Last updated: 16
Mar
2018
RN Joshi Centre – Park Gallery
The foundation of the Park Gallery
Established in 1970, Park Gallery is Nepal’s first independent art institution and was founded by the pioneering artist, Rama Nanda Joshi (1938-1988), in response to the lack of modern art schooling and exhibition space for budding artists.
Almost half a century since its establishment, Park Gallery remains a monument – a living testimony to the dream and vision of its founder.
R. N. Joshi was not only a great artist; he was also a well known art teacher, art activist, heritage preservationist, and an expert on a wide range of subjects related to art.
In 1970, he founded the Park Gallery with the aim of imparting modern art education, and it was his groundbreaking work in the introduction of modern paradigms (particularly modern expressions) in visual arts, along with the emphasis he placed on nature exploration, that would lead to the establishment of the first school of modernist painters in Nepal.
Added to this, Joshi’s mastery of the water colour medium, his exceptional drawing skills, and the enthusiasm with which he shared his formidable knowledge with his students would lead to the Park Gallery earning a reputation not only for artistic ingenuity and integrity, but also for lifting the stature of art itself in the country.
Defense of the heritage
Joshi was also a well-known and deeply respected activist, and he fought valiantly and selflessly against the steady destruction of heritage sites in the valley. He was also popular for his frank and forthright opinions on the policies of state run art institutions, particularly their bias against the visual arts. This led him to co-found an ad hoc committee that would ultimately lead to the foundation of an independent academy for the visual arts in Nepal.
The first school to teach the principles of modern art in Nepal
The birth of Park Gallery is of historical importance: it was not only the first school to teach the principles of modern art, but evolved into a modern art gallery and centre for discussions on art, where writers, poets, and artists would frequently gather.
From its humble beginnings in a small room, Park Gallery has grown into an institution renowned not only for laying the foundation of modernism in Nepali art, but also for the nurturing influence it has had on a whole generation of artists and scholars.