Why R N Joshi Museum of Modern Art ?

It was in the initial phase of the 20th century in Nepal that the arts here entered into the pre-modern period. With the advent of the mid 20th century, modern art began to bloom due to the exemplary works by many iconic artists. It was from this formative years, that artist Rama Nanda Joshi was truly active. His ground-breaking contribution to Nepali art in a holistic manner remains an inspiring story. For this very reason R N Joshi Museum is initiated as it honors his artistic and revolutionary spirit.

RN Joshi Museum presents to its visitors, not just the masterpieces by the artist but it also reveals the sequential evolution of how he became a master artist. Along with this, the museum also introduces works by some of his well-known contemporaries. This curated section provides a glimpse of the expansion of modernity in Nepali paintings.

The high-spirited artist was dynamically active in Nepali Art when the art here was transitioning from pre-modern to modern. RN Joshi back then was traveling to distant areas, conducting various researches on arts and culture by advocating, preserving and uplifting the ancient culture of Nepal. At the same time, he was also training budding artists.

Initially, he chose watercolor his ideal medium to portray the lives and landscapes of Nepal. However, once he thoroughly explored and depicted the daily lives of Nepali people and landscapes in his work, he set out to break-free from influences of western art such as realism, impressionism, expressionism, and abstract art. He made a conscious decision to delve deep into his inner calling, vision and his interpretation of pure reality. For that he researched Nepali symbolism and concepts of Tantra. From here on he started depicting spiritual ideas in his works through Tantra painting.

Furthermore, he was deeply concerned about safeguarding the cultural and the heritage sites of the valley. Therefore, he often initiated various activities to raise awareness of its preservation. All this hard work and dedication of the artist reflected on the artworks that he was creating. He was shaping up a portion of Nepali modern art that featured the roots of Nepal which connected the modern with the ancient. And most importantly, he was bridging the gap between tradition and modern art.

RN Joshi Museum is launched due to all these contributions by the artist, to commemorate him and the era he lived in. This Museum is the celebration of the pioneering phase of Nepali Modern Art.

About the Museum Location

The museum which was previously the house of the artist is located at Pulchowk, Lalitpur. Presently, the ground and the first floor of this house are set as the Museum. During his time, besides residing here, the artist partitioned this space into an art studio and an art gallery.

About the Artist’s House and space, It Covered

The house that RN Joshi turned into his studio in the 1970s, by 1980 had turned into a creative space, a center

for artistic movement, particularly for Nepali modern art. This creative space besides running Park Gallery (an artist-run gallery) and artist’s studio also ran an art class. This space used to welcome the creative and intellectual minds which led to the sequential development of modern art in Nepal. Therefore, this space inspired the creative bloom in Nepal and for that it will always remain a watershed moment in the history of Nepalese art.

About the Collection

After the artist passed away, his family members took charge of the gallery. However, now commemorating the legacy and contribution of the artist, this space is launched as the RN Joshi Museum. The Museum preserves and showcases the paintings and shares ideas of the late RN Joshi. The museum houses Joshi’s works done at various times employing different approaches and techniques. In this regard, his artistic career can be categorized into three phases- the phase of early and very influential paintings that began from 1964 till 1970 A.D. In the second phase of his career in 1980 A.D., he rigorously worked on Tantra paintings which he fervently titled ‘The Voice of Silence.’ Finally, his third phase was based on the theme ‘My Land My People’ which began from 1971 till 1988 A.D. The Museum features the artist’s pioneering watercolors, sketches and paintings done at various times. And most importantly one can also witness his last creation titled ‘The Universe at the Museum.’

Besides works by RN Joshi, a segment of the Museum also introduces prominent works by his contemporaries such as Laxman Shrestha and Shashi Bikram Shah and also works by the generation that followed in the likes of Kiran Manandhar and Puran Khadka.