Bold, stunning colours, all manner of textures and thought-provoking messages. All this and more awaits you at the current show at the Srijana Art Gallery, a group exhibition of the works of nine contemporary Nepali artists, including veterans such as Kiran Manandhar, Shashi Shah, and Uttam Nepali. The subjects range from nature, and culture, to terrorism, individualism, and feelings. Seen all at one go, the work can be rather overwhelming.

The mixed media pieces by Sharada Man Shrestha are highly textured, detailed depictions of Nepali culture, especially festivals. Some of the more striking pieces are a combination of rich, luxuriant, dark colours on jute and plaster of paris that make the work three-dimensional. The effect is concentrated and intense.

Shashi Shah's works, all titled "Terrorism", are almost scary in their intensity. Obviously, they have particular resonance in these times, but even seen out of this context the images of horses foaming at the mouth and trampling on screaming, disembodied heads are enough to disconcert even the most hardened. Shashi Shah has dedicated his whole career to painting horses, and he is a master at manipulating his horses to fit any theme. The result is a startling, thought-provoking set of paintings.

Navindra Rajbhandari's "Naturescapes" are dramatic, expressionistic depictions of nature. He uses bold, harsh, brushstrokes, and dark colours-predominantly blacks, browns, greens and reds. Peer into his abstracts and you just might see birds sitting on lush dark green pines, and jagged rocks with trees clinging to their sides.

Kiran Manandhar's set of paintings, titled "K I" through K V", are the highlight of the exhibition. They are instantly identifiable as part of his oeuvre, with their sure, bold, black strokes and vibrant colours. He talks of how he used a model when he started to paint this particular set, and how, initially, the work encapsulated only the essence of the model. He then used layers of paper, and overlapped his work with different materials in order to make the subject his own. "Hijo samma oon thhiyo," he says "aaja ma bhaen." ("Until yesterday, the model was the work; today, I made it mine.")

Uttam Nepali's works display a similar depth of thought and perception. Collectively entitled "Feelings", these are lovely, luminous, airy works of art. Abstract and whimsical, they are full of elusive, intangible objects floating around and seeming to wink at you cheekily. Also abstract are Krishna Manandhar's set of paintings called "Rocks".

This is a show worth seeing. It isn't often that the some of the best-known names in Nepali art exhibit their work together in a joint effort to promote contemporary Nepali art. Chances are, you'll go back for a second
taste.

(The show, Recent Paintings by Contemporary Nepali Artists, runs until 27 July at the Srijana Art Gallery, Kamaladi, from 9AM-7PM everyday. 247889)