Namaste, fellow travellers!

Probably, what you might not know is that street art has existed in Nepal already for a while, more specifically since the 11th century (!!). This was in the form of religious murals. However, street art as we know it today started getting popular from 2008 when the French artist Space Invader created a series of 20 murals across Kathmandu.

Artists took it as inspiration to express the social problems of the country. In the beginning, they were about their decade long civil war and the political instability of the country. But after the earthquake of 2015, many artists decided to give life to the city by colouring the streets. Some of them used street art to create awareness.

One example is the group Hatemalo Abhiyan, led by the artist Bhishan Rajbhandari. They painted a series of 9 murals in the Kathmandu Valley, representing the temples that collapsed during the earthquake.

These murals are located where the temples used to be. The artists aimed to make the authorities understand the importance of reconstructing these monuments.

Besides this group, many others are expressing their own ideas all over the city. The great approach of the Nepalese people and the growing popularity of this type of art has made of Kathmandu a colourful and interesting city. Also, because it is not illegal, many artists of all over the world are coming to the city to expose their art, creating almost a public gallery, where everyone can expose their paintings and everyone can enjoy it.

Street art might not be the first thing that crosses your mind when deciding to go to Nepal but it is definitely one of the things most people love of Kathmandu. If you decide to go, take your time wandering around the city and discovering the beautiful murals.

Cheers!