How Ishuta Shrestha found her calling in the fierce imagery of Paubha
Summary
Ishuta Shrestha discovered her connection to the ancient Newa art of Paubha after recognizing a sacred image in her grandfather’s room, inspiring her exhibition at Patan Museum. The show explores wrathful deities, compassion and wisdom, and how disciplined practice shaped her artistic path.
Key Points
- Ishuta Shrestha found her calling in Paubha after identifying a fading painting in her grandfather’s room as Candamahārosana, a wrathful Buddhist deity.
- Her exhibition ABHYĀSA: Tradition in Making opened at the Patan Museum and features works from Drawing Room’s Paubha workshops and advanced course.
- Shrestha uses her art to challenge Western misreadings of wrathful deities as merely scary or evil, framing them as symbols of fierce protection and transformation.
- Drawing Room cofounder Sanjeev Maharjan and mentor Narendra Malla say the workshops have opened Paubha to people from diverse professional backgrounds.
