萊因・辛格・班德爾 爵士 Sir Lain Singh Bangdel

Lain Singh Bangdel（1919–2002），被尊稱為「尼泊爾現代藝術之父」，亦是尼泊爾第一位現代畫家。Bangdel 生於印度大吉嶺，早年於加爾各答展開藝術與文學生涯，隨後赴法國，進入巴黎美術學院（École des Beaux-Arts）深造。他在巴黎期間深受歐洲現代藝術的洗禮，尤以畢卡索與布拉克為代表。同時，他也與來自南亞的藝術家——如印尼的阿凡迪（Affandi）——建立深厚的交流與對話，逐漸發展出融合東西方語彙的獨特創作風格。

1961 年，Bangdel 應尼泊爾國王之邀，首度回到他從未親身踏足的祖國，並於1962年於尼泊爾舉行史上首次當代藝術展覽，尼泊爾國王親自蒞臨，並主持展覽開幕。這次回歸，不僅象徵著他個人身份的深刻轉折，更開啟了尼泊爾現代藝術的新篇章。Bangdel 積極投入國內藝術體制的建構，曾擔任尼泊爾皇家藝術學院院長長達十年，並共同創立尼泊爾藝術協會，為尼泊爾現代藝術奠定制度基礎，培育了整整一代藝術家。他不僅是一位畫家，更是一位小說家、藝術史學者與文化先驅，憑藉其跨文化的生命經歷與世界主義視野，成為連結尼泊爾與國際現代藝術的重要橋樑。1985 年，Bangdel 獲頒法國「藝術與文學騎士勳章」（Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres），國際間也開始更廣泛地肯定他在文化與藝術上的深遠貢獻。

從早期的具象風景到後期的抽象構成，Bangdel 的創作始終緊扣時代脈動，回應他對身份、文化與現代性的深層反思。他的抽象山景畫作——在形式上與國際現代主義對話，在精神上則深刻體現了尼泊爾地景與文化情感的融合。隨著全球對現代主義多重起源的重新認識，Bangdel 的藝術遺產也受到前所未有的重視。他的作品開始被收錄於多家國際重要館藏，包括福岡亞洲美術館、美國紐華克藝術博物館、奧勒岡大學約旦·施尼策美術館，以及紐約聯合國總部。值得一提的是，舊金山亞洲藝術博物館、倫敦泰特現代美術館、丹佛藝術博物館與阿布達比古根漢美術館等國際機構，也正積極考慮將其作品納入典藏，展現其在全球現代藝術史中的持續影響力。

2024 年，Bangdel 的作品首次亮相英國 Frieze Masters，象徵其藝術地位在國際舞台上的重新發現與高度肯定。今年十月，他的作品將首度於​Art Taipei展出，聚焦於 1950 至 1970 年代的代表作——這段期間可視為其創作風格的成熟階段，呈現他從歐洲回歸尼泊爾的轉變，以及將本土文化融入國際語彙的關鍵歷程。2026 年，他的作品將以個展形式登上 Art Basel Hong Kong，為尼泊爾現代藝術走向世界再次立下里程碑。

2025年，Bangdel 的回顧展《Lain Singh Bangdel: Against the Current》正於美國科羅拉多大學丹佛校區美術館展出，系統性梳理其跨越數十年的創作歷程，重新確認他在亞洲現代藝術史中的核心地位。

Lain Singh Bangdel (1919–2002), revered as the Father of Modern Art in Nepal, was the nation’s first modern painter. Born in Darjeeling, India, Bangdel began his artistic and literary career in Kolkata before moving to France to study at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. During his time in Paris, he was profoundly influenced by the European modernist movement—particularly the works of Picasso and Braque. At the same time, he cultivated meaningful exchanges with fellow South and Southeast Asian artists, including the Indonesian painter Affandi, gradually developing a unique artistic style that blended Eastern and Western visual vocabularies.

In 1961, at the invitation of the King of Nepal, Bangdel returned for the first time to his ancestral homeland—one he had never previously set foot in. The following year, in 1962, he held Nepal’s first-ever modern art exhibition, which was inaugurated by the King himself. This homecoming marked a profound turning point in Bangdel’s personal and artistic identity, and symbolized the birth of modern art in Nepal. Deeply engaged in building the nation’s artistic institutions, Bangdel served as the founding Dean of the Royal Nepal Academy of Fine Arts for over a decade and co-founded the Nepal Association of Fine Arts, laying the groundwork for a national modern art movement and mentoring an entire generation of artists.

More than a painter, Bangdel was also a novelist, art historian, and cultural visionary. His cross-cultural life and cosmopolitan outlook positioned him as a crucial bridge between Nepal and the global modern art discourse. In 1985, he was awarded the French title Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres in recognition of his outstanding contributions to art and culture, marking a milestone in his international acclaim.

From his early figurative landscapes to his later abstract compositions, Bangdel’s oeuvre consistently reflected his engagement with questions of identity, culture, and modernity. His abstract mountain paintings—formally in dialogue with international modernism yet spiritually rooted in the Nepalese landscape and sensibility—embody the synthesis of global and local elements that defines his legacy. As global art history increasingly acknowledges the multiple origins of modernism, Bangdel’s artistic contribution has gained renewed recognition. His works are now part of major international collections, including the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, the Newark Museum of Art (USA), the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at the University of Oregon, and the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Institutions such as the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, Tate Modern in London, the Denver Art Museum, and the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi are also actively considering his inclusion in their collections, underscoring his continuing relevance within the global narrative of modern art.

In 2024, Bangdel’s works made their debut at Frieze Masters in London, marking his rediscovery and growing recognition on the international stage. This October, his works will be presented for the first time at Art Taipei, focusing on seminal pieces from the 1950s to the 1970s—a pivotal period that represents the maturity of his artistic language and his transformative journey from Europe back to Nepal, where he fused local cultural sensibilities with international modernist forms. In 2026, his works will be featured in a solo presentation at Art Basel Hong Kong, establishing yet another milestone for Nepalese modern art’s presence on the world stage.

In 2025, the retrospective exhibition “Lain Singh Bangdel: Against the Current” is on view at the University of Colorado Denver Art Gallery, systematically tracing his decades-long creative journey and reaffirming his central place in the history of modern art in Asia.