While walking along the shores of the Dhobikhola, a rather noisome place that is basically an open sewer, I stopped by a secluded bridge for a smoke. From across the shore, I saw her, so beautiful, the undulating figure of a woman, resting against an electrical pole by the banks of the river. I would have waved and she might have even smiled but she had no arms or head to speak of—she was a sculpture after all, the kind that might have made Pygmalion blush. Even from afar, I could tell the workmanship was exquisite and my first thought was that the statue was probably an unfinished reproduction of a historical work made at a nearby workshop.

The Beauty of Bangladesh, first solo show of Bangladeshi artist Rashedul Islam is currently on display at the Mithila Yain Gallery in Thamel. The exhibit comprises almost entirely of watercolour landscapes—some of lush pastures and others of the mangrove estuaries that typify the Bengal delta.

Veteran painter and writer Manuj Babu Mishra died of a heart attack this week at the age of 83. Mishra was already iconic in his lifetime—his paintings enjoyed wide recognition at home and abroad while he was also a respected and prolific writer of fiction, history, and art. Manuj Babu Mishra was a celebrated polymath but also an extreme recluse who shunned the limelight. He had often referred to himself as a hermit of sorts and he breathed his last at the so-called Hermitage, his personal residence.

Between Two Points was a recent exhibition of works by Yajyu Manandhar and Michael Gordon held at the Gallery Mcube in Patan. The exhibit dealt with themes of impermanence, abstraction, and the potential for spontaneity.

The eighth National Fine Arts Exhibition is currently being held at the Nepal Art Council in the Capital. The exhibit spans three floors of the venue and includes paintings, sculptures and mixed media works by numerous Nepali artists. Wednesday, April 18, was the opening day of the show. The inaugural day also saw the awarding of ‘Best Painting’ prizes to artists from each of the federal provinces, as well as awards for regional, provincial, and for ‘special categories’.

Seduction of Print Making, a group exhibition of prints, is an ongoing exhibit at the Siddhartha Art Gallery in Babarmahal. The show comprises 199 works by 21 printmakers as well as those by eight guest artists, better known for their facility with media aside from printmaking.