Kathmandu, Mar. 12: The ‘Nepali Caricature 2080 Exhibition’ began at the Nepal Academy (NAFA) of Fine Arts on Sunday.

The exhibition is jointly organised by the Nepal Academy of Fine Arts and the Cartoonist Club of Nepal. 

The leading cartoonist, Mohan Shyam Maharjan ‘Khokna’ inaugurated the exhibition.

Devendra Kumar Kafle ‘Thumkeli’, member secretary of the NAFA, said that the exhibition has been running since 2074BS.

 He emphasised the need to further develop the art of cartoon/caricature and urged everyone to contribute to organising and enhancing such programmes.

Out of the 33 artworks participating in the competition, the first, second, and third prizes were awarded to three artworks that met the selection and evaluation criteria.

Anup Gurung (Kuldeep Jung Bahadur Gurung) won the first prize, Anisha Bhandari secured the second prize and Bishwa Thapa Magar received the third prize. 

The first prize carries a purse of Rs. 15,000 while the second and third prizes carry purses of Rs. Rs.12,000, and Rs.8,000 respectively.

Avin Shrestha, the outgoing president of the Cartoonists Club of Nepal, had presented a working paper on ‘Nepali Caricature from ‘Wooden Blocks to AI’ during the programme.

He discussed the evolution of caricature art from its early days to modern times, incorporating technologies and trends, and delving into the opportunities and challenges posed by AI. 

Shrestha remarked that despite the advancements from wood block technology to AI, most Nepali caricature artists have shown commendable proficiency, emphasising the importance of skilled artistry in creating caricature art.

Basu Kshitij, the president of the Cartoonist Club of Nepal, emphasised the significance of such programmes in elevating caricature in Nepal. 

He expressed his opinion that caricature has a great potential to offer career opportunities in various fields, including the commercial sector.

Caricatures of artists including Avin Shrestha, Akrin Adhikari, Anisha Bhandari, Anup Gurung, Arpita Shakya, Ashokman Singh, Baman Chalise, Basu Kshitij, Bhanu Bhattarai, Binay Bhandari,  Bishwa Thapa, Chetan Gautam, Devendra Thumkeli, Harisharan Dhungana, Keshab Raj Khanal, Mahesh Bastakoti, Manara Prajapati, NB Gurung and Sudarshan Sigdel are on display. 

The exhibition that began on Sunday will continue until March 14.