RAMAYANA
 in Folklore
I was born in Janakpur, the birthplace of Goddess Janaki, daughter of King Janak who was married to Rama, son of King Dashrath of Ayodhya as stated in the Ramayana. Growing up among these sacred places, I was surrounded by devotional hymns, folktales, and stories. Drawing from the living traditions of my home and the Ramayana tales narrated by my grandparents, my art attempts to blend the modern with the traditional 

to fuse contemporary techniques with folk motifs and ancient iconography. 

I drew inspiration from traditional Maithili art forms and used imagery from folk traditions to portray Ram and Sita coming together and to capture the emotion of their union. In Maithili tradition, pairs of fish symbolise love. The “kohabar,” or nuptial chamber, is traditionally decorated with animals, birds, and mermaids painted on the walls of the honeymoon room, elements I have incorporated into my work.

The series is created using etching, combined with the woodblock printing technique popular in Kathmandu. In this method, a carved wood block is used to produce a print, which is then hand-painted. By painting over the etching-block prints, I aim to preserve and sustain this ancient artistic practice, which is gradually fading in a rapidly modernising world.
                                                                -Umashankar Shah

Uma Shankar Shah (b. 1965, Janakpur) is widely regarded as one of Nepal’s foremost artists. Over a career spanning four decades, he has held more than 80 solo and group exhibitions across Nepal and internationally. His works have been showcased in major institutions and events, including the World Bank, New York; Asian Museum, Japan; the France Triennale and Miami Art Fest Doral  Shah is a two-time recipient of the Best Etching Award at the Miami Art Fest Doral (2013 and 2014), and he received the First Prize at the Second Xuyuan Print Biennale in China.