Decorating With Art

-Nischal Oli

Art deco is a term associated with a movement in architecture—the towering and gleaming Chrysler building, its prime example. However, the word itself was coined much later in the 60s as it experienced a retrospective resurgence, some 30 years after the construction of the famous building. Hailed as a true modernist revision, the style had crossed over to other fields including interior design and the visual arts. Changing technology and a host of knowledge available to designers, architects and artists led up to an eclectic collection of styles, where for the first time, decorative and applied arts held centre stage. No longer was stained glass restricted to churches or artistic designs the luxury of the few, but a space for the aesthetic emerged in the scheme of functionality.
When we still think of a space, the room immediately becomes filled with accessories that we attribute to that particular setting. There is no intention of recalling a particular shape or design but an office gets a desk, a bedroom has a bed, living room,couches. Universal to these spaces are the ubiquitous walls that passively frame the picture, walls that can be utilized to elevate or alleviate a circumscribed space. The preference for decorative art in modern times has contributed much to aid art lovers and enthusiasts to elude the clutches of hefty bills and expensive interior designers. Art works. To open up a windowless room, breathe some color into a dark room, or just to focus attention with simple visual aids. And, it can stay cost effective. According to artist and art professor Sujan Chitrakar, it is never cheap decorating with artwork but “acquiring artwork is also an investment for the future.” He thus suggests a possible “win-win situation” by “getting artworks of any artist in his/her early stage of career or even by looking up gallery sales events.”
Emerging patron of emerging artists          
Sameer Mani Dixit, Country director of Intrepid Nepal, has recently taken up collecting painting. Dixit says that he tends to buy artwork by “emerging artists.” At his contemporary abode in Patan, no wall is left uncovered to show his expanding collection. The living room is surveyed by a diptych of portraits, showing members of the royal family next to a print by Seema Shah. His favorite, a piece by Kurchi Das, shines in the dining room, accented by the tablecloth of complementary colors. The abstract painting, its patterns and colors, binds the room together to give a wholesome feel.
Focus on utility
Sunita Acharya of Thong Na Gawa says it is very important to focus on “the utility value of a decorative item.” Artworks can greatly benefit a room or the room can take away from the intended expression of the art. Acharya believes that decorating should be simple and clean. At her own house, she has a painting by Chirag Bangdel, giving their sun soaked living room an added dose of warm colors, matched with everything from the furniture to the drapes. Artist Kapil Mani Dixit agrees with the sentiment of keeping the actual space prioritized: “the space comes first” and, “the art needs to go along with the ambience.”
Artists’ abode
Though many other artists are less theoretical about the process, there is one tradition that takes precedence in art circles. The Kastamandap Art Studio in Kupondol houses several studios of associated artists, with all those creative heads in the mix, the interiors of the studios is a revelation. They are decorated with sculptors and paintings by senior artists whom the collective respects and sees as an inspiration. Bhairaj Maharjan, an artist with the collective, decorates his personal studio with personal works that resonate with certain experiences. “I did landscape paintings during this one trip to the mountains,” he says about the painting that hangs near his easel and, at home, “I keep all my paintings that I could not part with.” By organizing similarly sized paintings at the same level, the artist preserves a sense of continuance, contrasted with irregular frames on the opposite walls.
At Ashmina Ranjit’s apartment, most of the artist’s personal work escalates with the stairs. The house is located in a navigational nightmare, in Om Bahal, where it lies inside a chowk that is inside another chowk. Slim buildings rise up multiple stories here, and the staircase assumes a central role in the buildings. Ranjit occupies the third floor in the house of her extended family. With each step, there is a new painting that entertains the climb. In her own apartment, the artist only features other Nepali artists. “It is a form of  respect, in my opinion”, says Ranjit about the painting, some of which were gifts and others, invaluable purchases.  To battle the lack of space in the traditional chowk house, Ranjit shifted the whole arrangement to low rising furniture to add much needed space to the rooms. The paintings too, stay low on the walls to exaggerate the available space. In her bedroom, Ranjit’s bed sits on the floor without a frame. A painting by Sashi Shah (a gift) controls the flow of light in the bright room with its dark background, all the while keeping the illusion of space alive.

Agni Inc., the offices of Cabinet Shrestha, is dressed in single frames that addresses the opposite problem—huge emptiness of his office. M.C. Escher’ Drawing Hands towers over the desk, complemented by a stationary holder shaped like two palms. Although the print is not an original, Shrestha says he has had it “for more than 20 years.” Although he says that he never has an agenda of a specific wall when buying a painting, he does recommend making educated decisions to maximize utility.

Artist, art lovers and collectors do tend to think of decorating and art in separate regards. For some, the art comes first, while others tend to use art to enhance or customize their personal spaces. Whether you go with the artist or the art lover, it is clear that decorating with art can serve many purposes, including sound investment, beautiful space and personal expression. n