A photography exhibition titled Nepal Today: In the Forest, In the Villages has been inaugurated in Lonato del Garda, Italy, showcasing the works of three Nepali photographers: Kishor Sharma, Uma Bista, and Sagar Chhetri under the curation of Italian curator Filippo Maggia. The exhibition will remain open to the public through August 30, 2026.
Kishor Sharma’s contribution, Living in the Mist, is the product of six years of close documentation of the nomadic Raute community and their way of life. Also published as a photo book of the same title, the work offers a rare glimpse into the Rautes’ resistance to absorption into the modern world, prompting reflection on the possibility of alternative and autonomous modes of living.
Uma Bista’s exhibiting work, Our Songs from the Forest, is a tender solicitation by the photographer who follows young women from Nepal’s Achham district living under Chhaupadi — a practice that confines women to cowsheds during menstruation, branding them impure and untouchable. Despite being outlawed in 2005 and criminalised in 2018, the tradition persists, upheld by fears of ostracism and divine retribution.
Sagar Chhetri’s work Eclipse examines the complex and often contested identity of the people of Madhesh, Nepal’s southern belt along the Nepal–India border. The project delves into how this border region has served as a crucible of political grievance and has been at the heart of one of his generation’s most significant struggles for identity and recognition.
In his introduction to the exhibition, curator Filippo Maggia draws a sharp contrast between the state of photography in the West — which he says seems to have lost its way — whereas in the Global South, the language of images and the social responsibility of the photographer are more relevant than ever. Further highlighting Nepal’s emerging generation of contemporary artists, he writes:
“Focusing solely on photography, Nepal presents itself as a country rich in young artists exploring themes such as gender dynamics, memory and identity, postcolonial heritage, politics, society, religion, and culture. The current generation of contemporary artists is perhaps the first to have ever existed in Nepal, and their work reveals a solid artistic background and a great proactive energy, powerful content, and bold forms of expression, despite the lack of public and private facilities.”
The exhibition catalogue has been published by the renowned Italian publishing house Silvana Editoriale. The project has received support from the Italian Ministry of Culture under its Strategia Fotografia 2025 programme.
Nepal Today: In the Forest, In the Villages is on public view from June 11 to August 30, 2026, in Lonato del Garda, Brescia, Italy.
