The streets of Kathmandu have become a canvas for a new form of art – equilateral triangles [2] painted onto the dilapidated buildings brought down by the April 2015 earthquake [3].
Italian street artist Riccardo Ten Colombo [4] collaborated with the Sattya Media Arts Collective [5] — a resource centre for artists, filmmakers, photographers, activists, and other creative types in Nepal — and local artist Rupak Raj Sunuwar, known as Thugucheaa [6], to put up the equilateral triangles on buildings in the Thamel, Freak Street and Basantapur areas of Kathmandu.
According to Riccardo, the equilateral triangles symbolise stability and strength, and a wish for sturdy future construction of the neighbourhood.
Nearly 9,000 people were killed in the 7.8-magnitude earthquake, and countless buildings were brought tumbling down. Riccardo said he was impressed by the Nepalese people's resilience following the tragedy. On Instagram, he recalled [2]:
Here, where the inhabitants have lost relatives, friends, their homes and all their belongins, preliminary rebuildings are now taking place. As I looked around, stunned, unable to understand what might have really been the shakes, a man approaches me smiling, and pointing to some heaps of bricks he cries “welcome to my home.” Thats when I painted the rubble of the first triangle.
Working with Riccardo was a “great” opportunity, Thugucheaa said [8].
The Sattya Media Arts Collective [10]is currently running a project titled Kolor Kathmandu [11] to transform Kathmandu into an “open gallery”, so keep an eye out for more street art to pop up in Nepal.