Nepali museum to honour stolen art of nation
Artist aims to return smuggled sculptures home in the form of replicas of gods and goddesses in order to make people aware of what was lost
In past decades, Nepal has suffered the loss of hundreds of its gods and goddesses.
Rabindra Puri's Museum of Stolen Art, planned to open in 2015, will house replicas of 50 centuries-old stone sculptures that were smuggled out of Nepal to become prized additions to private collections and museums.
"I want to make people aware and make them realise what they've lost," says 43-year-old Puri, an artist and architect devoted to Nepal's ancient art and architecture. "It will showcase the significance and value of Nepal's glorious artwork that no longer is in the country."
Puri's workspace in the city of Bhaktapur in the Kathmandu Valley looks messy. But beneath the dusty stone slabs are emerging modern-day masterpieces.
Fourteen artists - nine Nepalis and five Indians - are working on the sculptures; 12 of the 20 completed statues are already on public display at the Heritage Gallery, in Bhaktapur. They will eventually become a part of the Museum of Stolen Art when it opens in Panauti, a medieval town 35 kilometres southeast of Kathmandu.
