MEET THE ARTIST
Gaurav Shrestha
by Ivan Sada

The painting of a mountain as seen from afar looked delightful. In the subconscious it seemed a labor that did not need much creativity–any painter could do it. But when gazed at from a short distance, the amount of imagination it took to compose the painting, the painstaking process to organize the bits and pieces of paper to form the mountain, and the ingenuity of thorough color combination and shades made this artist’s collage painting an awesome delight. They stand apart from the rest at an art exhibition.

Gaurav Shrestha is a self-taught artist. He began his voyage into the realms of art at the age of 17, using pencil drawing and water color painting as his media of expression. In 2000, he ventured into collage as an art form, and since then he has continuously worked on it with many variations. Collage is a technique in art consisting of cutting and pasting natural or manufactured materials to a painted or unpainted surface, hence is an art form in itself. Derived from the French word coller (‘to paste or glue’), collage involves pasting various materials on a flat surface, a technique pioneered by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. The decisive difference between collage and painting is that in painting the visual impression is built by the composition of color and lines, whereas in collage bits of newspaper, labels, buttons, and strings (to mention as few examples) are attached to the surface.

Gaurav explains, “For me, collage is the perfect medium for intuitive expression. I love to create collages and spend several hours every day experimenting with it. I make use of a number of materials such as papers including lokta (Nepali paper) and materials such as jute, and I have been working with different styles.” When we (non-artists) come across such materials we take them for granted and may consider them useless—but not the collage artist. Many we notice, some skip our eyes, and some we forget, but for Gaurav, such‘useless’ materials inspire him to turn them into art. The materials play with each other and the result is colors splashed across the surface.

Gaurav believes that art is a metaphor for life and that creating collages is innovative and gives him the freedom to express himself creatively in a unique way. There are not many who have followed the art form, but after his solo collage exhibition in 2006 (the first of its kind in Nepal), it has been accepted as a valued form of art in the country. As he explains, “Collage allows me in whatever manner is pleasing, to create art, and it does not restrict me to any format or materials. Though it is different it does not dictate a particular style.”

It is sometimes difficult to understand the beauty and the depth of collage art; thus, a certain beauty lies in unraveling and interpreting the unknown. “My art is a manifestation of my subconscious mind,” says Gaurav. “The ideas unfold as I sit to compose and perhaps that is why I have not titled my works as it would restrict a person’s imagination. I want them to see and perceive it in their own way.” As we understand it, the inventiveness and creativity in art such as this is usually not the result of experience, but are creations born of the artist’s willingness to experiment. Each day, collage art gives Gaurav Shrestha new inspiration and new perspective.

Gaurav Shrestha can be contacted by phone at 9841.34.1810, or see his website at www.gauravshrestha.com.np.