TEXTURES OF PATAN AND (RE)CONSTRUCTION)

Layers of (Re)construction and Textures of Patan, is an exploration of Kathmandu through my eyes. I arrived at Wheaton the autumn after the devastating earthquake that hit Nepal on April 25, 2015. Since that time, Kathmandu, the capital city, has been subject to constant reconstruction, buried by scaffolding that obscures buildings both old and new. My art has allowed me to reflect on the experience of living through this traumatic experience and to acknowledge its effect on the lives of every Nepali including myself. Home to UNESCO World Heritage Sites and a thriving tourist industry, Kathmandu has changed markedly in recent decades. High-rise buildings now dominate the skyline, in marked contrast to the ancient temples and houses built in the traditional style of the Kathmandu valley. At times, the cultural heritage of the city almost seems to disappear, only to be spotted in nooks and crannies. This body of work attempts to juxtapose aspects of the city's multi-faceted architecture against one another, revealing-and highlighting--the beauty and complexity of the city's indigenous architecture. For this body of work, I have used lithography and relief printing to create a series of layered monoprints that reference and reflect the chaos of the city's urban landscape.