Ragini Upadhyaya

Last updated
Ragini Upadhyaya
रागिनी उपाध्याय
Born (1959-11-09) 9 November 1959 (age 64)
Kathmandu, Nepal
NationalityNepalese
Other namesRagini Upadhyaya Grela
EducationBachelor in Fine Arts
Alma materLucknow College of Arts
Occupation(s)Fine Art, philanthropy
Years active1979–present
Organization Nepal Academy of Fine Arts
Notable workAn Apple in a Pig's Mouth
TitleChancellor
Term2014–2018
SpouseAlbert Grela
Children1
Parents
  • Kantaprasad Upadhyaya (Father)
  • Sushila Upadhyaya (Mother)
AwardsBirendra-Aishwarya Memorial Medal (2002, Nepal)
Website Official website

Ragini Upadhyaya Grela (also spelled as Ragini Upadhyay Grela) (born 9 November 1959), popularly known as Ragini Upadhyaya, is a Nepalese fine artist, lyricist, and philanthropist. [1] [2] [3] She served as the Chancellor of the second council of Nepal Academy of Fine Arts. She is known for her fusion of traditional mythology, symbolism, and modernism in her surrealist and abstract paintings. Her art often features social commentary and feminist or matriarchal themes. [4] [5] [6] [7]

Contents

Major influences on Upadhyaya's art style include Salvador Dalí, Vincent van Gogh and George Segal. [8] She has received numerous national and international awards and honors. [9] [10] She is also the founding chairperson of the Women Artists Group. Her paintings are on display in various locations, including the World Bank Museum, Bradford Museum (United Kingdom), Fukuoka Asian Art Museum (Japan), SAARC Secretariat (Nepal), and Tribhuvan International Airport. [11] She is a member of the working committees of the BP Koirala Foundation and [12] the Barbara Peace Foundation. She is also the chairperson for the Shivata Love Foundation, an organization with which she engaged in social work through an education program for low-income families, particularly children, women, and minorities. This foundation also raises awareness of meningitis. [7] [13]

Childhood

She was born to a Brahmin family as the fifth child to father Kanta Prasad and mother Sushila Upadhyaya in Kathmandu. She spent most of her childhood in Bettiah, India. [14]

Her ancestors lived in Chundi Ramgha, Tanahun District, but her grandfather, Pandit Devi Prasad Upadhyaya, moved to Ramnagar in search of better educational opportunities for his children. Ramnagar was formerly part of Nepal before the Sugauli Treaty was signed, which transferred the territory to India. Some members of her extended family still live in Varanasi, India.[ needs update ] [15]

Education

Her formal education began when her family enrolled in a Catholic school in Bettiah, India, at an early age, at a time when the traditional Nepali society did not allow girls to receive an education. [3]

After completing her primary education, Ragini attended the Crosthwaite Girls College in Allahabad. She then enrolled at the Lucknow College of Arts and Crafts in Lucknow, India, where she completed her bachelor's degree in Fine Arts in 1982. Despite her family's disapproval, Ragini studied printing for three years at Gadhi Art Village in New Delhi.[ citation needed ]

After returning to Nepal in 1986, Ragini took advanced lessons in printmaking in the Oxford Printmakers Co-operative in 1987 on a British Council scholarship. In 1989, she received a scholarship to study at the Kunst Academy in Stuttgart, Germany. [14]

Career

In 1979, Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala and Bal Krishna Sama attended Ragini's non-profit exhibition of her paintings. This event brought considerable attention to her work and marked her entrance into the progressive circles in Nepal. [8]

Ragini rose to further prominence at the inauguration of her exhibition by Queen Aishwarya Shah on the birth anniversary of King Birendra in 1986. This led her to receive a scholarship to study in England, [16] with encouragement and support from her husband to enter the field.

Intending to establish a modern and well-equipped fine arts museum in Nepal,[ citation needed ] she was appointed the first woman Chancellor of the Nepal Academy of Fine Arts in 2014, by Sushil Koirala, the Prime Minister of Nepal. [17] [18] [19]

With help and encouragement from her father, [20] Ragini established herself in the field of fine arts. She has produced more than 65 solo exhibitions, with the first in 1979, and dozens of group exhibitions in more than two dozen countries worldwide. [21] [22] Her art has been received positively by others like Lain Singh Bandel, Bal Krishna Sama, BP Koirala, and Abhi Subedi. [23]

Philanthropy

Ragini is the chairperson of the Shivata Love Foundation, which she founded in 2017 in the memory of her eponymous late daughter, Shivata Upadhayay Grela, who died [24] from meningitis B [25] in February 2016 at the age of 20. [26]

The foundation aims to raise awareness for the meningitis B vaccine, as well as to promote the education of underprivileged girls in Nepal through scholarships. [27]

Professions

Medals and awards

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manisha Koirala</span> Nepali actress (born 1970)

Manisha Koirala is a Nepali actress who works in Indian films, predominantly in Hindi and Tamil. Known for her work in both commercial and independent cinema, she is the recipient of several accolades, including three Filmfare Awards and one Filmfare Awards South. In 2001, the Government of Nepal awarded her with the Order of Gorkha Dakshina Bahu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BP Koirala</span> Nepalese politician and writer

Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala, better known as B. P. Koirala, was a Nepali revolutionary, political leader, and writer. He was the Prime Minister of Nepal from 1959 to 1960. He led the Nepali Congress, a social democratic political party. He was the grandfather of Bollywood actors Manisha Koirala and Siddharth Koirala and the elder brother of former prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala and the younger brother of former prime minister Matrika Prasad Koirala.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sushil Koirala</span> Former prime minister of Nepal (1939–2016)

Sushil Prasad Koirala was a Nepalese politician and the Prime Minister of Nepal from 11 February 2014 to 10 October 2015. He was also President of the Nepali Congress from 2010 to 2016, having earlier served under various capacities in the party.

Shashank Koirala is a Nepalese politician and Member of House of Representatives, belonging to the political dynasty of Koirala family. Shashanka is also a renowned ophthalmologist.

Surya Prasad Upadhyaya was a Nepalese politician. Upadhyaya was a leader of the Nepal Democratic Congress, which merged with into the Nepali Congress in 1950.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shailaja Acharya</span> Nepali politician

Shailaja Acharya was a Nepali revolutionary, politician and diplomat. She served as The Prime Minister of Nepal for three months in 1998, She also was the first Nepali woman to be elected as the Deputy Prime Minister of Nepal

Bahun, also known as Hill Brahmins, are a Brahmin varna among the Khas of Nepal. They are Sub caste of the Kanyakubja Brahmin while their origins are from Kannauj and the Himalayan belt of South Asia. According to the 2011 Nepal census, Bahun is the second most populous group after Chhetri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anuradha Koirala</span> Nepalese activist

Anuradha Koirala (born Anuradha Gurung on 14 April 1949, in Kalingpong, India is a social activist and the founder of Maiti Nepal – a non-profit organization in Nepal, dedicated to helping victims of sex trafficking. She was appointed as 1st Governor of Bagmati Province from by the Government of Nepal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amod Prasad Upadhyay</span> Nepalese politician

Amod Prasad Upadhyay is a Nepalese social worker and politician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Banira Giri</span> Nepali poet (1946–2021)

Banira Giri was a Nepalese poet and novelist, best known for her novels such as Karagar, Nirbandha and her poetry collections such as Jiwan: Thayamaru and Euta Jiundo Jung Bahadur. In 1999, she received the Sajha Puraskar for her novel, Shabdatit Shantanu, becoming the first woman to win the prize.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deepak Shimkhada</span> Nepali American educator, artist, and author

Deepak Shimkhada is a Nepalese-American with a diverse professional background, including work as an Asian art historian, educator, writer, editor, and painter. He currently serves as an adjunct professor at Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga, California, and has previously held visiting and adjunct positions at several U.S. universities, including Scripps College, Claremont Graduate University, California State University, Northridge, University of the West, and Claremont School of Theology. His teaching career began in 1980, and while he has retired from full-time teaching, he continues to teach Asian art part-time at Chaffey College.

<i>Narendra Dai</i> 1970 book by Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala

Narendra Dai is a Nepali novel by B.P. Koirala. The book was published in 1970 by Sajha Prakashan. Koirala was the first democratically elected prime minister of Nepal. Most of his writings feature Nepalese women as the protagonists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sushila Koirala</span> Former First Lady of Nepal

Sushila Koirala was a Nepalese classical dancer and theater director. She was the spouse of B. P. Koirala, the first ever democratically elected prime minister of Nepal. She was known for her contribution towards Nepali art, theatre, and girls’ empowerment; and for backstopping in democratic activities during the critical and raw era of social change and politics in Nepal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharada Sharma</span> Nepali poet and writer

Sharada Sharma is a Nepali writer and poet. Her debut novel, Taap, won the 2012 Padmashree Sahitya Samman award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ambalika Devi</span> Nepalese writer and poet (1894–1936)

Ambalika Devi was a Nepalese writer and poet. She is considered as the first Nepalese woman novelist. Her novel Rajput Ramani was published in 1932.

Bhuwan Dhungana is a Nepali writer and poet. She is best known for her short story The Thousand Rupee Note which has also been translated into English and Urdu. Her first novel Parityakta was published in 2020.

<i>Modiaain</i> 1980 novel by Bisheshwar Prasad Koirala

Modiaain is a 1980 Nepali novella by Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala. Koirala was the first elected prime minister of Nepal. He was prisoned multiple time during his political life and used to write in the prison. He wrote this book in three days while he was imprisoned in Sundarijal jail. It was published in 1980 by Sajha Prakashan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nepal Democratic Congress</span> Political party in Nepal

Nepal Democratic Congress was a political party in Nepal. It was formed by Subarna Shamsher Rana, Surya Prasad Upadhyaya, Mahendra Bikram Shah and others from Rana-Shah family.

Kiran Manandhar is a Nepalese painter, who was the founding chancellor of the Nepal Academy of Fine Arts from 2010 to 2014. He is considered one of the pioneering Nepalese abstract expressionist painters.

References

  1. ↑ Olson, Emily (14 May 2020). "A Moment With an Artist". Motif. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
  2. ↑ "Artist Ragini in book now". Screen Nepal (in Nepali). Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  3. 1 2 Koirala, Achyut. "Colours of Ragini". Nagarik Daily (in Nepali). Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  4. ↑ "Art exhibition dedicated to all mothers and daughters of the world". Hangama Today (in Nepali). 2019-03-13. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  5. ↑ Mansoor, Hasan (2007-04-08). "KARACHI: Ragini's canvas demands emotional outlets". Dawn . Retrieved 2020-11-03.
  6. ↑ Dasgupta, Kurchi (March–April 2014). "The Relentless Critic" (PDF). Asian Art News. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  7. 1 2 "LOVE Revisited—Exploring various aspects of love through arts". Annapurna Express. 29 March 2019. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
  8. 1 2 "Ragini sings through her art". The Express Tribune. 2011-02-24. Retrieved 2020-10-24.
  9. ↑ Subedi, Abhi. "Modern Nepali Art". bikalpaartcenter. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
  10. ↑ "Artist's Profile-Ragini Upadhyay-Grela". Kathmandupost. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
  11. ↑ Thapa, Saugat (13 September 2019). "10 Famous Artists of Nepal". ImNepal. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
  12. ↑ "Board Members". Embassy of Nepal, New Delhi, India. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
  13. ↑ "Making Shivata's dreams come true". myRepublica . 17 February 2020. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
  14. 1 2 "Ragini Upadhyaya Grela". Naari Magazine (in Nepali). Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  15. ↑ काठमाडौँ सहर थिएन : रागिनी उपाध्याय. नयाँ पत्रिका (in Nepali). Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  16. ↑ "101 Influencing Ladies". Naari (Women) Magazine (in Nepali). Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  17. ↑ Niraula, Tirtha (7 June 2018). "Art Struggle not Seen by the Budget". Annapurna Post (in Nepali). Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  18. ↑ "Ragini Upadhayay". Nepal Academy of Fine Arts . Retrieved 2020-11-03.
  19. ↑ Grela, Ragini Upadhayay (2019-10-05). "My life journey". Ragini Art & Life. Retrieved 2020-11-03.
  20. ↑ "Ragini Colour". Annapurna Post Daily (in Nepali). Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  21. ↑ "Ragini Upadhyay Grela's new exhibition explores love in the modern age". Kathmandupost. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
  22. ↑ Khanal, Keshavraj (2020-04-03). "Forgetting the pain, the artists are inflating the creation inside home". Gorkhapatra (in Nepali). Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  23. ↑ "BP Understood Women Feeling Easily". Kantipur Daily (in Nepali). Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  24. ↑ "Artist Ragini's daughter dies". The Himalayan Times . 2016-02-08. Retrieved 2020-11-03.
  25. ↑ "The Shivata Love Foundation". Shivata Love Foundation. Retrieved 2020-11-03.
  26. ↑ Adhikari, Rojina (2017-07-26). "Art & Soul – Ragini Upadhayay". World of Women. Retrieved 2020-11-03.
  27. ↑ "Ragini's philanthropy in memory of daughter". Hungama Today (in Nepali). 2019-04-24. Retrieved 2020-08-12.
  28. ↑ नेपाल ललितकला प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठानको पूर्व पदाधिकारी . Retrieved 2020-08-12.
  29. ↑ "BP Koirala Indo-Nepal Academy Executive Committee". New Delhi, India - Embassy of Nepal. Retrieved 2020-08-12.
  30. ↑ "Ragini Upadhyay, Member". Barbara Foundation. 2017-12-21. Retrieved 2020-08-12.
  31. ↑ आर्टिस्ट प्रुफ ग्यालेरी. the Nepal NOW project. Retrieved 2020-08-12.
  32. ↑ "Women Artist Group of Nepal". www.findglocal.com. Retrieved 2020-08-12.
  33. ↑ "Shivata Love Foundation" . Retrieved 2020-08-12.
  34. ↑ Grela, Ragini Upadhayay (2019-10-17). "The short CV". Ragini Art & Life. Retrieved 2020-11-03.
  35. ↑ Grela, Ragini Upadhayay (2019-10-15). "The long CV". Ragini Art & Life. Retrieved 2020-11-03.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.