Cartoonist Anup Tamu Gurung: A Visual Artist Critiquing Politics and Society

Kathmandu. The third edition of the Nepal Premier League is grandly underway at the TU International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur. However, Karnunist Anup Tamu Gurung has not been particularly affected by the NPL. This is because his most favorite game is politics. He quietly observes the game of political players more closely than the performance of NPL players. Anup is a cartoonist and visual artist from Nepal, who especially makes cartoons with sharp satire on contemporary politics, social anomalies, and international events. A few centimeters of line drawing, sometimes drawn in a corner of a newspaper or online media, can sometimes shake the stage of power itself, disturb the sleep of rulers, and force society to think. After seeing some of his cartoons, some people have threatened to kill him. Many have expressed anger and rage. But his journey has not been stopped by fear and threats, nor will it be stopped. Listening to Anup's words, his words sound as deep and philosophical as his cartoons. He is not just an 'artist' who draws satire for newspapers and online, but also an independent thinker who sees life, relationships, money, and politics through his own unique lens. He says he is satisfied with his earnings as a cartoonist and visual artist in Nepal. Anup explains the character of money in his own style. According to him, people with a lot of money are chased by money itself, which does not allow them to live or sleep peacefully. People with little money are forced to run after money their whole lives. Anil wants to be free from both extremes. He does not want to run after money, nor does he want money to chase him. Instead, he wants to make himself so excellent in work and creation that money itself runs after him. In today's time, his main goal is not to accumulate money in his bank account, but to earn people and relationships. Anup's father spent about 40 years in the teaching profession. One incident from his time living in a rented room in Kathmandu always remains fresh in Anup's mind. When his father's old student Chandrashekhar came to visit his respected teacher in the rented room, the room was small. He became emotional. That very student, showing immense respect for his teacher, arranged for land and helped build a house. That incident taught Anil a lesson – the value of respect and human relationships is many times greater than money. He now earns a good income from artistry and creative work. However, he is not one to be content with this. He feels that he has not yet been able to fully spread his creative wings, and his solo exhibitions are yet to happen. Anup's interest is equally deep in studies and world cinema. His study journey, which began in adolescence with Modnath Prashrit's books on human civilization, has reached Yuval Noah Harari's 'Sapiens' through Paulo Coelho's 'The Alchemist'. He describes the feeling of many lights in his brain turning on at once after reading 'Sapiens', and he is currently studying senior journalist Kishore Nepal's 'Mero Samaya'. Along with his studies, Anup enjoys watching classic films from around the world. He makes an interesting argument: if Leonardo da Vinci or Michelangelo were alive today, they would not be painters, but film directors, because cinema is the complete art of the present era, encompassing photography, music, literature, and acting. This hunger also fuels his dream of formally studying film direction in the future and venturing into directing. Most people frown upon politics, calling it a 'dirty game', but for Anup, politics is the most delicious game in the world. In his view, the wins and losses in sports are momentary. However, in politics, a wrong decision can ruin the future of a person, an entire community, and the country. He considers it a game of life and death. Among the characters in politics, he likes BP Koirala and Madan Bhandari. Among contemporary leaders, Gagan Thapa's sharpness and style seem different from others. He has a nature of not flattering anyone and not compromising his self-respect. He feels that the ultimate desire of this creator, who dissects the anomalies of society and power, is not to build a magnificent palace; but to win the hearts of common people through art and remain a free citizen. At one time, Anup went to Singapore for employment. He spent 3 years there working on a ship. His earnings in dollars were also good. But his interest in painting was so great that he returned to Nepal and started studying. He was honored with 'Nepal Bidyabhushan Ga' in 2069 BS for receiving a gold medal in the Fine Arts stream at Tribhuvan University. Similarly, he was honored with the Laxmi Gurung Journalism Award (Cartoonist category) from the Tamo Communication Association Nepal. His cartoons are published in media outlets such as Thahakhabar online and Nepali Times.