Exhibition: Capturing a Legacy: Four Generations of Nepalese Photographers

Curator: Cristeena Chitrakar
East-West Center Gallery Curator: Michael Schuster
Photographers:
Dirgha Man Chitrakar
Ganesh Man Chitrakar
Kiran Man Chitrakar
Swaraj Man Chitrakar
Gopal Chitrakar
Navesh Chitrakar
Installation Design: Lynne Najita
Coordinator: Eric Chang

Capturing a Legacy: Four Generations of Nepalese Photographers tells the story of the legacy of the Chitrakar family as artists and visual documentarians. Nepal has witnessed dramatic political and cultural changes and this photographic exhibition captures key moments in Nepal’s history through the lens of four generations of photographers. In the 14th century, the inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley were divided into a profession-based caste system. It was then that the ‘Chitrakars,’ meaning ‘painters,’ acquired their status. The Chitrakars traditionally learned their painting skills under the tutelage of their fathers and to this day members of the community continue to create traditional paintings for specific rituals. With the introduction of photography to Nepal in the late 1800s, many Chitrakars also began to work in this medium.

Click here to download the exhibition handout.

Exhibition: Capturing a Legacy: Four Generations of Nepalese Photographers

Curator: Cristeena Chitrakar
East-West Center Gallery Curator: Michael Schuster
Photographers:
Dirgha Man Chitrakar
Ganesh Man Chitrakar
Kiran Man Chitrakar
Swaraj Man Chitrakar
Gopal Chitrakar
Navesh Chitrakar
Installation Design: Lynne Najita
Coordinator: Eric Chang

Capturing a Legacy: Four Generations of Nepalese Photographers tells the story of the legacy of the Chitrakar family as artists and visual documentarians. Nepal has witnessed dramatic political and cultural changes and this photographic exhibition captures key moments in Nepal’s history through the lens of four generations of photographers. In the 14th century, the inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley were divided into a profession-based caste system. It was then that the ‘Chitrakars,’ meaning ‘painters,’ acquired their status. The Chitrakars traditionally learned their painting skills under the tutelage of their fathers and to this day members of the community continue to create traditional paintings for specific rituals. With the introduction of photography to Nepal in the late 1800s, many Chitrakars also began to work in this medium.

Click here to download the exhibition handout.