Gem of the Month: Sneha Shrestha (IMAGINE)

Ever since this artist painted a mural on the wall next to the entrance to the Davis offices, I have been enchanted with her street art! One of the biggest thrills for me with street art, which I have been observing since it began to flourish in the 1980s, is complex, often illegible (but beautifully so) tagging. Many artists pride themselves on tagging that is totally individual and unique. The term calligraphy—the art form of beautiful handwriting or printing, often including personal decorative additions by the artist—certainly fits the work of outstanding muralist, art educator, and painter Sneha Shrestha, no matter how large she paints her Sanskrit variations.

Sneha Shrestha (IMAGINE) (born 1987, United States/born Nepal), For Cambridge with Love from Nepal, Main Street at Lafayette Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2019. Spray paint, 60' x 20' (18.2 x 6.1 m). Image courtesy of the artist. © 2024 Sneha Shrestha. (8S-30526)

The mural For Cambridge with Love from Nepal is located just blocks away from Shrestha’s first street art works created in Graffiti Alley in Central Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Inspired by a Nepali poet, the script translates to “success is defined by what’s in your heart, not your background and where you come from” (via Central Square Blog). This message covers the side of a five-story-tall building in vibrant, contrasting oranges and violet-blues. The work connects the artist to her birthplace, Nepal, and inspires others imagine what success might look like for them. This large-scale, colorful mural contributes to the creativity and diverse voices in the city.  

Born and raised in Kathmandu, some of Shrestha’s earliest memories are of redrawing illustrations in books that her teacher/translator mother was translating. She went on to study art at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania. After moving to Boston, she began working for Artists for Humanity, a group that encourages teens to tap into their artistic potential. It was there that Shrestha met her mentor, Roxbury street artist Robb “Pro-Blak” Gibbs (born 1977). Gibbs introduced her to hip-hop culture and graffiti art.

The direction of Shrestha’s art was greatly impacted by the idea that abstract lettering on walls could be a personal artistic statement. She initially studied Gibbs’ work, practicing the outline of letters and embellishment. She found her own voice when she applied these disciplines to her native language. She soon came to her signature red-blue-yellow palette inspired by art from Nepal.

Shrestha’s experience with Artists for Humanity inspired her to dedicate her life to art and arts education with a social impact. She earned a master’s in education from Harvard and went on to establish Nepal’s first Children’s Art Museum. In 2018, she was chosen as one of Boston’s Artists in Residence. She is presently the arts manager for the visiting artist program at the Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute at Harvard University.

Sneha Shrestha (IMAGINE), Surya, New York, 2018. Spray paint, 11' x 19'8 ¼" (3.65 x 6 m). Image courtesy of the Artist. © 2024 Sneha Shrestha. (8S-30527)

In an arc of beautiful Sanskrit calligraphy, Shrestha fashioned an image of the rising sun in Surya. Surya is the Sanskrit word for “sun.” It is also the name of the Hindu sun god, who once ranked as one of the five most important gods along with Vishnu, Siva, Shakti, and Ganesa. The Saura, a Hindu sect, worship Surya as a supreme deity. Many Hindus invoke Surya's name in their daily worship at dawn. Surya is a representation of willpower, courage, and vitality.

Sneha Shrestha (IMAGINE), Everybody Is Welcome, for the Below the Stacks Art Festival, Lansing, Michigan, 2019. Spray paint, 40' x 100' (12.2 x 30.5 m). Image courtesy of the Artist. © 2024 Sneha Shrestha. (8S-30528)

Everybody Is Welcome was inspired by a conversation Shrestha had with the co-founder of Below the Stacks, a city-wide mural festival in Lansing, Michigan, that transforms highly visible blank walls into colorful, inspiring works of art. The inspirational conversation led to a discussion about how Lansing has been known as a place where people get their start because the city has welcomed anybody who needs it. The monumental characters on the wall are the first letter of the Nepali alphabet written three times. Three is a sacred number in Nepali households and the first letter signifies beginnings.

Correlations to Davis programs: Explorations in Art 2E Grade 4: 2.4; Explorations in Art 2E Grade 5: 5.1; Explorations in Art 2E Grade 6: 5.4, 5.5; Experience Art: 3.2, 6.1, 7.1; A Personal Journey 2E: pp. 106–109; The Visual Experience 4E: p. 98, p. 295