In Conversation with Gaurab Thakali

Illustrator Gaurab Thakali’s exhibition at Nepenthes London begins on Friday, June 6th. We spoke to the accomplished Nepali artist for some insight into his inspirations and long-running practice.

Nepenthes London: When did you begin drawing and painting?

Gaurab: I have been drawing and painting for the last eighteen years. It began when I was studying at college; it was a way of recording and reflecting on the time when my family and I moved to the UK from Nepal. Leaving behind my friends, family and the life that I had built up to that point made adjusting to a new home a little bit harder. Drawing and painting gave me the time and space necessary to understand and adapt to the changes.

Nepenthes London: What inspired you to start drawing?

Gaurab: It was the process of drawing itself. Being in a solitary state of mind and making something was quite fulfilling, relaxing and therapeutic, and led to other inspirations. It was always a vehicle to express or record things happening around me, whether music, characters, places or interactions. Being exposed to a lot of visuals from a young age — ancient folk art from Nepal, as well as the modern art and graphic art found in books and comics — also inspired me.

Nepenthes London: Can you point to some of your current inspirations?

Gaurab: At the moment, I'm making a lot of work inspired by observation of people, mythical characters, translations of stories, and experiments with screen printing. Travelling back to Kathmandu and Mustang, the areas I grew up in, gives me the biggest inspiration. I have spent the last few years drawing and sketching whilst travelling in Nepal, and that has been a refreshing experience, and revitalised the practices that I first took up. Drawing en plein air and translating those sketches into printmaking and adding more to it in the studio has been a refreshing experience.

Nepenthes London: Your work tends to feature a lot of characters. What draws you to including figures in your work?

Gaurab: I believe it comes naturally to me to have people and their character in my drawings. It may come from the fact that I have always lived in busy cities. We come across so many people from different walks of life and so many interactions. It feels important to represent the feelings of the people around, whether it's joyous or sad. Representing and characterising those emotions has become an integral part of my practice.

Nepenthes London: You show consistent colour choice in your work. Why do you use the same palette across your practice?

Gaurab: The consistency in my colour palette perhaps comes from the use of specific tones that are malleable in creating new colours when they are overlaid in the screen printing process. Instead of printing lots of layers, I practice using fewer colours and try to create variation by overlaying. This process keeps the tone of the image consistent and leaves room for experimentation. A lot of the base colours I use are inspired by traditional colours used in Nepali art.

Nepenthes London: What made you want to exhibit at our store?

Gaurab: Having followed Nepenthes for a while and having visited the company’s Tokyo locations, it was great when the opportunity came up to show new pieces in the London store. The company has a long tradition of artistic direction and dedication to craftsmanship, and I think that aligns with what I adhere to in my practice. I feel this new series of prints and select garments displayed alongside each other in the beautifully designed store will complement each other very well.

Nepenthes London: The works you’re presenting at our store are new; can you explain more of the context behind what’s being shown?

Gaurab: The work being presented is a series of seven new screen prints. All the drawings were developed from sketches created during my trips to Nepal over the last three years. The prints are a reflection and remembrance of the country I grew up in. They are also an homage to the artistic heritage of Nepal’s mountainous northern region, where brightly painted characters, patterns and landscape imagery adorns houses, clothing and ornaments. These new pieces are a way of connecting with and preserving a flourishing relationship with the culture and the landscape.

The exhibition will be available to view for two weeks from Friday, June 6th.

An opening reception with the artist will be hosted on Thursday 5th, from 5pm – 9pm. Complimentary drinks provided by Wise Wolf, Mud House and Ghost Lab will be available.

Photographs courtesy of Bobby Tsang.