夏達・什雷斯塔 Shraddha Shrestha

Shraddha Shrestha 是尼泊爾加德滿都的獨立壁畫家、插畫家和視覺藝術家，擁有來自格拉斯哥藝術學院的插畫設計碩士學位。自 2011 年以來，Shraddha Shrestha 一直活躍於加德滿都的街頭藝術圈。

Shraddha 目前為插畫家聯盟 Virangana Comics 的成員，並參與出版了尼泊爾首部全女性漫畫選集。成長於藝術氛圍濃厚的巴坦市，對她作為藝術家的成長過程產生了深遠的影響。她的許多作品圍繞著幻想中的人物，大多數人物的靈感都來自尼泊爾的傳統藝術形式和圖標，以及藝術家小時候看過的卡通人物，這些角色反映了她的童年時光和傳統的生活環境。

Shraddha 擅長將印度教與佛教的宗教神祇、神話人物及其視覺符號，與 1990 年代以來西方動畫的風格相互融合，包括《飛天小女警》（The Powerpuff Girls）與《德克斯特的實驗室》（Dexter’s Laboratory）等經典作品，形塑出獨具個人特色的當代視覺語言。透過街頭藝術與傳統的結合，為尼泊爾當代藝術注入新活力。

成長於紐瓦麗（Newar）家庭的經驗，使她長期浸潤於傳統文化與宗教信仰之中，也讓她觀察到女性在社會中所受到的規範與限制，同時卻看見人們對女性神祇的崇敬與信仰。這種反差成為她日後持續探討的重要命題。Shraddha 試圖透過作品打破既有框架，以更自由且貼近當代的視角，重新審視女性力量與宗教象徵之間的關係。

2024 年，Shraddha 受邀參加美國魯賓美術館二十週年大展「Reimagine: Himalayan Art Now」，其系列作品五件後續更獲美術館收藏，是她藝術生涯中的一大里程碑。

Shraddha 持續將成長於帕坦古城的生活記憶、喜馬拉雅地區的宗教文化，與陪伴自己成長的童年交織融合，引領觀眾看見新世代尼泊爾藝術家以自身文化為根基，在傳統與當代之間發展出獨特的創作語言，並重新思考神話、信仰與女性力量在當代社會中的意義。

Shraddha Shrestha is an independent muralist, illustrator, and visual artist based in Kathmandu. She has a master’s degree in design in illustration from the Glasgow School of Art. Shraddha Shrestha has been active in the street art scene in Kathmandu since 2011.

Shraddha is currently part of an illustrators collective called Virangana Comicsm and has published the first all-women comics anthology in Nepal. Growing up in the aesthetically rich city of Patan has played a big part in her journey as an artist. Much of her art is about fantastical characters which are a reflection of her childhood days and the traditional surroundings.

She blends traditional religious and mythological figures and iconography with the animation style prevalent in the West during the 1990s and beyond, including The Powerpuff Girls and Dexter’s Laboratory. By seamlessly blending edgy street art aesthetics with deep-rooted cultural heritage, she injects a fresh, dynamic vitality into Nepal’s contemporary art scene.

Growing up in a Newar family, Shraddha was deeply immersed in traditional culture and religious faith. Her upbringing allowed her to keenly observe the societal norms and constraints imposed on women, a stark contrast to the widespread veneration of female deities. This profound dichotomy has become a central, enduring theme in her art. Through her work, Shraddha breaks away from conventional frameworks, offering a liberated, contemporary perspective to re-examine the relationship between female empowerment and religious symbolism.

In 2024, Shraddha reached a major milestone in her career when she was invited to exhibit at the Rubin Museum of Art’s 20th-anniversary exhibition, Reimagine: Himalayan Art Now. Five artworks from her featured series were subsequently acquired for the museum’s permanent collection.

Shraddha continuously weaves together her childhood memories of the ancient city of Patan with the rich religious heritage of the Himalayas. She invites audiences to witness how a new generation of Nepalese artists, deeply rooted in their cultural identity, is cultivating a unique artistic language that bridges tradition and contemporaneity. Ultimately, her creations inspire viewers to reconsider the significance of myth, faith, and female power in modern society.