R N Joshi

Photographed By Ellinor Forje

Kiran Manandhar

Photographed By Ellinor Forje

Esra Røise

Photo Courtesy Of Esra Røise

WHERE ARE YOU RIGHT NOW AND HAVE YOU ALWAYS LIVED THERE?

I'm in Oslo Norway. More or less where i have lived for the past 20 years.

WHERE WERE YOU BORN AND BROUGHT UP?

I grew up on the countryside, about an hour outside of the city.

WHAT'S THE BEST THING ABOUT YOUR PRESENT CITY OR HOMETOWN?

I loved growing up so close to nature. But on a daily basis, I prefer the city life. 

WHAT WERE YOUR ASPIRATIONS GROWING UP?

I've wanted to draw for a living ever since I was a kid, I just didn't know in what kind of constellation it would take shape. Other than that, I briefly wanted to be an archaeologist at some point haha. 

WHY ARTIST/ILLUSTRATOR?

I was hoping to draw as a part of my job since tit's what's always brought me great joy. I honestly didn't anticipate it to actually become my full-time job. I assumed I would have to include it somehow, like through architecture or design of some sort.  I'm thankful drawing is actually my job.

HOW DID YOU OBTAIN THE MASTERY?

I've been doing it since forever. A slow and steady dedication to the craft is the base. 

WHAT’S YOUR PROCESS FROM CONCEPT TO EXECUTION?

It often starts with being inspired by something- a feeling, a look, a face, music or something else. From there I start sketching, and it just takes on a life on its own. I sometimes feel it's difficult to know when I'm "done" with a piece, at least personal pieces. I'll often pick up older sketches from the pile of unfinished stuff, and further work on them for longer periods of time.

WHERE DO YOU GET INSPIRATION?

Music, fashion, nature, literature, movies, and pop-culture in general. 

WHAT OR WHO HAS HAD THE BIGGEST INFLUENCE ON YOUR LIFE?

I'm inspired by anyone that does their own thing and does it with passion and skill.

WHAT IS YOUR PERSONAL AESTHETIC? 

I would love to be a minimalist. But I'm a bit of an emotional collector, and hold on to many things, both physical and digital, that make me feel something. I'm a nostalgic and I hold on to plants, books, shoes, pretty knick-knack, artworks etc...In combination with being something of a pack rat, makes me somewhat of a maximalist, I guess. 

WHAT BEAUTY ROUTINE DO YOU SWEAR BY?

I keep it simple. Give me a good C-vitamin serum, and a moisturizer that keeps me hydrated, plus a high SPF, and I'm happy. 

WHAT DO YOU GET UP TO WHEN YOU'RE NOT WORKING?

I try to travel as much as I can. I also attend art shows, concerts and hang out with friends. 

HOW DO YOU UNWIND?

By regularly doing yoga, also chilling at home, propagating my plants, reading books and the occasional scrolling.

The Aesthetic

Photos Courtesy Of Esra Røise

Jenisha Maharjan

Photographed By Ellinor Forje

WHERE ARE YOU RIGHT NOW AND HAVE YOU ALWAYS LIVED THERE?

I am currently living in Kathmandu, with my family. Yes, born and brought up in the valley itself. I lived in China for a short time (from fall 2015 till spring of 2020). I completed my undergrad in Beijing.

WHERE WERE YOU BORN AND BROUGHT UP?

Born and brought in Kathmandu itself. My ancestral home is in Tyauda, in the inner city.

WHAT'S THE BEST THING ABOUT YOUR PRESENT CITY OR HOMETOWN?

I feel the city has regained its vibrancy and liveliness to a great extent recently. The 2015 earthquake and two years long Covid-19 adversely affected many social activities/festivals here. But it is good to see it all coming back and in better state. There is always new things to look forward, the creativity and positivity in people really keeps the place alive.

WHAT WERE YOUR ASPIRATIONS GROWING UP?

I did not have any out of the blue dreams and aspirations as a kid. Growing up in a middle class family always keeps one more on a practical side of life, very rarely have dreams of going up and beyond. But my family has been very encouraging and supportive of any decisions I made in life.

HOW DID YOU STUMBLE UPON YOUR CURRENT VOCATION AS A MUSEUM MANAGER?

It is rather an interesting story, and I would say a complete strike of faith and destiny. I had been following the museum and its updates religiously on social media, also had a chance to meet the founding director, now my boss, Mr. Rajan Sakya, in China where he had come for a seminar. This was back in 2018/19 AD. I had no plans of working for the museum. Then I came back to Nepal after completing my undergrad program, started working in a startup soon. One day, I saw a vacancy post from the museum of an on-call museum guide. I immediately submitted my resume. I said to myself, that I will learn anything that the job would require me to do, I just wanted to work for the museum since it was such a unique concept in context of Nepal. Luckily I got a call back, got interviewed and was offered to be the office secretary. This was in late 2021 AD. Since then, I have been with the Museum of Nepali Art (MoNA), and have not looked back! 

WHAT'S YOUR EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND?

I completed my high school from United Academy, Lalitpur in computer science. I then joined a university in Kathmandu for undergrad but dropped out and moved to China in 2015. I completed my studies from Beijing Technology and Business University, majored in Human Resource Management in 2020 AD.

WHAT'S THE ART SCENE IN NEPAL LIKE?

The art community in Nepal has catapulted in the past decade. In all genres, we see a skyrocketing involvement of young people, as artists and as spectators. We see many art galleries and art spaces mushrooming in the capital city, groups coming together with many innovative activities to engage the crowd. While all this is hopeful, we still lack such involvement and exposure outside the capital city. Other cities are yet to get the deserved limelight, especially in context of artists and art. 

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES FACED BY NEPALI ARTISTS?

Nepali artists are mostly self-taught. They have an unmatched level of skill and creativity. Having worked in the industry for some time, I believe that the biggest challenge is language barrier. Artists here are bit shy to communicate as they are very conscious of their English, they struggle to articulate their emotions in words, and even more in a foreign language.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE STYLE OF ART?

I do not have a favorite style per sé. However, I could look at a Gustav Klimt, Edward Munch for hours.

WHAT OR WHO HAS HAD THE BIGGEST INFLUENCE ON YOUR LIFE?

I would say my parents have been the biggest influence for me. I have, however, experienced a whole new dynamic and gained newer perspective on life and approaches while living in China. That was the first time I could be my own person, make any small/big decisions, didn’t matter if they were always correct. I reached a new level of self-dependency which was not possible while I lived a sheltered life. Dropping out and taking a leap of faith to pursue my life in China turned out to be the best decision for me. 

WHAT IS YOUR PERSONAL AESTHETIC?

I don’t have anything specific as such in terms of fashion, literature, food. I am open to a lot of things, there is so much to learn and experience in the world, I wouldn’t want to confine myself to a specific style or tradition. In fact, one of the reasons for me choosing to move to China was the uniqueness of the food, places, people, language that I had not had the chance to experience while in Kathmandu, again, one of the best decisions of my life so far!

WHAT BEAUTY ROUTINE DO YOU SWEAR BY?

SUNCREEN, MOISTURISER daily! Other things come and go. Haha. 

WHAT DO YOU GET UP TO WHEN YOU'RE NOT WORKING?

I mostly go around the valley with my mum and/or alone. Sit in a café and just be.

Other days, there are so many art exhibitions going on around, that’s where I usually am.

HOW DO YOU UNWIND?

Lying down. Eating good food (not necessarily healthy, but good food).

Erina Tamrakar

Photographed By Ellinor Forje

Felicia Arvid

Photographed By Kasper Bøttern 

WHERE ARE YOU RIGHT NOW AND HAVE YOU ALWAYS LIVED THERE?

Actually, I have just moved to Aalborg in Denmark and I am looking forward to explore the city and my new neighborhood. I haven’t always lived here but most of my life I have lived in Denmark except for when I studied abroad in Glasgow. 

HERE WERE YOU BORN AND BROUGHT UP?

I was born in Aarhus, Denmark but raised in a small harbor town by the sea south from the city. 

WHAT'S THE BEST THING ABOUT YOUR PRESENT CITY OR HOMETOWN?

My present city is yet to be explored but I have already found the perfect coffee place which is a good start. I think the best thing about my hometown was its location by the sea. I love walking along the beach, it is the perfect place for me to clear my mind. Living by the coast creates a boundary which gives me a sense of space and scale. I like to be near this “edge” where you have the wide view over the ocean – it gives me a feeling of “eternity”.

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVOURITE CHILDHOOD MEMORIES?

My childhood is filled with wonderful memories but if I had to choose one, I think it would be one summer holiday, where we went on a spontaneous trip to France. I remember my parents telling me one day to pack a bag because we were going to France. We loaded our stuff in the car and drove off that same day. I still remember it as a magical adventure, the ability just to take off like that one day. Looking back, I realize how much the measure of time change when you become older. When I was little, the two months summer holiday felt like a year and now a year sometimes feels like two months. 

WHY  DESIGNER?

I think I’ve always had a natural fascination and enquiry to why things are as they are. It’s an eternal quest to find a new unique solution to a specific purpose. To me, the language of form is my true passion. It is a never ending dictionary filled with fascinating words yet to be discovered. 

HOW AND WHERE DID YOU ACQUIRE THE SKILL?

My childhood dream was to become a fashion designer and I learned how to sew from my mother. First, I studied dressmaking and fashion design and sold my first collection of clothes to a store in Japan at the age of 17. Then, I reached a point where I thought why not take fashion beyond our clothes and in to the space that surrounds us, why limit it to fashion, when the same rules apply to furniture, lighting etc. So, I began exploring other areas of design and developed ideas for acoustic panels and furniture. However, I decided to take a degree in architecture at the Glasgow School of Art because architecture encompasses all the different scales including furniture, spaces and buildings. My background in dressmaking gives me a tactile approach to product design. This creates a naturally close relationship between the material and its constructional properties. The experience from sewing and pattern making gives me a knowledge of draping and how to create three-dimensional shapes from a flat piece of material.

WHAT IS YOUR PROCESS FROM CONCEPT TO CREATION?

My designs are developed through a process which iteratively switch between sketching and material experimentation. Sometimes the concept is clear from the beginning and other times it becomes clear through the process. The concept is usually informed by my tactile approach where I explore a material's properties and find a new way to exploit these properties.  I am fascinated by the element of surprise, when your hands are “in the mud” so to speak and you are experimenting with the material and an unexpected shape or concept reveals itself which would not have been possible to envision by the stroke of a pencil. My process is an ongoing exploration until I find there is a meaningful dialog between an intriguing form and construction, material and function. 

WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION?

Inspiration is an elusive thing. Sometimes it is the result of a visual impression you have been presented with other times there is just something which continues to intrigue you and you can’t get it out of your mind but you don’t know where this notion came from to begin with. To me, inspiration can be found in the most trivial places or situations, the trick is to observe with an imaginative mind.

WHAT OR WHO HAS HAD THE BIGGEST INFLUENCE ON YOU?

First, I would say my parents, as they have played a key part of forming the person I am today through my upbringing. Then of course the great masters in architecture and design like Louis Kahn, Frank Lloyd Wright, Carlo Scarpa, Arne Jacobsen, Finn Juhl, Verner Panton to name a few and the Bauhaus movement with Walter Gropius, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Marcel Breuer has been enlightening to become acquainted with during my studies and have influenced my understanding of architecture and design.

WHAT IS YOUR PERSONAL AESTHETIC?

Timeless, effortless, and elegant with a sustainable and innovative modern touch, and a strong visual identity, is probably the best way to describe my personal aesthetic. When I am in Copenhagen, one of my favorite places to visit is the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek where the grandeur of the past gives the place a both calm and clear atmosphere. I find sitting in the palm tree garden the perfect place for contemplating. I like the concept of combining a greenhouse with a museum of classical art.

WHAT BEAUTY ROUTINE DO YOU SWEAR BY?

I always wear sunscreen.

WHAT DO YOU GET UP TO WHEN YOU'RE NOT WORKING?

I like to spend time with my friends and family and go out for a nice dinner. Also, exploring new places, visiting art museums, going to the opera or reading a good book.

HOW DO YOU UNWIND?

I still like to design and sew clothes for myself so, when I have the time I like to immerse myself in the process which I find to be quite meditative for me.

The Aesthetic

Photos Courtesy of Felicia Arvid