Hit Man Gurung - God Has Left My Place II | ILHAM Gallery

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God Has Left My Place II

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God Has Left My Place II

2018

Hit Man Gurung’s figurative paintings from the God Has Left My Place series reflect on the impact of forced migration as a consequence of the ten-year Maoist civil war in Nepal. His minimalist imagery highlights the social and emotional price Nepalese labourers often must pay, in search of employment abroad, typically with low wages and oppressive conditions.

Details

Medium:

Ink and acrylic on acid-free paper

Dimension:

69.9 x 57.2 cm

Date:

2018

Credit Line:

Collection of ILHAM Foundation

Copyright:

© Hit Man Gurung

About Hit Man Gurung

Born in Nepal in 1986, Gurung holds a Master’s degree from Tribhuvan University, where he currently teaches. His work often reflects on the impact of the exodus and haphazard urban development caused by a ten-year Maoist civil war in Nepal, and the years of political instability. Thousands of his fellow countrymen and women have left their homeland and families behind for low-income jobs in foreign countries. Gurung aims to offer his audiences a different perspective. His minimalist imagery highlights the social and emotional price Nepalese labourers often must pay, in search of employment abroad. Gurung is the co-founder of the artist collective, Artree Nepal. His paintings, documentary photo collages and installation work have been exhibited widely. In 2011, he was the recipient of the Australian Himalayan Art Award.

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Learning Section

Discussion

Hit Man Gurung is a Kathmandu-based artist whose works often comment on the socio-political climate of Nepal. He imbues within his artworks themes and narratives surrounding mass migration, the consequences of the ten-year Maoist civil war in Nepal and the precarious forces of urban development and global capitalism.

Why do you think art is often used as a platform to express pressing and sometimes controversial socio-political issues?

The artwork speaks critically on the circumstances of forced migration as a result of the ten-year Maoist civil war in Nepal. Forced migration is an involuntary form of migration or displacement of people away from their home due to the threats posed against their lives and livelihoods.

What comes to mind when you see the artwork? Is there a particular element which struck you the most?
What sort of difficulties do migrants and refugees face?
Can you think of other reasons which compel people to leave their home and migrate to a new country?

Activities

The artwork is minimal but holds a strong message and documents a heavy and complex narrative. Each element of the work contributes a story to the larger picture.

Walk through the spaces in your home while imagining that you must soon leave--what would you take with you?

a. Try creating an artwork that depicts the items chosen or the meaning behind each item which informs your decision.
Interview someone you know who has migrated. It could be a friend or even a family member. Ask them to describe their home/village before migrating.
Think of your own origins and ancestors. Have they migrated from one place to another (either within the home country or internationally)?
a. Interview family members or look through family documents (i.e. photographs) and try to imagine their journey and hardships.
b. Create an artwork that represents this journey.