Trains connecting India and Nepal have always promoted trade and fostered socio-cultural relationships. However, for Nepalese artist Uma Shankar Shah, steam-powered trains are a part of his childhood memories.
In his first solo show in Delhi, titled “Roti -Beti”, Shah uses the old-world charm of steam-powered trains, Bollywood posters and Hindu deities common to both the nations to create a story of nostalgia and belonging.
The show, organised by Gallerie Ganesha, comprises paintings, etchings and an on-site installation of an 18-foot-long train replete with people and a platform inside the gallery premises.
The 51-year-old artist said the Nepalese have been astonished by trains ever since their introduction in India by the British and that the trains became the symbol of a search for new life in their hearts. He added that the establishment of Indian Railways benefited Nepal too, as a number of financial opportunities with India were created.
According to Shah, the public was so intrigued by this system that people would climb on top of the goods that such trains carried. All these anecdotes find a place in his paintings which are pieced together as a collage of influences, some of which have political undertones.
“In the 40 years that I have grown up with these trains, I have developed a sense of empathy with them, so much so that I feel as if I can understand the happiness, sadness, uselessness and loneliness of these machines. And this is what I have presented in these works,” he said.
In “Roti-Beti”, Shah says he had depicted the twin inspiration for this show.
The first, that trains gave the people their livelihood ( roti ). The second, the fact that many Indian women migrated to Nepal after marriage ( beti ). In fact, by portraying many such women in wedding finery at railway stations, he also wanted to bring to light the lack of their political rights in Nepal.
Bollywood film posters also find space on his canvas, another symbol of his childhood memories.
“The cinema hall in Janakpur had just started and the first place these posters were put up was at the railway station. I was fascinated with these posters. Nargis, Manoj Kumar, Madhubala were my favourite actors,” he added.
Apart from depicting trains, Shah has also done a series of paintings depicting the beautiful landscape of Nepal. Titled “Cityscapes”, he turned to this series in the aftermath of the Nepal earthquake. He said he had been working on trains since 2014, but when the quake happened, he felt compelled to pay homage to his beautiful country.
The show is on at Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre, till April 24 between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m.
