A man is never born in a vacuum. He belongs to someone, someplace. He inherits cultural beliefs, social values and customs from the place he was born and raised. His childhood leaves an indelible impact on anyone. And I am not an exception, says Kapil Mani Dixit. Kapil’s upbringing in Nepal combined with his experiences from his educational sojourn in the U.S. make him a versatile artist – the one who mixes and matches the best from the east and the west. 

  To a layman, it takes a good amount of time to understand and appreciate his recent series of artwork. His paintings are dark, deep and desolate. Yes, that is what you see in his art – desolate and nude human figures splashed in dark colors. When I saw his artwork in the gallery, I presumed that he is a pessimist to an extent. I, myself, being an optimist, did not realize how deceptive art can be until I met him in person and get to know him better.

  Like any one who sees education as a means for better life and opportunity, he leaves for the United States with lofty goals and idealism from his country Nepal only to realize that the reality is brutal and painful. With the baggage of learning about new country, culture, language and education system, Kapil says, for him, art was his ultimate resource – a medium where he could converse with himself and express his feelings, sentiments and anxiety.

  When I visited his house, I was amazed to see the bright collection of art work he had produced, mostly gods and goddesses of Nepal. Upon inquiry, Kapil says, “when I am in the mode, my instinct chooses the color and I just play my brushes around. I think it also depends on different times in my life. My initial art work is bright and my latter series carry much darker shades.” Realizing how different and unique his artwork are from the one you see in other galleries from the U.S. by American artists, I ask him whether he thinks of catering to the interest of the art lovers in the U.S. His genuine and honest answer was very touching tome. “I am who I am. I cannot deny myself and enjoy life. Though I love to see my career flourish, but not at the cost of bargaining or altering my self identity. People would love art for art sake, no matter it is different in taste or style.”

  His love for his motherland is awe-inspiring. “Even while living here, I have been promoting Nepali art and culture in my own capacity. It is a small step but at least I took a step. That matters to me the most”, says Kapil. His art series on God Ganesha – the God devoted to wisdom and wealth – speaks true to what he says. He has actively participated in all American Nepali Associations meetings and has displayed his art to the general public, both Nepali and the other artists. “My life as an artist is not easy here. But I do see many opportunities for my growth as an artist here.” In spite of his own financial problems, he had a god-sent heart – noble, benevolent and genuine. He donated more than fifteen of his paintings for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. “I just did what an artist can do. If my art work can be used for benevolent cause, my art will live for ever. ”, said Kapil.

(By: Leena Shrestha)