifs but also as physical objects incorporated into the exhibition space. By including actual textiles alongside his paintings, Gurung invites viewers to experience the culture visually and tactilely.

“These paintings are the result of months of labour,” he says. “Through them, I hope to bring the smoky scent of Dolpo to life, to inspire people to visit my home and appreciate its beauty.”

The exhibition is curated by Sophia L Pandé, who is also the founder of The Kalä Salon. “Seeing Gurung’s work is to connect with the artist’s deep and abiding love for Dolpo,” said Pandé. “It is rare to see such a heartfelt body of work.”

Gurung’s journey into art began during his school years in Kathmandu. Encouraged by his teachers, he pursued fine arts academically and professionally, eventually completing his Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA).

Gurung remains concerned about the erosion of his roots. “Modernism is reaching Dolpo faster than we expected,” he says. “If we don’t work to preserve our indigenous knowledge, our children may never know it existed.”

With this exhibit, Gurung not only shares personal memories but also advocates for cultural preservation. Each painting becomes an act of resistance against forgetting and serves as a visual archive of a region often overlooked.

This exhibition marks his fourth exhibition overall, but his first solo showcase.

Duthik: Stories from Dolpo

Where: The Kalä Salon, Chhaya Center Mall, Thamel

When: July 11 to August 1

Time: 11:00 am to 8:00 pm

Entry: Free