With over 600 artworks, the 2023 National Exhibition is the most ambitious yet

Nepal Academy of Fine Arts’ annual exhibit brings in artworks from all over the country. This time around, installations steal the show.

A wooden figure rests on a chair fashioned out of metal rods used during construction. The faceless figure slumps over the cold metal surface, its body wounded and unpolished. The title of the installation: ‘Khaadi Ma Nepali’ or ‘Nepalis in the Middle East’ by Dipendra Pun Magar. The display feels particularly cathartic because of the exodus of the Nepali workforce to the Middle East and the subsequent exploitation and dehumanisation they face on a daily basis. From the blatant extravagance of the Qatar World Cup to daily news reports of trapped, overworked and underpaid workers awaiting rescue, this particular artwork alludes to a bleak reality the nation and its citizens are currently facing.