K14-thebe

Opening speech by Sangeeta Thapa - KCAC co-director

Your Excellency, The Ambassador Of Britain to Nepal H.E.Mr. Andy Sparkes, H.E Mr Marcos Duprat the Brazillian Ambassador to Nepal, Distinguished Guests , Friends and Patrons of the Arts , Sponsors, Artists and Members of the Media

On behalf of the Siddhartha Art Gallery, I would like to welcome everyone to this thought provoking exhibition by Subash Thebe. A special welcome to our chief guest, His Excellency Mr. Andy Sparkes the British Ambassador to Nepal and to all the members of the Nepal Britain Society. This exhibition is part of the ongoing program that is being held to celebrate 200 years of Nepal Britain relations, and to mark the 50th anniversary of Nepal Britain Society –

Subash Thebe is the recipient of the KCAC Scholarship Award 2014, along with Koshal Hamal who graduated from Beacon House National University in Lahore Pakistan.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Kathmandu Contemporary Arts Centre or KCAC – this non profit foundation was established in 2009 in collaboration with British artist Celia Washington. The KCAC 's studios are located in the historic Patan Museum – we have a community art library with over 3000 art books and we accept any art books that you may wish to donate. Thanks to Celia, KCAC has held to two important exhibitions of contemporary Nepali art at the prestigious Royal Overseas League in London, one of which was inaugurated by the Duchess of Cornwall in 2010.

Since 2010, KCAC has provided a modest bursary, studio space and exhibiting opportunities to a number of Nepali artists : Sanjeev and Sunita Maharjan, Soni Sakya (who is now in Australia), Manish Harizan and Mekh Limbu . Koshal will be exhibiting his work in December of this year.

Visiting artists from USA, UK, Netherlands, Iceland, France, Germany, Spain, Australia, New Zealnd (Tiffany Singh from New Zealand- where r u?) Korea, Palestine and Israel have come to further their practice as artists at KCAC's and to explore Nepal's rich cultural heritage. We have also hosted talks, workshops and community art projects in collaboration with our visiting artists .

Subash Thebe lives and works in London – in 2011 he graduated from Middlesex University and has recently been accepted to the prestigious Central Saint Martin's College of Art and Design, University of the Arts London. After seeing the works of Gerhard Richter, Anselm Kiefer and most notably Jason Martin, he began to explore abstraction and created paintings, inspired by classical music.

When Subash reached out to me expressing his interest to show case his works in Nepal I was really excited as I had following his work on facebook. Subash's works are already being represented by the Degree Art Gallery in London, which promotes the works of emerging artists. The paintings in this exhibition are specially priced for Nepal- so this indeed a good opportunity to invest in his work.

Thebe’s recent works are engaged in multiple themes and discourses; climate change, the flow of music, and the way mainstream media operates. He exploring the issue of free press, can the media ever be free of vested interest, what are the ramifications of uploading classified data into a public domain –what happens when we look at the metadata or the data behind the data -

Before I invite Mrs Pratima Pande, President of the Nepal Britain Society to say a few words – there are few people I need to thank – the Siddhartha Art Gallery and KCAC team - Nischal Oli who wrote the text for the catalogue, the Kathmandu Post – for their generous half page ad in the Post, Inveenio wines and Pashupati paints. A very special thanks to Nepal Britain Society for sponsoring Subash's catalogue.

Incidentally, Mrs. Pande is a well known collector and promoter of the arts and has been a great supporter of the work that the Siddhartha Art Gallery and KCAC have been doing.

I would now like to invite His Excellency the British Ambassador, who has taken time off his busy schedule to support the arts – to introduce the artist

I would now like to invite the artist Subash Thebe to talk about his work…

An Introduction to SUBASH THEBE’s exhibition

BACKGROUND

In 2002, the United States of America enacted the Sarbanes Oxley Act to prevent financial irregularities in light of the scandals at WorldCom and Enron. More importantly, and unprecedented at the time, the act also made certain provisions to protect whistleblowers. Through the act, the American government upheld rights of an ethical individual to testify against corrupt authorities without risking their livelihood or possible prosecution.

A few years later, Julian Assange, an Australian activist, with the help of a team of journalists, publications and likeminded individuals launched the Wikileaks website in 2006. This international journalistic site boasts the largest collection of classified documents in the world, which was available for all to access freely.The site’s main goal was to make the public aware of “original source material alongside [Wikileaks’] news stories, so readers and historians alike can see evidence of the truth.” By releasing these classified documents or #metadata, Assange and his team eventually incurred the wrath of the world’s most powerful governments.Like the Sarbanes Act, Wikileaks tried to keep government whistleblowers ramifications of the leaks reveal otherwise. Today, Assange, Bradley Manning and Edward Snowden are household names. Their identities have been publicly dissected, Manning is in incarceration whereas, Snowden's and Assange’s movements have been severely restricted. They have been branded "traitors" or enemies of the state.

The mission of the Wikileak's team was driven by the need to unravel the truth, to emphasize on the need for political transparency and to expose how the masses have been continuously manipulated by western governments and mainstream media in shaping and directing public consensus.

The United Kingdom, America’s closest ally, became a pivotal player during the height of the Wikileaks disclosures. The fact that Assange is still in hiding at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London and The Guardian’s proactive stance on publishing stories brought out by Wikileaks sources speaks volumes about the strains between the two states, as well as the silence that is prevalent in most media agencies about a government's transgressions. Above all these leaks have revealed that there is a sharp discrepancy between what is being reported and what the truth actually is, and that we have become mere pawns in a greater game that is controlled by a hierarchy that guards, controls and manipulates the data for its own political agenda.

Subash Thebe, is UK based artist who has been intellectually and artistically engaged by the Wickileaks expose. Thus, his series #metadata becomes a personal quest to understand the complexity of mass media, general perspectives coupled with governmental regulation of information. #metadata is layered, instigated by the question: what happens when you observe others’ observations?

The Higher Powers Command: Paint Upper Right Corner Red! opens #metadata, is a triptych that highlights the artist’s recent interest in contemporary issues. The triptych, made up of steel panels is first covered by oil paints – once sets, Thebe then employs a fine comb-like movement that is repeated to link the three works. The diabolical momentum that is created within the dark secretive expanse of these artworks has been inspired by the process work of London-born painter Jason Martin. Martin’s monochromatic paintings, created with spontaneity and vigor, have blurred the lines between painting and sculpture and greatly influenced Thebe’s earlier works which are also included in the series.

However, the content of the triptych, refers to another great master, the German painter Sigmar Polke. Polke, along with fellow artist Gerhard Richter, was one of the founders of the Capitalist Realism movement, whose works (and of those who followed suite) were both ironic and satirical. Capitalist Realism was a reaction to the art world that had been taken over by the rise of commodity based art forms like Pop Art and the price-tags fetched by contemporary painters.

Polke’s influential piece The Higher Powers Command: Paint Upper Right Corner Black is the main reference to Thebe’s triptych. While the original made light of works by hard-edge painter Ellsworth Kelly, reflecting on how modern practices of image production were not in touch with its actual potential to create change. Similarly, Thebe appropriates from Polke’s ideologies the need to be self-reflective. As an artist who previously was dedicated to creating process artwork Thebe here makes his commitment to understanding the purpose of art, known.

Have You Seen Me? is only one of two non-abstract paintings presented within #metadata. TIME magazine’s iconic “Person of the Year” cover is depicted with a grey and innocuous portrait of a Nabila Rehman, a young Pakistani girl who died in a US drone attack, a few months after the Malala Yousafzai case. Colorful script approximates the layout of the actual magazine's cover page- the portrait is posterized with sudden changes in tonal variations, affording just enough details to a lesser known individual. Rehman, like MalalaYousafzai, was a victim of the “War on Terror,” but her story was not widely featured because the perpetrators in her case were not the Taliban but the Americans. Likewise, the second portrait in the series is of Snowden, with the words “traitor” super-imposed over the face. Unlike Rehman’s portrait, Thebe's portrait of an expressionless Snowden with glazed eyes is symbolically grounded against an all encompassing background of black. With these two socio-political portraits, Thebe links his work to the workings of the mass media conglomerates, thus exploring the fanatical and cult-manufacturing mechanisms that are involved in creating the personas of idols or individuals. Through his calculated selection of colors, Thebe manages to provide undertones of conflict between the actual subjects and their construed personas as dispensed by news agencies.

In the paintings Yes It was Worth It I & II and Crazy Horse, Thebe again restricting his palette to greys, whites and blacks. Rehman lost her mother to a drone attack, Crazyhorse, a reference to the “Collateral Murder” video posted by Wikileaks, too is about loss and death. With the selection of colors, Thebe transforms his abstract landscapes into the decay of war torn regions where media discrepancy is most observable.

In his series Thought Contol Op. 2-5, a selection of quotes runs through the works. These statements come from various sources including speeches, published articles and personal communication. The idea expressed there in are simultaneously echoed by the abstract background worlds of Thebe, which cover themes of racial prejudices, commercialization of the mass media and superficial reportage based on representative opinions.

The Etude series compromises of smaller paintings made in the UK by the artist and showcasesThebe’s earlier style. Like Martin’s layered painting and thick paint, this sub-series encapsulates the spirit of the artist as a medium, and as a syncretic reaction to the music that the artist was listening to during its creation. Full of colors and textures with free movement, rhythmic strokes of oscillating energy, Etude is most likely the closest the viewer will get to understanding the artist behind the creation. Particularly, Etude Op. 8, which uses a mirror as a surface and as a shared artistic space within which the viewer can also see themselves.

My Boots is Thebe’s earliest work being presented with the #metadataseries. Thebe's father and grandfather were both Gurkha soldiers in the British army- the boots are thus very personal to the artist and is representative of the anxiety of communal identities that are prevalent within certain ethnicities in Nepal.

In this interview, we talk to Thebe about life as an artist, from his background & influences to his artistic process which has led to exhibitions in London & Kathmandu & recently a scholarship to the prestigious Saint Martin’s College of Art. He talks of his solutions to the practical problems facing artists & provides insights gained through learning in two different countries on how young artists can develop their own work as well as help improve their local art scene.

• How was the experience of being artist in residence at KCAC? Please tell us about your current activities there. Being artist in residence at KCAC, was one of the most exciting and interesting experiences vis-à-vis my past artistic involvement. The studio at KCAC, at the back garden of Patan Musuem is one of the best spaces I have ever worked. You could literally feel the cool & refreshing ambience the greenery yields over there & makes you forget the scorching summer of Kathmandu. Moreover, the residency helped me to realize my exhibition that preceded it. Besides the exhibition, I have been doing some talk programmes in the museum & schools though most of the time, I pretty much enjoyed my stay with friends & family.

• In previous interviews you have shed lights on what art schools need to do to improve art education in Nepal.What can young people do, right now, to improve the local art scene? Yes, I believe there should be a reform in art education in Nepal to compete with graduates around the world. It would be really beneficial if we/young people could think & practice beyond the out-dated course curriculums & align ourselves with the contemporary art world. We should actively participate in exchanging new ideas & thoughts, pass on constructive criticism & comments & continue the dialogue to make our local art scene more vibrant & interesting. In addition, one could make the most of internet, go through intense research, observation & reach out to the worldwide platform.

You’ve mentioned you chose art & music over your community’s military tradition. What was your family’s reaction to this? What would you say to young artists who face a similar dilemma? The British Gurkha military tradition is nearly 200 years old & has been a substantial social fabric of our community. My parents were not that critical of my indifference toward this tradition, though they would have preferred me to pursue science, engineering or commerce where there is more chance of employment after graduation. By the time I decided to follow art as a career, they had already succumbed to my persistence & passion. Whichever tradition one may belong to, one should follow the dream she/he believes can one day realise.

• You have been chosen as KCAC’s artist in residence, your work has been displayed in several galleries in London & Kathmandu & have now received a scholarship to the prestigious Saint Martin’s College. Looking back to your life, what were the factors that brought you this success? The recent scholarship (Vice Chancellor’s International Scholarship) to study in the University of The Arts London at Central Saint Martin’s College of Art & Design has been the most exciting thing that has happened to me till now. It would not be enough thanking KCAC and Siddhartha gallery, the residency & exhibition, which eased my stay in a creative and prolific way. They have given me an opportunity to showcase my talent in my home country. Looking back, I find, the love of creating art, believing in yourself, persistence, hard work & the support of family & friends, to be the most positive aspect that has helped me continue my practice.

• Please tell us about your recent trip to Mustang to see the cave paintings. We had planned to trek Annapurna circuit. But because of the monsoon & the temptation to visit the sky caves, we instead ended up walking through the Kali Gandaki valley in Upper Mustang. The barren cliffs of Mustang holds over 10,000 caves that date back over 2000 years. And some have paintings related to Buddhism inside.

We went to visit one of them near Koncholing village (a few kms north-east from Lo Manthang) which was only discovered few years back by a local herdsman.

As much as inspiring to see those 13th century paintings of Tara and Buddha’s teaching, it was a death-defying walk of my life when a six-inch trail with 100m cliffs on both sides lay ahead to my fright. Besides the thrill, I really enjoyed the art. Although I practice contemporary art, I find traditional artworks very interesting & believe that they should be treated with immense care & respect. The cave paintings were of great significance but in a historical & cultural aspect than the artistic ones that I find fascinating.

• One of my artist friends, Asis Rai, before seeing the title of your Etude Op. Series, could sense an “electric, almost aural feel” in it. How are you able to translate your concepts so well into actual brush strokes? Thanks to your friend! I painted the Etude series solely based on music; especially classical, while listening to a certain piece. Sound is basically waves of energy that vibrate travelling through air. I used this idea of repetition of waves & merged it with my artistic skills with the help of music which is a sound energy too. I guess the rest was up to the different spectrum of sound energy of a particular music that affected my consciousness while listening to it.

• Have you ever faced “artist’s block”? How do you deal with it? I am not sure if it is an “artist’s block” but I get stuck quite often, sometimes in middle of painting & at other times before starting. Most of the times it is about the various possible ways of executing an artwork. If I cannot decide promptly, I divert myself towards non-sense chat with friends or go for a drink among many other recreational indulgences! Basically, I stop working & try not to think about it.

• Noam Chomsky appears in many of your discussions. Which other thinkers and artists do you concur with and why? I refer Chomsky for the sheer academic reason, that is, I can relate my works with his astounding research as a background & literary support. Apart from Chomsky, most of the time, I rely on the works of investigative journalists & independent news channels for my research. Edward Said, Robert Frisk, John Pilger & Tariq Ali are some of the writers I find highly important. I like the works of artists like The Yes Men, Mirnah Bamiehand Ai WeI Wei. These artists & writers have merged their practice with the socio-political issues of our times & try to change the way we perceive history, which I can relate with my latest series of works on criticism/observation of western mainstream media.

"[ARTISTS] HAVE STIRRED OUR GREY MATTER AND QUESTIONED OUR CONSCIENCE AND HUMANITY. I GUESS THAT IS QUITE A BIG THING TO ACHIEVE"

• In your artist’s statement, you’ve said that you want to explore the question of whether art have a moral obligation to address social issues. From your recent works, can we assume that your answer is ‘Yes’? Yes. I think art has a moral obligation to address social issues though it can bring apt changes or not is a different topic. I always believe that art has more to offer than the aesthetical values. May it be the The Yes Men’s BBC interview about Bhopal chemical disaster; Mirnah’s impressions of Palestine; or Ai Wei Wei’s massive installation of thousands of school bags, they have stirred our grey matter and questioned our conscience and humanity. I guess that is quite a big thing to achieve.

UK registered charity 1121118

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Subash Thebe

scholarship artist 2015