Lain Singh Bangdel was Nepal’s celebrated artist, novelist, and art historian. In addition to being a leading authority on Nepalese art, Bangdel is best known as the “father of modern art” and was responsible for introducing the modern trends of Western art into Nepal with his pioneering one-man exhibition in Kathmandu in 1962.
After more than 2 decades of of demise of renowned artist Lain Singh Bangdel, an art show ‘Lain Bangdel: My Devotion to Art’ was organised to exhibit his 21 master pieces at Takpa Gallery in Lazimpat, Kathmandu. The show was opened from 8th September to 22nd September, 2024.
In the exhibition, the abstract artworks created by Bangdel after his studies in Europe and entering Nepal are kept for viewing. The nude series of 1953-1957 are in the exhibition prepared in the medium of oil colours.
He was born in Darjeeling on the 6th of December 1981 (December 21, 1924). His ancestral home is Rawakhola in Khotang, Nepal.
Born in Darjeeling, Bangdel reached Paris, France and London via Calcutta in the course of his studies and later made Nepal his career base. He also played an important role in the development of Nepal’s modern art sector. Moreover, as a novelist, he introduced realistic writing in Nepali literature during his period in Calcutta during the 1940s. He also served as Life-Member, Vice-Chancellor, and finally Chancellor of Royal Nepal Academy (1962-1991).
Bangdel died on October 15, 2002 in Lalitpur, Nepal. After that, his daughter Dina Bangdel was doing the job of protecting his creations. After Dina died, Dina’s husband Bibhakar Shakya has been protecting the art treasure created by Lain Singh Bangdel.
Lain Singh Bangdel’s grandson Deven Bangdel Shakya mentions “My Devotion to Art” is more than just the title of this exhibition; it is the guiding principle underpinning Bangdel’s creative odyssey. His works speak to the power of dedicating oneself to art, attaining the ability to bridge cultural and stylistic divides, and conveying universal themes of identity, belonging, and the human experience through media. Through his paintings, Bangdel invites us into a dialogue between past and present, the local and the global, revealing the interconnectedness of our world.
This exhibition reveals not just the evolution of an artist but of an individual who connected different worlds through dedication to his craft. Lain Singh Bangdel’s devotion to art is in every stroke, every form, and every detail of his work — an enduring legacy that continues to shape and enrich the art scene in Nepal and abroad.
Tashi Tshiring, director of the gallery, said that Bangdel’s displayed creations were not for sale, but were exhibited to show the latest generation of art lovers. At the end of the show, Bibhakar Shakya commented “The Bangdel’s show ends, however the legacy continues…”
