'Mundum Int'l Plein Air Painting Workshop and Art Exhibition-2080' begins in Khotang

The 'Mundum International Plein Air Painting Workshop and Art Exhibition-2080' has kicked off here today at Diktel bazaar, Khotang, the main commercial centre of the district.

Co-organised by Diktel Rupakot Majhuwagadhi Municipality and the Dhanu Art Studio Kathmandu, the five-day exhibition aims to promote tourism while developing religious, cultural and tourism sectors of the district, it has been said. It will run until 8 October, 2023.

Forty painters from 14 countries including Nepal, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Egypt, India, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, South Korea, the United States of America, Ukraine and Vietnam reached Khotang district to draw paintings on the canvas. The district residents welcomed the painters who participated in a rally organised as part of the exhibition that started from Mahuregadhi, the main entrance to the municipality.

Painters from home and abroad participating in the programme which started from Mahuregadhi multipurpose technical school, Noonthala would lively paint the scenes of Diktel Rupakot Majhugadhi Municipality and other important places of the district on the canvas, informed the municipality mayor Tirtharaj Bhattarai.

"For the live painting workshop and exhibition programme, painters from home and abroad have already reached the district from Kathmandu. During the period, painters from home and abroad will prepare around 100 canvas paintings. On 7 October, preparations are underway to set up local food stalls, and organise cultural tableaus, dance performance and an art exhibition at Matikore playground in Diktel bazaar where the canvas paintings sketched by the painters will be kept. The programme is expected to help in the promotion of tourism not only of the city but also of the entire district," he said.

Plan is afoot to take and exhibit the canvas paintings drawn by the painters in the art gallery in Kathmandu after a few months. For the promotion of art, culture and tourism of Khotang, a live painting and art exhibition programme was orgnaised to expose the beautiful aspects of bare land, forests, ditches and gorges, highlands and lowlands along with natural, cultural, religious, historic and geographical identity and lifestyle of the people of all 10 local levels of the district, it has been said.

The live painting workshop and art exhibition would help in exposing historic, religious and touristic aspects of Khotang at the national and international levels. The canvas paintings prepared during the painting workshop and exhibition would be kept in a museum, said the organisers.

The meeting of the municipal executive held on 25 March, 2023 decided to hold a live painting workshop and exhibition. For the live painting workshop and art exhibition, pictures depicting natural, cultural, historical, geographical location, region and the introduction of lifestyle of local people and touristic significance have been prioritised and selected from all 15 wards of Diktel Rupakot Majhuwagadhi Municipality.

The pictures sent after prioritization from other nine local levels of the district will also be the main attraction of the workshop. It costs an estimated Rs 1.8 million provided by the municipality to organise the event. Singer Rajesh Payal Rai is scheduled to inaugurate the workshop.

---