Nepali Art currently embraced modernism, in a way that the local culture accepts art ideologies from foreign lands, particularly in Europe (van der Heide 227). Moreover, this new innovation incorporates the traditional Nepali culture, as evidenced in the artworks of the artists from the young generation (“Modern Trends and the Local Traditions” 149). This evidence only proved that it is next to impossible that the local artworks of Nepal can never be separated from its cultural past, despite the introduction of the modern art from other continents.
Cultural identity is always been the main reason as to why the traditional culture will always be evidently present in Nepali contemporary art. As stated by the article, the influence of the past Nepali culture had been implanted deeply into the lives of the people (“Modern Trends and the Local Traditions” 149). As such, no matter how the artists depict their artworks using the methods of the foreign culture, the Nepali tradition will always be present. However, this is not a disadvantage. In fact, this serves as a unique trademark of Nepal, which distinguishes its artwork from the other nations (“Modern Trends and the Local Traditions” 157). Moreover, a modern artwork with traditional touches does not look distorted at all. In fact, this gives way to the emergence of a new art style that can be considered as a new revolution for the art of the contemporary period, as evidenced in the different artworks presented in the article. Furthermore, the different variations of modern artwork only represents the freedom of artistic expression in Nepal (“Modern Trends and the Local Traditions” 150), and this is a good sign of cultural diversity between the local and foreign cultures.
It is not necessary to separate the local tradition with the foreign ones. In fact, the combination of multiple cultures signify a respect and recognition among the cultures. Also, the artworks which are created based from diversity represents a new definition of the word ‘artistic’ as we move forward into the future.
Works Cited
“Modern Trends and the Local Traditions.” Nepali Art. 146-157. Print.
van der Heide, Susanne. Traditional Art in Upheaval: The Development of Contemporary Art in Nepal. Kailash. 227-239. Print.
