Traditional Artist

Mukti Thapa was born in 1957 in the central Nepali town of Bandipur, high in the Himalayan foothills with sweeping views over the snowcapped mountains. He grew up in a poor farming family and from a young age Thapa was captivated by drawing, often sketching little flowers or animals that he would sell to the girls in his village. It was when he was twelve that he met his destiny. As the road between Kathmandu and Pokhara was being built, an unfortunate accident killed three of the workmen. At the puja to commemorate the workman’s death there was a beautiful mandala painting. The young Thapa was captivated and knew immediately that he wanted to create paintings like that one. With no opportunities to study art in his small hometown, Thapa left for Kathmandu at age 15 to pursue his dream to paint.