August 16, 2000

KATHMANDU: The paintings of artist Lain Singh Bangdel are on exhibit at www dot spinybabbler dot org until August end. Spiny Babbler is holding this exhibition on the Internet to give people worldwide opportunity to study the works of an artist who has had a high profile presence in the Nepalese art and literature scene. According to Para Limbu, chairperson of Spiny Babbler, though not launched officially, the Spiny Babbler internet test site is now operational and covers the lives and works of many other writers and artist’s.

She further said that Bangdel is the first person to hold a solo modern art show featuring abstract images in Nepal (1962). He is respected worldwide for his scholarly research and commands equal stature as Mary Slusser, writer of the Nepal Mandala. In his youth Bangdel worked in India with Satyajit Ray, Chittananda Das Gupta, and Subash Ganguli. He went on to study art at École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux Arts in Paris and met Pablo Picasso and Georges Brague. Hussain, Padam Singh, and Krishna Reddy were among his contemporaries.

As he was working in the United Kingdom, he was asked to come to Nepal by B.P. Koirala, a close friend, and His Majesty King Mahendra. When he came to Nepal, his career went well. He became vice-chancellor, and later chancellor of the Royal Nepal Academy, twice. He helped make Nepal Association of Fine Arts secure. He is also the founder of the Nepal Arts Council. His artwork has been exhibited worldwide and his work have been subjects of study for Ph.D. scholars. Today he is a healthy eighty-four.