Lain S. Bangdel

Lain Bangdel is the former Chancellor of the Royal Nepal Academy and a renown scholar, novelist and painter. In addition to being a leading authority on Nepali art, Bangdel was responsible for introducing the modern trend of Western art into Nepal with his pioneering one-man exhibition in Kathmandu in 1962. Bangdel was born in 1924 in Darjeeling, India to a family from Eastern Nepal. He spent his youth in a Himalayan village and, later, graduated with a degree in Fine Arts from the Government College of Arts and Crafts in Calcutta in 1945. In 1952, he traveled to Europe where he associated with the likes of Picasso and Braques and made a name for himself as an artist with his distinctive, non-traditional Nepali style. Bangdel stayed in Europe until he was invited by the king to work in Nepal in 1961. From 1968-69, he was a Fulbright Professor at Denison University in Ohio and taught Nepali History of Art. He was elected to head the Royal Nepal Academy in 1972 and, during his term, dedicated himself to further research of Nepali art and architecture. In the years from 1982 to 1989, he published three works, including "Stolen images of Nepal," which inspired the creation of this site. His many accolades include the "Commendatore" from the Italian Government for his contribution in the field of Arts and the "National Order of Arts and Letters" from the Republic of France (France's highest honor in the field of Arts). In addition, he was awarded Knight Commander of Victorian Order by Great Britain. Since his retirement from the Royal Nepal Academy, Bangdel has engaged with renewed effort and success in his painting activities.

Mother and Child

Text by Hilary Allen

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