Do you love your petIJ Would you want to commission a portrait of itIJ Artists in Nepal are the answer to this. Dog signages are one of this neighbouring country’s big exports — being shipped from here to the US, the UK and Canada, among other nations. SHAlINI SAKSENA catches up with some of these artists in Kathmandu who tell her that while the art form is very unique and has been there for over a century, the skill sadly is dying
I don’t have a workshop or a studio where I can showcase my work. But if you mail me a photograph or visit my website, you can choose any pet you want me to paint,” Sanjib Rana, an artist in Kathmandu says over the phone when you call him. He and thousands of other artists in this erstwhile Himalayan kingdom have the same thing to say.
The problem, one is told, is that there are not many people who appreciate art or are willing to pay well for a painting that may cost more than Rs1,000 in Nepali currency. “Making a landscape, portrait or even a small abstract painting costs around Rs1,500 while a poster costs less than Rs100. So a local person will not buy a painting, unlike foreigners who have an eye and pocket for hand-painted art.
“To invest so much time and energy in something that we will only manage to sell to a select few doesn’t make business sense. However, the artists have managed to make an arrangement. We all have portfolios. Once a client comes to us, we show him our work and then whatever he tells us, we make the exact copy of it. It has worked for us for years,” Rana who also loves to paint dog signages, murals and portraits, tells you. So, one will find signages with sentences like Kukurah dekhi saavdhan, dharma kukurah or Kali biralo.
Painting personalised dog signages — ‘Beware of Dogs’ — is a traditional art form in Nepal. The artists have been painting these customised metal plates of 12X12 inches for more than 100 years. “Usually, one will find a simple iron plate that has been painted in red with ‘Beware of Dog’ written and hung outside the main gate. What we do here is paint the face of the dog the owner has — be it a German Shepard, Doberman or even a labrador. All that one has to do is give us the pet’s photograph and we do the rest,” Rana says.
He is not the only artist in Kathmandu to paint such specialised boards for clients far removed from Nepal. These signages can also be seen all over the country. So much so that people even get signages for a cat, horse, rabbit of even their personal birds. Of course, the wordings change.
Unfortunately, this old art form is disappearing with the youth now more interested in finding jobs in the Middle East, Singapore and Bangladesh. “For an artist to make a career out of painting is unthinkable today. The reason is that there is very little money in it. But this doesn’t mean that the work is bad. There are brilliant artists here whose works sell for lakhs of rupees. It is just that in this digital day and age, there are few takers of canvas painting,” Dilip Niroj, who has a shop of digital printing in Kathmandu, tells you. But like Rana, painting on canvas or even plain paper and using water colours is a hobby done to express creativity.
There was a time when he had tried to make this a profession and eke out a living through it. But after struggling for years, he came to the conclusion that it was impossible. So, he took up a teaching job. For years, he taught English and Nepalese at the primary school level. During that time, he totally gave up painting. But he missed it.
“Back then I was living in the western Nepal. When the Maoist influence increased, I shifted to Kathmandu. It was here that I took up painting once again. But this time, I decided to use my creativity in designing stickers and making billboards. I paint as well, but only if there’s an order for a specific oil painting. I manage to earn around Nepali Rs3,000 a day. From painting, I earn only NC one lakh a year, not enough for one man let alone an entire family,” Niroj says.
Ask him about the dog signages as an art form and Niroj’s eyes light up. He tells you that drawing a pet on the iron plate is something he loves. So much so that you give him a photograph of a dog and you will have the finished product in less than three hours. “I have been doing this for years and my hand has become so set that I just have to look at the photograph once and I can paint it without seeing it again,” Niroy says. The credit, he adds, goes to Michelle Page who comes to Nepal twice a year just to buy these signages and sell them in the US.
There are a few reasons why these signage are so much in demand outside Nepal. First, these paintings are personalised — no two signages will have the same face. Second, which is rather interesting is that most people give directions to their house by saying things like, “Our house is the one with a signboard about our dog.”
It is not just signages that clients order. Most place an order of a painting with different background alongside.
“Whenever I get an order to paint a signage, there is an added request to paint the dog separately too, as a portrait. It can be against the backdrop of a forest or even with the pet sitting on a sofa. People who keep pets love them like family. So just like one would commission a portrait of a person, people commission paintings of their pets. The best part is that the artist gets regular work and even if it is not enough to pay the bills, at least the art form gets its due recognition,” Niroj says.
A perception shared by Rana. “Painting signages is something that came my way by chance. In 2007, I came to know that someone was looking for artists who could make them. My work mostly sells through word of mouth. It was here that I met Michelle and she asked me if I could paint personalised signages. I told her all I would need is a photograph. The next day I called her and told her that the plate was ready. When she saw the finished product she was thrilled. She couldn’t believe that I could finish at such short notice. It was then that she gave me an order of 20 signages. It takes me under two hours to make one such board. Usually I paint at night. I need peace and quiet,” 37-year-old Rana says.
During the day, he helps his brother in farming. Hailing from a family of farmers, Rana was eight when he started drawing birds. Interestingly, he has never taken any classes. He is a self-taught painter. “It has been 15 years that I have been painting and though this art form has given me a platform to express myself, I can never make a career out of it. I have a 16-year-old daughter and despite my family supporting my hobby, I have to think of her,” he says.
Sadly, Rana is already looking to leave all this behind and preparing for an interview for a cargo manager’s job in Dubai. The salary is good, he tells you and there is scope of digital designing as well.
Megh Raj, another such budding artist has a similar story to tell. Painting dog signages is something that he does with his son. He is probably one of the very few artists in Kathmandu who has what he calls a studio.
“My son and I love painting dog signages. I am told that sometimes my painting look like a photograph. I personally believe that it is not true but if it makes the client happy, I am happy. At the end of the day, what matters is that my work is appreciated and I have buyers,” Raj says.
Of course, there wasn’t any work that he could show. “Just give me a photograph of whatever you wanted painted and the colours you want and you can come the next day to collect it. It will cost you NC Rs1,000,” he adds.
But does this not hamper the creativity of the artistIJ “Not at all. If you go to any artist he will tell you that he would prefer if he is given a picture. To create something of one’s own takes time. One will have to think of the colours to use, the medium and most importantly what to draw — portrait, abstract or landscape. For this, one requires time and since we won’t be paid for our efforts it is better to reproduce. People are willing to pay NC Rs500 to Rs700 per signage However, these are sold for approximately $150 to $200 through the intermediary for a set of three painting. But we don’t mind that we are not getting a higher price. What matters is that we are getting work and our art is being appreciated abroad as well. It is something that works for everybody involved,” Rana concludes.
‘Sign painting is quite sadly an unsung art’
Michelle Page, a resident of Santa Monica, has been coming to Nepal twice a year with a unique business proposition — hand-painted ‘Beware of Dog’ signages that can be seen all over her country. In an email interview from the US, she tells SHAlINI SAKSENA how she came across this dying art form and what makes these signages from Nepal so popular all over the globe
How did you come across dog painters in NepalIJ
When I first started this project in 2007, I asked around and headed for Tripureshwor in Kathmandu which had over 12 sign painters in a very small area. later, when I learnt to read the Devanagari script, I came across more such signs. What was interesting was the choice of the photos these artists painted. I did not expect them to paint breeds like Papillon, but they did. There were common breeds as well like Doberman and German Shepherd. Their sheer artistry me curious. Till now, I have worked with 61 pet signage artists. Unfortunately, many of these painters have had to go to the Middle East and South Korea to make money. So this art form is dying.
How did you start exporting these personalised paintingIJ
After 25 years of working as an assistant film editor for films like Spiderman 1 through 3, they stopped printing the film, so I needed another place where I could channelise my energy. I have always loved giving people work and for some odd reason, I have always loved ‘Beware of Dog' signs. Nepal had a tradition of lovely hand painted signs on gates. I noticed that these signs were disappearing and being replaced by a simple stencil so I wanted to revive the art.
How big is the US marketIJ
Not big enough. I do make a small profit, but it is very hard to find someone who wants their pets hand-painted by a signboard artist as far away as in Nepal. Since I commission three portraits for each pet, I have ordered over 2,700 pieces to date. Even with my organisational skills — honed from years of keeping track of millions of feet of 35 mm SpiderMan footage — keeping track of these paintings is a full time occupation. When I started out, I made many signs just to try out the artists’ skills. I also make a few for myself every trip to Kathmandu. It’s fun to commission. You never know what you will get in your next visit.
What makes these paintings so specialIJ
There is an appealing naivete to them. There are traditional motifs that are unique to a sign painter's design that make them colourful and fun for the pet owners. Also, given the choice of three portraits gives one a chance to see the artistic process and the choices that different artists make from the same photo. Many people who have commissioned these painting write and tell me that after their pet has died, the signage brings them comfort.
Why only source these paintings from NepalIJ
I recently went to Myanmar and a customer ordered a ‘Danger Dog’ signboard. Myanmar has a high literacy rate and sign painters there rarely need to use figures in their signage. Thus it was very hard to find someone who regularly hand paints figures. Plus there was the language barrier. I had no idea that I spoke that much Nepali, but I can explain the project to a new artist in Nepali, not in Burmese. To me, it is like the Mithila art that was rediscovered in the last century due to the 1934 earthquake. Sign painting is an art that is unappreciated and needs a helping hand.
Some of these paintings are in museums in the US....
They are in a museum in California and quite popular. I would like to get them on the walls of the folk art museum as well. I have had two prominent museums which have not only ordered, but re-ordered works.
Why do people go for such personalised workIJ
People love their pets. This project is for pet lovers who collect art and would like to make a difference. I try to make it fun for them by showing the work in progress and involving them with the artists.
Is there any specific demand while placing ordersIJ
In my last trip, I had a request from a client that her Apricot Poodle be painted in the style, texture and colours used by Paul Gauguin, an 18th century artist. She even supplied me with the Gauguin painting she had in mind. The artist, to whom I gave the work, was intrigued but did a fabulous job, enjoying the challenge and producing three very different and beautiful versions of that little poodle.
How many such sign boards are there in the US todayIJ
Many. The good part is that they are not found only in the US. These signages can be seen in Canada, the UK, Australia, France, lebanon, Mexico, Switzerland, Denmark and India.