It has always been my desire to create unique & experimental art with new ideas through this collage medium.

I have been working in this media with different styles. However this time I am glad to present a new series of collage paintings (oil on cardboard) which I think are quite unique. I have given much importance to the texture which creates total unique & different effects.

These exhibited paintings are the result of my 3 month's long creation based on the theme of "Figurative Expressions".

In the future, I will continue to create different & new styles of paintings in this expressive medium.


Gaurav Shrestha
Artist

Learning the craft and following the path set by others is easy. But the real creators are those who try to create something new and blaze a path for others to follow. This carving has been seen at a painting exhibition put up by Gaurav Shrestha at the Yala Maya Kendra, which was inaugurated on July 31 by Kamal Mani Dixit, Chairman of the Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya.

New is the artist and so his is style and technique. those of you who had attended his earlier solo exhibition at Buddha Gallery must be familiar with his unique style of painting in which he had used things that we consider waste, like for instance plastics, piece of a sack, or calendar. And for those of you who are not familiar with his innovations, 'Figurative Expressions' is here for you. Using cardboard as canvas, shrestha has introduced his own style of experimentation using the collage medium (oil in cardboard) in the 18 paintings of this cardboard series, which were produced in a period of three months.

Using the bright and contrasting colours like red, white, yellow, blue and green, Shrestha has delved into a variety of themes and concepts that range from expressing heavenly powers like family bond, music and party. 'Blessing' exposes the relation between the devotee and god. In 'The Beatles', Shrestha has beautifully depicted all the four band members of the legendary band. Equally interesting is his painting titled 'Patience' in he Shrestha hints at the agitation past in which some human figures are to be seen patiently waiting behind the bars for the time of freedom of expression. A patch of a cardboard has been used to denote the jail in the paintings.

The pieces of cardboard have not only give texture to his paintings but have also are used to create figures in some of his paintings. (The exhibition is on at Yala Maya Kendra till August 2)

The Himalayan Times
1 August 2006

Collage painting is an experimental art where variations are created from the mosaic of the used materials, thus resulting in difference in optical effects.

The same type of art is done by Gaurav Shrestha wherein he has oil painting on cardboards instead of canvas. This in itself is unique in the field of fine arts.

In these paintings, figurative expressions are given much priority. Most of the paintings are relevant with our daily realities and its various aspects.

Gaurav's use of cardboard has been done differently in every painting, according to the topic and subject at hand. This has made his exhibition quite a unique experience.

The paintings are being exhibited at Yala Maya Kendra of Patan Dhoka and the show will continue upto August 2 (today).

The Kathmandu Post
2 August 2006

Exhibition of solo collage paintings titled – "Figurative Expressions" (first ever paintings on cardboard) by Gaurav Shrestha is going to be organized at Yala Maya Kendra, Patan Dhoka from July 31 to August 2, 2006.

This is the second solo collage painting's exhibition by the artist. Since 1994, he has been actively involved in various painting competitions, exhibitions and workshops.

Shrestha initially started art with pencil sketch and watercolor but later moved on to various kinds of mixed media. In his first solo exhibition, his style of collage was created by patching together materials such as magazine clippings, white sacks, calendars, etc along with color finishing.

New experiments have been done in this second solo collage exhibition by the artist who created different styles of paintings by using only cardboard. The outcome of which is unique, incredible and impressive. "It has always been my desire to create unique and experimental art with new ideas through this collage medium" said Gaurav.

He added, "These exhibited paintings are the result of my 3 months long creation based on the theme of figurative art". The price of the paintings range from NRs 5,000 to 10,000.

Nepal Travel Trade Reporter
July 31 – August 6, 2006

Figurative Expressions

Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya presented a second solo exhibition of collage paintings entitled as "Figurative Expression" by Gaurav Shrestha who is not only an artist but also is a computer expert. The exhibition was inaugurated by Kamal Mani Dixit and was held at Yala Maya Kendra on the 31st of July.

in your FACE
August 2006

Gaurav Shrestha, a young artist, exhibited his solo collage paintings as part of the "Figurative Expressions" art show at Yala Maya Kendra from 31st July to 2nd August. Using cardboard as a base, he has created the first-ever line of cardboard paintings, a soothing, soft collection that was genuinely appreciated by most of the guests. His color composition and style clearly reflects his dedication and artistic capabilities.

ECS
September 2006

Young and enthusiastic. Modest and soft spoken. These words best describe upcoming artist Gaurav Shrestha. According to mentor Kiran Manandhar, these words also are apt for his canvases. The gist of Manandhar's words during Gaurav's latest exhibition at the Yala Maya Kendra in Lalitpur on 31st July 2006 was that, artists' works invariably reflect their personalities. Specially more so, one must think, in the case of those at the beginning of their journey.

Titled 'Figurative Expressions', Gaurav takes pride in declaring his works as the first ever paintings on cardboard. Granted that this too is a novel concept, something which all artists seem to be searching for nowadays, but the more important thing to look out for is, has the novel medium supported the artist's creativity, or vice versa? Well, after viewing works like 'Unveiling the Truth', a piece that has a soothing blend of ochre, Prussian blue and maroon, and 'Adapting Change' with more of white, green and ochre used, and which is a good example of a fine but simple collage composition, one can say that the unusual surface seems to have worked, giving a certain individual character to Gaurav's works. This, of course, due to the irregular texture of the surface which the artist says helped him to create distinctive and varied effects.

Thus, most of the works on display, including 'The Live Performance', 'Patience', 'Hard Day's Night' (a strong composition with thick layering of paint), 'Party' and 'The Beatles' stand out as distinctively 'Gauravian'.

SPACES
Sep - Oct 2006

आइतबारदेखी मंगलबारसम्म पाटनको यलमाया केन्द्रमा चलेको उक्त प्रदर्शनीमा कलाकार श्रेष्ठले कार्डबोर्डलाई क्यान्भासका रुपमा प्रयोग गरेका थिए । तैलरंगमा बनाइएका प्रदर्शित कुल १८ वटा चित्र कलाकारले तीन महिनाको अवधिमा सिर्जना गरेका हुन् ।

साप्ताहिक साउन १९, २०६३
August 4, 2006

काम नलाग्ने बस्तुहरू कागज, बोरा आदिजस्ता सामाग्रीका टुक्राहरूलाई संयोजन गर्दै कुची दौडाउने अनि त्यही चित्रमा दर्शकलाई घोत्लिन बाध्य बनाउने कलाकार गौरव आफ्नो चित्रकलाप्रति गौरवान्वित हुँदै भन्छन्, 'कोलाज (कट एण्ड पेस्ट) चित्रकलाको सम्भावना नेपालमा पनि धेरै छ, जसको सुरुवात मैले गरेको छु ।'

सन् २००२ मा एउटा चित्रकला प्रदर्शनीमा म्यागेजिनका टुक्राहरू, चामलका बोराका टुक्राहरू तथा कागजका बाकसका टुक्राहरू टाँसेर अमूर्त रूप दिए र रङले सजाए । प्रदर्शनीमा राखिएका यस्ता चित्रहरूले दर्शकलाई एकछिन रोकिन बाध्य बनायो । यहीँबाट मिल्यो गौरवलाई अरू 'कोलाज' कलाकारिता गर्ने । यही प्रोत्साहनले उनले समूहगत रूपमा थुप्रै प्रदर्शनी गरीसकेका छन् भने दुईवटा एकल प्रदर्शनी गरेका छन्, 'कोलाज पेन्टिङको' । उनी यो कला अरूलाई पनि सिकाउन चाहन्छन् तर भन्छन्, 'मसँग कसैलाई सिकाउने समय नै छैन ।'

सामाजिक व्यवहारका विभिन्न पक्ष समेटेको पाइन्छ, चित्रकार गौरवले अमूर्त रूपमा । प्रत्येक चित्रमा उनी सकारात्मकता खोज्छन् । अरू चित्रकारको भन्दा आफूलाई पृथक रूपमा प्रस्तुत गर्न चाहने चित्रकार गौरव आफ्ना अमूर्त चित्रमा दर्शकले उनकै भावना बुझ्न जरूरी नहुने र आफ्नै रूपले बुझ्न स्वतन्त्र हुने मान्छन् । यद्यपि उनले आफ्ना चित्रकलामा शीर्षक दिएर दर्शकलाई बुझ्न सजिलो भने बनाएका छन् ।

व्यक्तिगत प्रयासमा तथा कुनै औपचारिक शिक्षाबिना चित्रकारिता गर्दै आएका गौरव आफू दत्तचित्त भएर लागेकै कारण सफलता प्राप्त गर्दै गएको बताँउछन् । यद्यपि उनले केही आधारभूत कुराहरू भने चित्रकार गजेन्द्रमान श्रेष्ठबाट सिके । विगत १२ वर्षदेखि चित्रकलामा संलग्न श्रेष्ठ भन्छन्, 'हरेक कुरामा आशावादी हुनुपर्छ, सकारात्मक विचार राखनुपर्छ ।

नेपाली मासिक हसना भदौ २०६३
Hasana Monthly Nepali Magazine