HAC’s Thangka, Pauba art exhibition from today

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, May 15: Himalayan Art Counci (HAC) is all set to launch Traditional Art Exhibition and National Art Protection Platform.

The Himalayan Art Council will organise a three-day Thangka and Paubha art exhibition from May 15 to 17 at the Patan Museum in Lalitpur.

According to the organisers, the exhibition will showcase artworks of over 50 artists, featuring more than 50 original Thangka and Paubha pieces. The exhibition highlights iconic depictions of deities, mandalas, and sacred narratives, presented with reverence and renewed meaning for today’s world.

The event also offers visitors the opportunity to engage directly with creators, painters, and storytellers who bring these traditional art forms to life.

Alongside the exhibition, the Council will introduce a new digital platform designed to preserve, verify and elevate Nepali art for future generations. 

This platform will incorporate artificial intelligence (AI), expert authentication, and block chain technology to safeguard the integrity and value of Nepali art.

Highlighting the importance of this initiative, art curator Meena Lama said, “AI and block chain tools empower us to detect forgeries, identify unsigned paintings, and track the journey of every piece from the hands of the artist to the walls of museums or homes. With this technology, we can restore trust, secure authorship, and give artists the visibility and dignity they deserve.”

Artist Kailash K. Shrestha, who has been involved in Thangka and Paubha painting for decades, shared, “I have seen artists pour their hearts into their craft, only to be underpaid, overlooked, and exploited. Their works are often sold without their names, yet they continue because for them, art is more than a job, it is devotion and identity.”