| Username |
Post |
| kunjan |
Posted
on 16-Oct-02 02:45 AM
We have lost one great Nepali artist,literateur on the death of Lainsingh Bangdel. My Heartfelt condolence to his beraved family and his relatives. May his soul rest in peace in heaven. Although he is not among us anymore, but his great contribution to nepalese society can not be forgetten by all the Nepalis living in Nepal and abroad.
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Lain Singh Bangdel is dead
KOL Report
KATHMANDU, Oct. 15 – One of Nepal’s most gifted writer and painter, Lain Singh Bangdel passed away early this morning, his family announced Tuesday morning. He was 81.
According to his family, Bangdel passed away at around 5:30 a.m. Tuesday at his residence in Sanepa, Lalitpur. They however did not say what the cause of death might be.
Bangdel was born in Darjeeling, India and moved to Nepal early in his life. He has published several books and is known for his paintings. (rk)
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I have read his famous novel "Maiti Ghar" many times. Yatikher, his novel characters 'SANI' and 'HARI' has become 'TUHURO'.
http://spinybabbler.org/visual_arts/personalities/lain_singh_bangdel.htm
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| Suna |
Posted
on 16-Oct-02 08:13 AM
what else did he write? does anyone know??
Did he write "Nau lakhey tara udhayo"
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| ashu |
Posted
on 16-Oct-02 08:44 AM
My hearfelt condolences to the Bangdel family.
As the excellent biogrpahy on that Web link (Spinybabbler) above makes abundantly clear, Mr. Bangdel, an immensely talented man, lived a remarkably productive and
active life in Darjeeling, Kathmandu, Paris, London and so on.
And until recently, Mr. Bangdel remained a very busy man, very hard to get hold
of -- busy as he was, giving lectures in and out of Nepal, working on articles and possibly even a book, encouraging younger artists to do better, talking slowly and at length about the state of Nepali art (especially, about those stolen idols) and so much more.
My last meeting with him was about late last year, when I visited him to seek his
advice on how to organize an arts festival in Kathmandu. As always, the old man
was a patient listener, informative when he spoke and gave excellent
suggestions . . . while Mrs. Bangdel, full of life and energy, served excellent
edibles and kept up the tempo of the conversation.
May Mr. Bangdel's soul rest in peace.
May God give Mrs. Bangdel and the family all the strength to cope with this tragedy.
oohi
ashu
ktm,nepal
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| ??! |
Posted
on 16-Oct-02 08:55 AM
A must read articles as a tribute to Lain Singh Bangdel:
http://www.spinybabbler.org/visual_arts/personalities/lain_singh_bangdel.htm
A preview of his paintings:
http://www.spinybabbler.org/art_exhibitions/lain_singh_bangdel.htm
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| kunjan |
Posted
on 16-Oct-02 09:01 AM
Some of books written by him are:
Maitighaar
Rembrant
Spainko Samjhana
Stolen Images of Nepal
Birds of Nepal
.....
.....
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| surya |
Posted
on 16-Oct-02 09:37 AM
How very sad! Condolences to the family.
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| DHUMBASSE (DUMBASS) |
Posted
on 16-Oct-02 09:46 AM
Sad News, But true. tyo pani dashainako Belama
Dibangat aatmako Chir shantiko kamana garadachu.
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| Deep |
Posted
on 16-Oct-02 10:27 AM
May the departed soul rest in peace. LS Bangdel will be missed.
I also have read Maitaghar many times. Once I started a conversation with a swedish guy who was painting something sitting on Boudhha Stupa (Boudhha). He was plesantly surprised when I mentioned Rembrant's name (then I had recently finished Rembrant by Mr. Bangdel ).
Hari and sane had a intriguing yet painful relationship in Maitaghar. Mr. Bangdel is dead but he has given immortal lives to many including Hari, Sane and himslef.
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| ??! |
Posted
on 16-Oct-02 11:50 AM
Muluk Bahira..... I have read that nobel for at least 4 times. Always touchy.. always cried after reading particular pages....
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| Paschim |
Posted
on 27-Oct-02 12:43 AM
Kunjan, thanks for starting this on Bangdel…had seen it earlier, but hadn’t got round to jotting down my rambling…it’s indeed one of those sad but true things that people tend to be appreciated more for their deeds posthumously.
In Nepal two months ago, I bought a “new” book by Bangdel, with a nice green cover, brought out by Ratna Pustak Bhandar. Turned out be a second edition of his 1964 “Spain ko Samjhana”, interestingly dedicated to the "kalapremi rastranayak Raja Mahednra"! I just tucked away the book after buying. But the news that he passed away has suddenly re-ignited my interest in the man and his works.
The following piece by Devendra Bhattarai in Kantipur of 24 October is excellent -- mature, critically balanced, yet affectionate overall.
“Bangdel lai samman ko ful ra gaali ko kaanda”
http://www.kantipuronline.com/archive/kantipur/2002-10-24/kantipur_news4.htm#6
Btw, does any one know who Devendra Bhattarai (writer of the above piece) is? Is he an established critic? Was really impressed by his balanced take.
Also never realized that his unique surname “Bangdel” is actually named after his ancestral village in Khotang. Although born in Darjeeling into a Rai family, his journey through Calcutta and Paris and his decisive return to his land of origin in 1960, following Raja Mahendra’s nimto, illustrates an interesting career path. He must also have been one of the first Nepalis to have gone abroad for study purposes -- being in Europe as early as the 50s must have been quite an experience.
There’s a very remote village called Eskdale in northern England (Nepali equivalent of Humla) where a famous Nepal-phile geographer, John Tyson and his wife Phebe are now living a retired life. In 1995 when I visited them, I saw a beautiful painting hung in their drawing room…the painted man was smoking his hookah and wore a torn Dhaka Topi. Obvious that it was a Nepali, I asked John Tyson about it. He so casually said, “Oh, that’s a Bangdel”…as in painting by Bangdel…I was just taken aback by the ease with which he said it…most famous works are known after their creators – people say it’s a Monet, Cezanne, Renoir, Van Gogh, Manet, and all that…and here I was listening to a British connoisseur of art so casually implying, “It’s a Bangdel, silly…how could you not know?!!
That episode clinched it…I have been impressed with Bangdel ever since :)
After finishing his “Spain ko Samjhana”, I want to read more of his novels. Hopefully I can get hold of all his works in Nepal next month…”Muluk Bahira” seems to have been cited the most here and elsewhere. Look forward to reading that.
Anyway, just some random thoughts in appreciation of a great Nepali talent and inspiration. May Lainsingh Bangdel rest in peace.
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| Suna |
Posted
on 27-Oct-02 06:07 AM
Paschim,
Just out of curiosity, did you take a photograph of this Bangdel?
I would have loved to see it!
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| Paschim |
Posted
on 27-Oct-02 09:23 AM
Suna, I didn't take a photo of that particular Bangdel then, but I do still remember it vividly.
But talking of art, you are a Robert Powell fan, right? You'll like this link then...it's a detailed review by Mark Turin in the latest issue of Himal of an edited volume of Powell's works, "Himalayan Drawings":
http://www.himalmag.com/2002/october/review_1.htm
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| Suna |
Posted
on 27-Oct-02 10:46 AM
Paschim
Thanks so much. That book will be adorning my coffee table soon :). I have the one of Kuthu Math but I would love to get my hands on the last one!
:)
Its interesting Bangdel went to Barbizon, I spent a good year around there :). Wish I had kept my eyes open, maybe I would have found a few Bangdels around there.
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| Paschim |
Posted
on 27-Oct-02 07:51 PM
Suna, the famous Barbizon outside Paris?!
I'm impressed. Kya ho yaar, Sajha ka ladies haru, sab ek se ek chhan :)
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| Suna |
Posted
on 28-Oct-02 07:33 AM
Paschim
Believe me, the pleasure is all mine to have "met" some wonderful humble Nepali intellectuals. After working a few years in Nepal with some bloated egos who had been educated in some phoren country, some people here restore my faith...
Back to art and Barbizon. Yes, that Barbizon! But I assure you, that was NOT my ferrari you saw parked on a lazy sunday afternoon in one of the many winding streets of the little town.
Back to Bangel. Has anyone here ever seen an Exhibition of his? Please tell me when and where so I could get reprints.
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| ashu |
Posted
on 28-Oct-02 08:28 AM
I have seen quite a few paintings of Bangdel, along with those of Bala Krishna Sama (yes, Sama did leave behind some of his paintings too!) and others, at a museum in Bhaktapur . . it's the museum that's right on the main Bhaktapur courtyard . . . well worth a visit.
But I must confess that the lighting inside the museum was khattam (circa January 2001), and the paintings looked so-so to me. Obviously, not much care had gone
into keeping the paintings (oil on canvas) in good condition . . . or so I thought at
the time. Maybe things have changed for the better there now . . . I don't know.
The concept of reprints appears to be relatively new in Nepal, though some of
the young artists such as Ashmina Ranjit and not-so-young artists such as Ragini
et al have issued reprints of their works, and have been selling them well.
On a larger note, in Nepal, it's fair to say that the arts community appears to be too factionalized, too narrow-minded and too split along generational and political lines to ever get together to put on a, say, "Bangdel Retrospective" when Bangdel was alive.
As things stand, right now, NAFA or the National Asociation of Fine Arts (Bal Mandir) is engaged in a brutal battle with the Royal Nepal Academy to stop the latter from taking management control of the former . You talk to one group of artists, and all they do is bad-mouth other artists . . . honest and career-enhancing peer-criticism is almost non-existent . . . and so it goes, like in every other field in Nepal.
One small tragedy of Nepal is thhat those who know management show little commitment to professionalize/institutionalize the arts, and those who are in the arts know next to nothing about management that wll enhance the stature of the arts in today's Nepali societies.
Then again, to quote Bangdel himself:
“The present educational program in Lalit Kala Campus (the only art education institution in Nepal) hardly allows time for students to become well-grounded in their vocation. Many students have a fixation on just passing exams. Gradually, they lose their artistic vigor under academic pressure and actually learn very little. I also studied art in Calcutta. We studied and practiced hard from morning to evening. This discipline kept our minds active; we enjoyed what we learned. Besides, students at Lalit Kala Campus can only study up to the bachelor’s level. The campus does not offer a master’s degree. I believe that with a fine arts’ University in Nepal, many students will be able to study art in a different light and give their best performance.”
oohi
ashu
ktm,nepal
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| ashu |
Posted
on 28-Oct-02 08:49 AM
That said, in the last two years, I have noticed a stunning rise in the number of
arts exhibitions -- some being wine-and-cheese affairs accompanied by live
eastern classical music on opening evenings -- in Kathmandu.
Clearly, there are more artists in Kathmandu these days; and there are interesting stuff happning here . . . and that more Nepalis in Nepal are buying art for their living-rooms, hotels, restaurants and so on and on.
That said, the so-called "economics of superstars" applies quite well to the Nepali arts sector. Some, in their early 30s, have done remarkably well, traveling all over the
world on this or that Fellowship, having world-wide contacts and selling their art
worth over $15,000 and more every year . . . while many others struggle to pay
rent in Kathmandu.
Finally, I remain grateful to the "sangat" of my artist friends, most notably Ashmina Ranjit and Sarita Mishra, for educating me so much about the arts scenes of
Kathmandu.
oohi
ashu
ktm,nepal
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| Suna |
Posted
on 28-Oct-02 10:08 AM
Thanks Ashu.
I am an ardent supporter of Nepali art and culture as well as some others. I have started a small collection of Robert Powel's reprint but would love to diversify!
When I was in Nepal there were hardly any art exhibition but while growing up in Darjeeling we always had the pleasure of attending many exhibitions by Krishna Subba etc. Are there any art galleries in Kathmandu now?
Who are the up and coming artists now? I see you have mentioned some names but I don't recall them.
Any more information would be appreciated!
Thanks
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| protean |
Posted
on 28-Oct-02 06:41 PM
Thanks Ashu, Paschim and others.
This is a great loss of a creative intellectual and a proponent for the advancement of the Nepali culture and heritage. May his soul Rest in Peace, and may his work be saved and promoted for the future generations.
Inrestingly, I found that he was also active to document stolen ancient idols and statues. The lost/stolen images of these statues and idols are found at:
http://kaladarshan.arts.ohio-state.edu/loststolen/lsnepal.html
The report of his and Shick's effort to document this stolen objects, as reported in Himal in October 1999, is in the link below:
http://www.himalmag.com/99Oct/bangdel.htm
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| Dilasha |
Posted
on 29-Oct-02 10:39 AM
Kunjan or anyone interested: would you be able to write a short review of Bangel's Rembrant? that'd would be awesome!
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| dirk |
Posted
on 29-Oct-02 02:51 PM
There used to be a Bangdel hung in the drawing room of the residence of the permanent representative of Nepal to the UN in New York. It was quite a piece of work, as I recall.
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| protean |
Posted
on 01-Nov-02 08:21 PM
I just found a writing in the latest NT by Kanak Dixit on [the late] Mr. Bangdel.
___________
http://www.nepalnews.com.np/ntimes/issue117/society.htm
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