These paintings show my memories and the cultural traditions that have shaped who I am. They show the jatras and rituals I used to enjoy. But after the earthquake, many things changed, like the places, the people, and the way these events happened. I still feel strongly connected to these traditions, but I can't experience them the same way I used to. Through these pieces of art, I try to keep those memories alive and contemplate how the emotional distance has grown over time. The works are a way for me to keep the cultural spirit that still shapes how I feel about myself and where I belong.

Sa Paru (Gai Jatra)

5000 years ago, two Brahmans named Bidhyadhar and Yeshodhar visited a place near Kumaripati. They had brought a lane with them which they rested against a wall before sleeping. The next morning when they woke up, they saw their lane turn into a big tree. People worship the tree as Barunbrikshya a form of lord Shiva up till this day. The two brahmans had burnt wood at night which is still burning in today’s day even after so many years. That’s why they named this place Aagnishal which means burning wood. My grandfather told me this story on the way home when he used to pick me up from school. We used to walk pass the same tree at Aagnishal. Since the tree is crooked, it blocks the road so people have to bend down to pass through. When I used to walk with my grandfather as a kid, I used to bend down watching my grandfather bend down even though I could easily walk through it up straight.

Buttressed through roots and ruins

A city corner shaped by accessibility and convenience, where daily needs are always close at hand. The space reflects the advantage of urban life, everything within reach, making everyday living easier and more supported. It carries a quiet sense of gratitude for the ease and facilities that make life more comfortable.

Everything within reach

Dolpo remains one of the last untouched and uncharted regions of the Himalaya. While it shares certain geographical and cultural echoes with other Himalayan communities of Nepal, its identity stands distinctly apart—rooted in its own language, rituals, oral histories, cuisine, jewelry, and, most visibly, its attire. These elements together have long defined a self-contained cultural world. However, the tides of migration and external influence have begun to reshape this landscape. Where culture once spoke effortlessly as identity, it now often requires explanation. Traditional patterns and textile practices are gradually shifting; handwoven woolen fabrics, once integral to daily life, are increasingly replaced by affordable, imported blends of polyester and cotton. This transition reflects not only economic change but also a subtle erosion of material heritage. In this body of work, I attempt to hold these two realities—the traditional and the contemporary—within a single frame. My paintings seek a quiet balance, where cultural memory coexists with present transformation, without conflict yet not without tension. Through composition and form, I aim to preserve an aesthetic continuity while acknowledging inevitable change. At its core, my practice is an effort to honor and reflect the enduring identity of Dolpo and its way of life.

dolwa

In a time when oral traditions are quietly fading, Roshan Bhandari’s work stands as a visual archive of Nepali folktales and folklores. These stories, once shared in intimate gatherings, echoing values of coexistence, respect for nature, and community wisdom, are the heartbeat of Nepal's cultural identity. They are not mere entertainments of the past but essential narratives that shape language, thought, and belonging. Bhandari’s artistic journey is rooted in deep research and creative reinvention of these traditional tales. His works transform oral histories into dynamic visual experiences, where ancient myths converse with contemporary realities. Through his paintings, the artist invites viewers to explore themes of wildlife conservation, harmony between humans and nature, and the importance of linguistic heritage. The artwork is more than nostalgia; it is an urgent call to preserve and revive the storytelling traditions that nurture cultural continuity. By retelling these folktales through his art, Bhandari not only safeguards the memory of a shared past but also contributes to the evolution of Nepal’s linguistic and cultural fabric. His artworks become living narratives, where the past informs the present, and tradition finds new life.

The tale of virtue and reward II

This painting gathers fragments of lived spaces drawn from Kathmandu’s architectural heritage carved windows, doors, and ornamental motifs shaped by artisans whose presence remains visible through their work. Structured within a grid of boxes, the composition functions as a series of containers, holding traces that might otherwise fade into the background of everyday life. These forms are not presented as relics, but as enduring marks of human making. Each motif carries the imprint of the hand that shaped it, reflecting a tradition where craftsmanship gave meaning, beauty, and identity to the city. Yet, surrounded by these details daily, we often pass them without notice. The painting responds to this quiet disappearance by isolating and reframing these elements in contemporary visual language, allowing them to be seen again with intention. By containing these architectural fragments within defined spaces, the work acknowledges the accumulation of cultural memory embedded in the urban landscape. Imprints of Forgotten Hands is both an act of preservation and recognition drawing attention to the makers behind the material fabric of the city, and inviting a moment of pause to witness what has long existed in plain sight.

Imprints of forgotten hands (बिर्सिएका हातका छापहरू)

This painting is fragments of lived spaces, the boxes act like containers, holding memories, and traces that would otherwise disappear gradually.This work emerges from close observation, material sensitivity, and cultural memory. Rooted in the architectural language of Kathmandu, it draws from traditional motifs found in temples, muth, and mandir especially the carved wooden doors and windows shaped by patience, devotion, and skilled hands. These forms once carried ritual, function, and identity; today they remain quietly embedded in everyday surroundings, often passed without notice. This painting does not attempt to preserve these motifs as static relics of the past. Instead, it brings them forward reframed, reassembled, and contemporized within the present moment. The rhythms of wood carving, the repetition of patterns, and the structural logic of traditional architecture are translated into paint, allowing the surface to act as a time capsule that holds fragments of craftsmanship at risk of fading beneath modernization and habitual seeing. This work asks for recognition rather than nostalgia. It invites the viewer to pause and re-encounter what has always existed, yet often remains unseen. By shifting these architectural details into a contemporary visual space, the painting quietly honors the artisans who shaped them and reflects on how cultural beauty can continue to exist, evolve, and be perceived today.

Time living in wood (काठमा बाँचेको समय)

Once in a quiet hill village, a kind old man lived with his cruel wife. One day, while gathering firewood in the forest, he found a small egg and built a nest behind their house. The egg hatched into a sparrow that could speak like a child. The man secretly cared for it. When the wife discovered the bird, she grew angry. Though the man claimed a mother bird left it, she remained bitter. As the sparrow grew and playfully teased her, her temper flared until one day, in rage, she cut out its tongue. The sparrow flew away, heartbroken. Years later, the old man met the now-grown, magical sparrow in the forest. The bird forgave him and took him to a beautiful land, where his bird family gifted the man a bag of gold and jewels in gratitude for his early kindness. The wife, upon seeing the riches, went to the sparrow pretending to seek forgiveness. The sparrow, knowing her greed, gave her a similar bag. But when she opened it at home, it was full of snakes and insects. Shocked and terrified, she died in regret. Moral: Greed and cruelty bring sorrow. Kindness, even in secret, brings unexpected rewards.

Tale of Virtue and Reward I

White

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A painting is an artwork that uses color and form on a surface to convey an idea, mood, or scene.

Acrylic

Acrylic Oil

Aerosol / Spray Paint

canvas

cartridge paper

casein

chalk

Egg Tempera

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marker

natural pigment

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awareness

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consciousness

contemplation

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evolution

existence

exploration

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gift

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humility

instinct

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journey

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mindfulness

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motherhood

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observation

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religious icon

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thirst

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unintentional creation

universe

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Urban Life

urban mind

vulnerability

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A drawing is a visual artwork created by making marks on a surface, usually with pencil, ink, or charcoal, to express ideas, forms, or emotions.

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charcoal

colored pencil

crayon

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fine liner

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metal

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Mixed media is an artwork created using two or more different materials or techniques.

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