The room is pleasant and spacious. His paintings hang on the white washed walls, mainly women in various forms. Behind us is a long row of books–most of them related to art, literature, and sculpture–Bangdel’s passions in life.

Bangdel has lived the life of an artist and writer, and from the very beginning his involvement in art and literature has been simultaneous. At a time when studying art was quite unheard of in Nepal, Bangdel decided his career. His inspiration was a postcard picture by Corot, a French painter of the Barbizon school of art, at the age of eight. “I found the picture beautiful, it captured my soul.” After passing out of high school, his father asked him what he wanted to study, he replied, “Art,” without hesitation.  

“My father was disappointed and doubtful. He asked me how I would make a living, where I would get a job as an artist. I was nonplussed. I had no answers, but a drive to pursue a childhood ambition. He was further disturbed to know that it would take the same time to get a degree in art as in medicine. He exclaimed, ‘What! Six years to study painting.’ Anyhow, in 1939, I went to Calcutta, India, and joined classes at the Government College of Arts and Crafts. I spent those years studying the works of Monet, Manet, and Whistler and rigorously painting in different mediums. During my fifth and sixth year of study, I participated in two group exhibitions which focused on landscapes.

“After graduation in 1945, my father’s worries still persisted. He was concerned about how I would earn my living. We had come around full circle because, with or without an art degree, I was not confident about my future. Then, in 1946, my father called me and said, ‘Son, I have provided you with an education. I will support you for another six months but after that you’re on your own.’ The six months passed, I read English novels most of the time and sent in applications for jobs. Money stopped coming from home and I was still jobless. Now and then I would accept small commercial assignments. Fortunately, my luck turned in 1947 and a British advertising agency, D.J. Keymer, in Calcutta hired me.   

“I discovered that many of Calcutta’s intellectuals– writers, poets, and filmmakers–were involved in the agency. Among them were Satyajit Ray, Chittananda Das Gupta, and Subash Ganguli. In time Satyajit Ray became a world renowned filmmaker. Chittananda Das and Subash Ganguli became India’s highly reputed art critic and writer respectively. Working with them for the following five years was stimulating. From 1948 to the early 1950s, during my stay in Calcutta, I was a part of a growing movement in the creative arts. We founded a film society and watched movies banned in India at the embassies. In 1949, Russia’s leading film director Pudovekin, who made ‘Ivanhoe’ and the ‘Fall of Berlin,’ visited us. During this period, such an invigorating environment for artists did not exist in Nepal. Bal Krishna Sama, on his visit to Calcutta in 1949, was very pleased when I introduced him to Satyajit Ray.     

“I read English novels voraciously at this time. Because of my reading I seriously considered writing a novel in Nepali. My first novel, Muluk Bahira, ‘Beyond the Valley of Nepal’, was published in 1947. This is the first Nepali novel with persistent realism. My other novels in Nepali are Maita Ghar (1948), Langaro Ko Sathi (1949), and Spain Ko Samjhana (travelogue, 1964). Langaro Ko Sathi is about the friendship between a human and a dog and introduced the neo-realistic style in Nepal.     

“After staying in Calcutta, I set my sight on Paris where 75,000 students from all over the world went to study and paint. Through the advertising agency I made some money and, using this, I attended the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux Arts in Paris from 1952 to 1956. It was an important part of my life during which I, along with Indian contemporaries like Hussain, Padam Singh, and Krishna Reddy, tried to break into a new way of creating and expressing.” Before going to Paris, Bangdel visited London and met his future wife Manu in 1952. He had met her previously in Darjeeling but had not talked to her properly because of the strict social rules maintained by their parents. This time it was different. The couple wrote to each other, eventually fell in love, and got married in 1953.

In 1954, Bangdel had his first solo exhibition in Stuttgard, Germany. Other solo exhibitions followed in Paris (1955-1956), London (1959), Ohio (1968), Washington (1969), Philadelphia (1990), and several in Nepal. His main theme has been the figures of Nepalese women and children, which he portrays through abstract art. Bangdel may be, in fact, the first Nepali artist to introduce the abstract art movement in Nepal. He remembers his first exhibition in Nepal and says, “The event was inaugurated by His Majesty King Mahendra at Saraswati Sadan (no exhibition halls existed at this time) in 1962. I can imagine how strange my paintings with no definite form or figure may have seemed to the public. Overall, the exhibition was a success; the Ranas bought many of my paintings and I sold the highest priced painting for Rs. 5,000.    

“Towards the end of my studies in Paris, I experienced the most stunning moment of my life. I met Pablo Picasso and Georges Brague. Both were in their seventies. It was very difficult to get an appointment to meet Picasso. One afternoon, after lunch, I saw a group of Indian boys going out. When I asked them where they were going they replied, ‘To meet Picasso.’ I needed no bidding. We told the security guards we were leftists and they allowed us to see him. Picasso was wearing shorts, he looked very informal, relaxed and misheard Nepal for Naples. He signed an article for me and said we should continue working hard at our art. Brague was having an exhibition in Gallery Meight in Paris. A French friend and I went together to see it. We arrived during lunchtime, no one was present except for an old man who was formally dressed. Our first guess was that he could be no other than Brague. He was studying his paintings in the peace and quiet. We introduced ourselves and exchanged a friendly conversation. He also misheard Nepal for Naples but when I said Mt. Everest he understood instantly.    

“After completing my studies in Paris, I left for London and from 1958 to 1960 worked as deputy director for The Astral Art Group. During my stay in London, I also spent time with B.P. Koirala. Our acquaintance with each other started from our college days while both of us were studying in Calcutta. We used to meet during the Nepali Congress meetings where we shared long discussions regarding the party’s movement against the Rana regime. While he was in London, B.P. loved going to the galleries, concerts, and the theatre. Once we attended an art exhibition by Picasso. We waited from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the queue to buy tickets and, on entering the gallery, we were engulfed by a huge crowd. Finally at six o’clock we came out into the fresh air and B.P. said, ‘It’s funny Bangdel, now that I come to think of it, Picasso’s paintings remind me of the people’s faces inside–distorted, incomplete, and shapeless.’ Despite our tiredness, we were also hungry, he talked about my future. He said, ‘You must come to Nepal, Bangdel. We need people like you. In 1960, he visited London a second time as the prime minister of Nepal. Since he had a very busy schedule, we invited him for breakfast. He still insisted that I should come back to Nepal and assured me of a job.”

By now, Bangdel had spent two decades of his life in the field of art. Living thousands of miles away from Nepal, surrounded by the British shores, little did he know how he was to become involved in the Royal Nepal Academy’s activities. Meanwhile, the academy was founded in 1957 by His Majesty King Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev (he was also the chancellor).  

Bangdel was introduced to His Majesty in London by his class friend Rishikesh Shah. His Majesty had come on a state visit to England in 1961. When the King saw Bangdel, he smiled and said, “I already know him.”    

Bangdel explains: “Back in 1949, I was editing a literary journal called Prabhat. His Majesty had come to Calcutta and was staying at Darbhanga House; at that time he was the Crown Prince of Nepal. Forming a delegation, we went to meet His Majesty and discussed many issues. His Majesty still remembered that incident. I also met His Majesty on several other occasions in Calcutta.    

“During his state visit to England, His Majesty stayed at the Royal Nepalese Embassy. On the day of his departure he asked to see all the Nepalese students studying and working in England. After meeting everyone, I was asked to stay behind. His Majesty wished to see me alone. I stood solemnly before him and he asked me whether I had completed my studies. I replied, ‘Yes, Sarkar.’ Then very casually His Majesty asked me, ‘So when are you coming back to Nepal?’ My mind froze. I had never thought about this because I was quite happy living in London. I remained quiet and His Majesty repeated his question. I replied, ‘Sarkar, I would certainly like to come to Nepal but I am a painter. What would I do in an agricultural country like Nepal’ Apprehensively I added, ‘Sarkar, it is a matter of survival for me.’ His Majesty laughed replying, ‘Cannot I be responsible for you then?’ Later, I discussed the matter with Manu. She thought it was a good idea to return to Nepal and said, ‘We’ve got savings in the bank, if bad comes to worse we’ll come back to London.’    

“On the day of our arrival in Nepal (1961), Manu was given the post of matron at the Maternity Hospital and I was paid my first salary. Two months later, I was appointed the Head of the Faculty of Fine Arts at the Royal Nepal Academy. Thus, His Majesty’s promises to me were fulfilled.    “Then in 1963, the then Crown Prince, Birendra Bir Bikram Shah, established NAFA (Nepal Association of Fine Arts) and I became a member. The following year, I began to train eight young artists in designing and landscape painting and in copying the ancient sculptures of Nepal–that took five years.    

“In 1968, I went as a Fulbright visiting professor to Denison University in the US. Meanwhile, Bal Chandra Sharma was the vice chancellor of the Royal Nepal Academy. He was made Nepalese ambassador to Russia and Bal Krishna Sama the vice chancellor of the academy. His Majesty King Mahendra then decided to retire and Kedar Man Byathit was made chancellor.    

“After I returned from the US, Bal Krishna Sama retired and I was made acting vice chancellor. His Majesty King Mahendra died in 1971 and, the following year, I was summoned by the Janch Bujh Kendra to the Royal Palace. For one year, I worked with other officials to make overall constitutional changes in the academy. It was during this time that we established the Prithivi Pragya Puraskar (five yearly, Rs. 200,000), Tribhuwan Pragya Puraskar (three yearly, 150,000), Mahendra Pragya Puraskar (two yearly, 100,000), and Indra Rajya Pragya Puraskar (yearly, Rs. 50,000).    

“In 1972, Byathitji was replaced by Surya Bikram Gyawali and I was made vice chancellor. I looked over the departments of literature, art, music, drama, and the administration. Then, in 1977 Gyawaliji retired and I became the chancellor. I was responsible for the overall activities of the academy.    

“I feel that my biggest contributions towards the Royal Nepal Academy have been a dictionary, Brihat Sabdakosh, and 25 publications in different ethnic languages–all brought out to celebrate the academy’s golden jubilee in 1980. Delegations from the Soviet Union, Pakistan, China, Bangladesh, Korea, Japan, and India attended the celebrations.    

“My involvement with NAFA also increased about this time. One day a letter arrived from the palace requesting me to merge NAFA with the Royal Nepal Academy. I was uneasy regarding the unification. But NAFA was experiencing administrative problems and I resolved to reshape the association. We discovered that the accounts were in chaos, they hadn’t been audited for years. Meanwhile, I was re-appointed chancellor of the Royal Nepal Academy for a second term.    

“In 1985, I became the president of NAFA. It was a new beginning for the association. We had art exhibitions every year, organized cultural exchanges; it was a good time for our writers, artists, poets, dramatists, and musicians.     

“I then decided to open NAFA branches in Surkhet, Pokhara, and Biratnagar and made arrangements to buy land. Over three years, I visited these places, requested the Head of the Zone to help us purchase land, and provided funding to a group of young men to take care of the branch. Nothing materialized, however; the boys did not take the initiative to follow up on these activities. They expected one or the other to take up the responsibility. In the end, no one did. Today, when they meet me, they say, ‘Sir, if we had our own land, we would be secure. Now the prices have soared, we won’t be able to afford land.’ And I chide them, ‘What were you boys doing for three years while we were setting up the NAFA building in Kathmandu?’”Bangdel retired as chancellor of the Royal Nepal Academy in 1989.    

The creation of the Nepal Art Council is another feather in Bangdel’s cap. It all began in the early 1960s, when Babar Shumshere’s son casually mentioned establishing an art organization in Nepal, and agreed to donate Rs. 100,000 to start off the project. In 1963, Bangdel became the secretary of the Nepal Art Council and the then prime minister, Kirti Nidhi Bista, the chairperson. Afterwards, Babar Shumshere’s son decided to look for donors in the US and with the Rs. 100,000 bought Thangkas and used the remaining money for his trip. They were back to square one. A time came when they had to pay the office boy from their own pockets.     

They raised funds from the business sector; Golccha donated Rs. 20,000 and Dugar Rs. 15,000. After acquiring land in Babar Mahal for the gallery their biggest challenge remained: who would design the building? Bangdel volunteered and for three days he stayed at home to create a possible design. Every one approved the draft and the foundation was built. Woodcarvers and brick layers volunteered and merchants donated building materials. Today, Bangdel says proudly, “Local efforts have gone into creating the gallery, and this has been highly gratifying.”     

Bangdel’s career as an art scholar and researcher is extensive. He has published 14 books on Nepalese culture and art so far. Among them are Art and Architecture of Kathmandu Valley (UNESCO, 1977), Nepalese Painting, Nepal: A Conspectus (1977), An Early Sculpture of Gaja–Laksmi from Patan (1980), The Early Sculptures of Nepal (1982), and 2,500 Years of Nepalese Art (German edition, 1987). In 1981 he co-directed a cultural documentary ‘Jyapu’ in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution.     

As project director he compiled and catalogued all the stolen images of the Kathmandu Valley and published Stolen Images of Nepal in 1989 with funding from the Toyota Foundation, Japan. After this, he worked on establishing an inventory and archives of stone sculptures of the Kathmandu Valley and photographed all images in situ. Nineteen ninety-five saw the publication of Inventory of the Stone Sculptures of the Kathmandu Valley, which was funded by the Toyota Foundation.     

He was assigned as an advisor by the World Heritage Society, UNESCO; honorary director by Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust; and chief advisor to the Department of Archaeology, Kathmandu, Nepal in 1990 and from 1986 to 1992 was the chief advisor for the archaeological excavations at Hadigaon, Kathmandu under ISMEO, Rome, Italy. During the excavations, 52 ancient stone sculptures dating from the first century BC to the fourth century AD were discovered in Kathmandu; the findings have added a new chapter to the history of Nepalese art.  

His books and research have earned him a reputation internationally and he has given talks on Nepalese culture and art at Harvard University, Ohio State University in the US, and in the University of Rome, University of Milan, and Bologna University in Italy.     

Bangdel explains his interest: “One of my classes in the Government College of Arts and Crafts in Calcutta included going to the museum and copying old Indian art sculptures. I found this part of my course quite difficult but today I understand its underlying importance–it has taught me to appreciate the value of ancient works. At present, I want to write a book on The Bronzes of Nepal, secondly The Development of Vaisnava Teonography from the Kubana period in Nepal, and thirdly The Romance of the Divine Couple–Uma-Maheskvara.     

Thirty-seven years have passed since Bangdel’s first art exhibition in Nepal. He feels that there has been slow progress among Nepalese artists. “Our artists lack the most basic requirement–English language skills. Since most good, qualified books or magazines are in English, many Nepalese students whose proficiency in English is poor have great difficulty in absorbing and understanding information. As a result, they develop less interest in reading extensively, which inhibits their knowledge and outlook towards their work. Comparatively, Indian artists are well educated, well-read, and communicate confidently. How can our society have high esteem for its new generation of artists if they have no intellectual backing?     

“Although an aspect of Nepalese culture is embedded in creativity, taking into account the stone carving, woodwork, and Thangka or Paubha painting that goes on, fine arts as a subject is still undermined on a broad scale in Nepal. Since the democratic movement, no government has responded to our needs. Despite its unpopularity, we were at least supported during the partyless system. 

“India’s art scenario has transformed tremendously within the last 10 to 15 years. Artists are revered in the same category as writers or journalists. Today, they sell their paintings in their own country; they do not have to rely on the foreign market. In Nepal, however, the purchase of commodities is prioritized. It will take some time for families in Nepal to feel less reservations about spending money on a painting or photograph.”    

Bangdel is skeptical of Nepal’s educational system in fine arts. “The present educational program in Lalit Kala Campus (the only art education institution in Nepal) hardly allows time for students to become well-grounded in their vocation. Many students have a fixation on just passing exams. Gradually, they lose their artistic vigor under academic pressure and actually learn very little. I also studied art in Calcutta. We studied and practiced hard from morning to evening. This discipline kept our minds active; we enjoyed what we learned. Besides, students at Lalit Kala Campus can only study up to the bachelor’s level. The campus does not offer a master’s degree. I believe that with a fine arts’ University in Nepal, many students will be able to study art in a different light and give their best performance.”     

Bangdel has unswervingly committed every phase of his life to art, so it comes as no surprise to know that he was awarded the Birendra Gold Medal in 1965 and the Gorkha Daksina Bahu in 1982. Countries like India, Italy, France, Great Britain, and Spain have honored him with decorations like the Dulichand Gold Medal (1966), the Commandatore (1985), National Order of Arts and Letters (1985), Commander of the Victorian Order (1987), and Grand Cruz (1988). His latest art project was the painting competition he sponsored for the Nepal Art Council. The winner received a cash prize of Rs. 25,000, the runner-up Rs. 15,000, and second runner-up Rs. 10,000. In addition, six consolation prizes of Rs. 8,000 each were offered to candidates aged from 15 to 20. At seventy-five, Bangdel’s foremost desire is to see his endeavors continued. He concludes: “Although making the art competition a yearly event would boost many young artists, getting funds for it will be difficult. I hope art lovers will come forward and contribute to a cause that will be in the nation’s best interest."