Danger Dogs from Nepal – Folk Art from the Himalayas

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Ram Krishna

Ram Krishna uses a circle motif common among Nepali signboard artists, but he takes it

a step further. He often uses the circle as a moon, or as a device to frame the dog, but he

has been known to take it outside the frame, too, giving the pet a field, some grass, or

even just to show off the dog’s collar. See the black lab with a glowing porthole above.

Ram Krishna is an example of a member of a family that is in the business of signboard

art. His brothers and his cousins all work in the business. Most likely his father and

uncles have all retired. There are female fine artists in Nepal, but I’ve never seen a lady

signboard artist, though they often work in the shop or run the storefront.

More than once, I’ve gone to Ram’s shop to find 5 or 6 Nepalis watching a hotly

contested game of chess. There’s also a lot of art on the wall, a sign that they paint for

pleasure as well.

There is little ego involved for most of these guys. If they have a lot of work, or their

cousin needs some money, they pass the work along to someone else. The young artists

never turn down work, whereas I’ve known some older artists to insist that they are ‘too

busy’.