The women in Biratnagar may not have a comprehensive knowledge about art history or the themes that are in vogue in the international art scene does, but that does not deter them from creating traditional artworks handed down through the generations. Though the Mithila region has been garnering acclaim as hub for folk art, attempts to proliferate these artworks to the world at large has been almost non-existent.

To break the norm, a group of organisations that aim to foster the art scene of the region-such as Lalitkala Pragya Pratishthan, Sirjan Bindu, and Kayastha Samaaj Morang-is organising a series of workshops, exhibitions and interactions.

As part of the series, a five-day workshop was recently organised, and participating in the workshop were those very women artists who are plying their trade with whatever resources are available to them.  The artworks created during the workshop are also put on display.

The workshop saw the participation of artists such as SC Suman, Anita Bhattarai, Sudhira Karna, Shila Chaudhari, Kanti Mallik and Suman Pokharel, among others, who shared their knowledge about the contemporary arts.

The workshop was held at the Chitragupta Samudayik Bhawan and, on Tuesday, after the workshop saw its end, the works created by the participants were put on display.

The organisers also hope that initiatives like these will help preserve the region’s identity, while merging the art into the larger mainstream conversations. The organisers also hope that with the much needed exposure, concrete steps can be taken to commercialise the art form in both the domestic and the international art scene.