Youbesh Dhaubhadel
I create art because it lets me be who I am, what I see and what I love to express unhinged. I utilize my utmost freedom in creating art.
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Who will appear in Artforum Magazine, take home $25,000, and display their artwork at The Art of Elysium's Salon?
Voting opens Monday, May 4th at 10AM PDT
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Learn MoreWhat is your favorite type of art to create?
My favorite type of art to create is photography, which lets me be in the present moment. I have delved into mediums of painting and yet the momentary rush of a split second that photography creates, enthralls me the most. I have to be right there with full consciousness of making it, capturing it. Photography lets me craft moments with what's available, with a spectrum to visualize the real imagination with limitations, but from a different perspective to tell the story. Photography wins for me
Where do you find inspiration?
I find my inspiration in the streets of my hometown, the Kathmandu Valley, among dancers, priests, and everyday participants as they navigate joy & grief, faith & fatigue, continuity & change. I have been capturing the vibrancy, spirituality, and identity of a handful of festivals celebrated in the cultural realm of Nepal, where each element is a story in itself. I seek inspiration from all devotees, artists, performers, musicians, and volunteers who transform the streets into a sacred spaces.
What would you do with $25,000?
I would be using the money to publish my coffee table photobook that I have designed after the photography exhibition that I did in 2025 about the festivals of Nepal in the Aurora History Museum, Colorado. I am publishing the photobook as an invitation for the world to witness and immerse in the festivals of Nepal. It is a cultural passport & visual pilgrimage into the heart of Nepal’s timeless traditions, living heritage of Nepa Dey: Bhaktapur, Kathmandu, and Lalitpur for international audience
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