AAKAAR: An image, a shape, an observation

The exhibition showcased a range of portraiture, still life, landscape and cityscapes to show the artists’ growth through academic exploration of composition, draughtsmanship and colours.

AAKAAR, a 3-day exhibition held at Gallery Mcube which commenced on August 26 assembled by students of KUSOA (Kathmandu School School of Art) seeked to showcase art in its nascent form—an image, a shape, an observation—loosely translated into Nepali as AAKAAR. The exhibition itself is a montage of various academic artworks created throughout the first semester of their second year by the students. 

The compilation included the artists’ individual working processes in terms of techniques and materials in both indoor and outdoor settings. The exhibition provided a platform for the artists to display their art to the larger crowd and also seek feedback and interaction within their academic circle as well as a broader social circle. 

The exhibition showcases a range of portraiture, still life, landscape and cityscapes to show their growth through academic exploration of composition, draughtsmanship and colours. 

The exhibition was held in a two-storey art gallery at Gallery Mcube, Chakupat and it started with a series of photographs which emulate paintings made throughout history. The students themselves posed for the photographs and assembled props to recreate the artworks as they were. Some of the artworks include Portrait of a man in a turban by Jan Van Eyck, Judith with the head of Holofernes by Vincenzo catena—the list goes on. The artworks in succession included analog photographs, woodcut prints, pottery and sculpture and of course canvas art which too is diversified in various forms. 

Saaid Koirala