Hari Timsina is a true original. During the exhibit I sponsored in November, ’07, in Kathmandu, I was amazed to learn that Hari was the brother of Krishna Ojna, his older brother who moonlights as a professor of economics while still keeping his signboard business. When the ensuing Nepali language press coverage featured Hari’s work, Hari was as proud as a peacock. You never have to ask Hari to sign his work, sometimes he places his signature as part of the artwork.
When asked in November, 2009, — hard times in Kathmandu as well in the rest of the world –how business was going, he replied ‘I am satisfied.’ With his lovely wife and son, I can understand that. By the way, his son goes to school only a 3-minute walk from Hari’s studio and home. His wife is cheerful as well as beautiful.
Hari runs a one-man shop, and seems to keep busy with many banners and license plates – a Nepali signboard artist’s bread-and-butter. He always offers a soda and I have one of my 2 sodas a year courtesy of Hari.
Hari is confident in his style, and often mentions the magic word ‘exhibition’. He believes in his work, as do I. His naïve style never fails to enchant me and, indeed, Hari has a couple of collectors and many requests for commissions.
In 2012, Kathmandu began a series of road expansions – 74 kilometers of expansions to be exact. Hari’s studio was directly in the path and was demolished. He is now working from home and hoping to find a storefront where he can get walk in business – a signboard artist’s bread and butter.
I’m not the only one who’s ‘wild about Hari’.
Though I did not order a portrait of Obama from him.
