Kathmandu, August 24
Fifteen visual artists gathered amid the historic surroundings of Bhaktapur Durbar Square on Sunday for Paint and Celebrate, an artistic event celebrating the international acclaim and historic achievement of the Nepali film Tiniharu (Elephants in the Fog).
Directed by Abinash Bikram Shah, Tiniharu made history as the first Nepali feature film to be officially selected for the Cannes Film Festival, where it competed in the prestigious Un Certain Regard section and went on to receive the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize.
Supported by the British Council and Alliance Française Kathmandu, the day-long creative gathering brought together painters, printmakers, and conceptual artists to interpret the atmosphere, emotional world, themes, and landmark achievement of Tiniharu through their own artistic practices. The film’s lead actor Pushpa Thing Lama and producer Anup Poudel were also present, along with Nhooja Tuladhar from the British Council, interacting with the participating artists and encouraging them as they developed their works.
“Since the film itself was inspired by a photograph by American photographer Nan Goldin, we wanted to create a platform where different forms of art could come together. Paint and Celebrate was created as part of that effort,” said Anup Poudel, producer of the film.
The participating artists represent a dynamic cross-section of emerging and established visual artists, including creators associated with Tribhuvan University’s Lalitkala Campus and Kathmandu University School of Arts and Design. Coming from different parts of Nepal, including Sudurpaschim, Lumbini, Birgunj, and Pokhara, the artists brought a wide range of practices and perspectives to the event.
The resulting works span realism, surrealism, printmaking, textile art, and semi-abstract mixed media, transforming elements inspired by the film into distinct visual interpretations. Rather than reproducing scenes from Tiniharu, the artists were encouraged to respond freely to its themes, characters, emotions, and cultural resonance.
Paint and Celebrate also created an opportunity for artists and members of the film team to interact outside the conventional setting of a film screening, allowing the cinematic experience to become a starting point for a broader artistic conversation.
Hotel Dachi Bhaktapur served as the official venue partner, while Prisma Stationery served as the Official Stationery Partner and Dalai-la Hotel as the Official Gallery Partner. Selected artworks created during the event will be presented in an upcoming gallery exhibition at Dalai-la Hotel from 27 to 29 August.
Tiniharu (Elephants in the Fog) will be released in cinemas across Nepal on September 4.
