Veteran artist Pramila Giri’s solo exhibition, titled Search for Human Values, is currently ongoing at Nepal Art Council (NAC), in the Capital. The show, boasting a total of 108 exhibits, has on display an array of the painter-sculptor’s work, right from her formative year to the present.

With series titled Bhairav, Images of Bhairav, Third Eye, Tibet Series, and Blue Series, among others, the exhibit offers a glimpse into the themes the artist has worked on over her long-spanning career, and to a lifetime’s worth of search, as the artist puts it, for the human values.

“I want this exhibition to reflect my images of life’s beauty, experiences and lessons,” Giri writes in her artist’s statement, before elaborating that her search has led her to explore the depths of “the values in the rich ethos of culture, ethnicity and belonging, and in ethical foundation.”

Spanning the entire breadth of the three floors of the NAC, Giri’s work reflect her many travels around the world , including Norway and Tibet, but stay true to her roots that remain heavily informed by Hindu mythology, Indian philosophy and traditional Nepali painting sensibilities.

In works categorised under the Bhairav series, Giri offers a synthesis of sculptures and paintings that dive into multiple interpretation and renditions of the wrathful Hindu god. While in the Light Series, the artist drifts from the concrete into the abstract, nudging viewers to come up with their own varied interpretations.

 Writing about Giri’s artwork, Indian critic Keshav Malik said, “Artists like Pramila Giri introduce contemporary Nepali art to the world. It is not a matter of catching up with the world, but rather of continuing a rich but endangered tradition—of much change and cultural innovation—but also of disharmony.” “True art,” he added, “is harmonisation of conflicts, of past and present, and it is in this context that Pramila Giri’s contribution is a notable one.”

The exhibition will be on till Nov 20.