Diaspora Art Project (Updated 01/14/2025)
Yuvak Tuladhar
My artworks are a reflection of the immigrant experiences of Nepali people in the United States. We are mostly first-generation and are evolving into one of the most vibrant populations in the States. We are still deeply connected to what we have left behind. The mixture of our cultural traditions and our life in America is turning our participation into something worth preserving. I love history, and I enjoyed looking at many old black-and-white photos from the late 1800s and early 1900s in New York City. Many immigrants from all over Europe arrived and settled. I see some pictures of them walking on the streets dressed in old costumes from home. It looked so beautiful and precious. But all those cultural uniqueness disappeared as time passes.
I see the same parallel in our community here in the States. We are still doing many things we did when we were in Nepal, India, and Tibet. Many of us regularly watch movies, sitcoms, and news from that part of the world. I realized this interaction and a lively cultural exchange would not last forever and would perhaps diminish greatly by my children’s or grandchildren’s time. Therefore, it is vital to preserve our experiences and existence in America as first-generation immigrants in as many ways as possible. I want to use painting, photography, video, and audio for documenting to depict our life in America. I feel this endeavor will bring two things; first, we will have something to leave behind for future generations. Secondly, it can foster awareness of art appreciation in our population. I have already acquired some film and audio equipment from the sale of my artwork. I will need more funds for traveling, and exhibitions as the project progresses. I plan to raise funds as required, without asking people for donations. I also do not want to sell any artwork created for this project because I want to exhibit this artwork in many venues in America so that a large number of people from my diaspora see them. However, I will occasionally make some of my artwork in the form of limited edition copies available for sale to fund this endeavor. This effort can succeed only with the support of our diaspora.
People involved:
Yuvak Tuladhar (Painting, lighting, content creation), Binod KC (filming, photography), Prabin Singh (audio), Rohit Chhetri (logo design), Sahaj Man Singh (film direction, content creation), and more.
Contact: Yuvak Tuladhar at yuvakt@gmail.com 510-375-1027.
Facebook page: Diaspora Art Project