Nepali man hopes to preserve traditional form of printing in modern times

By Binod Prasad Adhikari
Kathmandu [Nepal], March 9 : Inside a rented flat in Kathmandu, Kabi Raj Lama is working on preserving the traditional form of printing- the Lithography in this modern age of digitization.
Invented and improved along with the human civilization, the printing techniques by the 21st century has made a huge leap but this Nepali youth is determined to preserve this ancient technique which now is endangered.
"It's a very classic technique. In many universities and many countries, it is not onto the academic course. So, I thought that it should be preserved and am practising this technique, the woodcut in Nepal to preserve the and knowledge about the old Sutra painting about how the Tibetans text and Sutra blocks and Mandala they use to carve and then they transfer it onto the paper when there was no digital print and the computer," Lama told ANI.
Lithography, one of the oldest printing techniques which now is scarcely in practice Lama grew up witnessing his grandfather making wooden blocks and using pigments to make various prints.
Driven by art, it was the year of 2010 when Lama was in Japan for his studies and a lecture of professor took him to flashback and then his real journey into preserving the ancient form or printing took off the foothold.
But it was a visit to a museum in Japan where Kabi Raj found an eternal interest in wood and stone print techniques which gradually transformed with technological advancement. With strong determination and commitment, he has now started collecting the ancient printing materials abandoned with digitization.
"When I went to Japan in 2010 and got a chance to study at Meisei University Center of Art and Design at that time my professor taught me about woodblock and then I went back to my childhood when I saw my grandfather doing the same process. After coming back from Japan, I realized that I should preserve all these blocks and went to my village asked relatives and all others to preserve the blocks, they got ready to give all those to me and I have them as collection," Lama recalls.
Amongst his collection, a woodblock passed onto from one generation to another, it now dates back to 600 years. Lama was able to bring out the impression from the block which as per him was done without using sophisticated tools and mechanisms that are available now.
Brought up in a Buddhist family with grandfather being a monk directing and participating in every auspicious occasion held timely, Kabi Raj also got exposure to techniques on making of prayer flags and mandalas.
Named "Kabi Raj" meaning doctor of ancestral medicines by his grandfather, Kabi Raj Lama is now one of the modern doctors of the fine arts who has kept the ancestral printing technique alive.
Kabi Raj's works are mainly dependent on three techniques- Lithography, Wood Cut and Etching. He exercises any of the techniques depending on the suitability of the subject.
Facing constant threats from modern and sophisticated printing techniques, Kabi Raj Lama stands firm on his determination to preserve the ancient technique. In his words, Kathmandu Valley is one of the most fertile places for art as Lithography to flourish and prosper provided the weather and other cultural as well as religious traits.