A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Nepal in 2015, followed by hundreds of aftershocks that led to physical destruction, loss, and negative mental health outcomes.
Yet, in the days, months, and years following the disaster, numerous forms of community art rose from the rubble, such as urban murals, spoken word poetry, public dance performances, and sacred art.
This multimodal virtual gallery and web story features photographs, musical recordings, short films, illustrative quotes, and poetry that will take you on a journey to explore the relationship between community art and health, social cohesion, and community resilience in post-earthquake Nepal. Through examinations of works by 19 different artists and practitioners, and reflections from artists, we witness how art forms influence community cohesion and health.
Art works ranged from contemporary paintings to Buddhist ritual dance and reflected the unique combination of the traditional and contemporary necessary for salvaging and restoring Nepali heritage.
Findings from this study of community art in post-earthquake Nepal revealed three key themes regarding linkages between art and mental health in the context of post-earthquake:
Community art offers relief, through the creation or observation of art.
Community art is used as a means of communication, both as a tool for promoting connections in the community, and for communicating messages of hope.
Community art promotes community cohesion and ultimately serves as a tool to create physical and emotional safe spaces.
Overall, there is promise for initiatives that engage artists and communities in arts-based initiatives following traumatic events, such as natural disasters, which can positively affect health. Funding support and development of partnerships with grassroots artists and creators should be promoted in health and development programming, especially for risk reduction and recovery after disasters.
Community Art as Relief
Community art provided relief in the aftermath of the earthquake, and supported coping and healing. Artists discussed how art emerged as a way of providing relief, since a comfort zone develops through both the creation and consumption of art. Specifically, artists described feelings of comfort that emerged through creating art, which allowed for reflection and/or a way of escaping the pain of the present situation. However, they also discussed the potential for community art to serve as a form of relief for community members who are not necessarily artists but can find relief from consuming or observing community art works.
When it comes to relief through creating art, artists spoke to the benefits derived from engaging in the creative process as it functioned as a distraction or reprieve from stressors. Sometimes, the relief was important for individual artists themselves in the coping process:
“For me, sketching became a medium to distract myself and to zone out from whatever was happening. Because it was always very stressful for me to see [the aftermath of the earthquake], it wasn’t very comfortable. It was more like me escaping into my comfort zone [through] sketching.” (Kiran Maharjan, Urban muralist)
Some artists organized art workshops for children in communities after the earthquake, knowing that art could provide relief and a way to express their experiences and feelings:
“I gathered up colors, paper, and pencils and went Bungamati. There, in one village I did a workshop for [children]… that also gave children some mental relief.” (Sarita Dongol, Painter)
“[We launched a program] in the aftermath of the 2015 Nepal earthquakes in order to take the arts to remote, marginalized and earthquake-ravaged school communities. The initial objective of the program was to engage traumatized students, teachers and community members in activities and workshops that could potentially relieve their distress.” (Sharereh Bajracharya, Founding member of Srijanalaya)
“ ‘Get well soon’ is a project about healing people, healing community, and healing children. Children are so connected with society, yet they are completely helpless. Children need help. In that manner, we thought the ‘Get well soon project’ should be for children and the basic idea is to help and make sure that their mental health is in good progress; at the same time, the project is a form of art therapy. [In the cards they created] some children talked about their parents and families, some people talked about the collapsed houses, and some children were telling their own stories about what happened to their thought process after the earthquake. There were so many different layers of stories. [Since the ‘Get well soon’ cards were delivered to hospitals] the project in some ways also involved many adults and different layers of social structures, like nurses, doctors, and artists. Indirectly, we were able to inject arts into their minds. They were also thinking art can be as a tool to express ideas, at least they got some senses.” (Manish Lal Shrestha, Multidimensional Visual Artist)
Rownika Shrestha, a poet, writer, and spoken-word performer, stated that through self-expression she was able to find relief in her writing:
“Often there are no ways to express your feelings, but when you write, it helps to equip you with that tool. Writing eases our minds, helps pour out our feelings, and then people are able to talk about it more and know how to express [themselves]. When they start writing they have a tool to express themselves. It affects [people] a lot and makes a lot difference.”
Sumitra Bogati, the coordinator of Word Warriors – a spoken word poetry group in Kathmandu, also expressed the power of the written word in relief and healing:
“It is after we learn to write, we will be able to speak up [about] issues. We start talking about it when we start writing about it. It heals.”
Artists also discussed the power of the arts offering relief when communities engaged in group initiatives:
“After the earthquake I was involved in group activities to help the community heal from the trauma and restore hope. It helped me realize there are many ways to utilize art in a community to aid in the healing process. Even indirectly art can be used to motivate, heal, and process trauma in the aftermath of a life changing natural calamity.” (Prakash Ranjit, visual artist/illustrator)
Prakash discussed a dance program that was particularly powerful in the aftermath of the earthquake, that he was involved with along with artist Ashmina Ranjit:
“We organized dance performances (Inner Dance) taught to us by a meditation group from the Philippines, and along with them we used [this technique] to help people relax and release stress accumulated through trauma from all the devastation. It helped establish a sense of acceptance, served as a mode to release clustered emotions, and [a way to] express them using a safe approach.” (Prakash Ranjit, visual artist/illustrator)
“I always wanted to approach these firsthand victims as well as the secondhand victims. There were many volunteers who got traumatized after listening to victims. They were mostly neglected. So, we also did dance classes for them. ‘Inner Dance’ directly helped me as well as many people. One of my students, her sister was killed during the earthquake, so I asked her to come for an ‘Inner Dance’ class. She came along with her other sister. We could see drastic changes in them. So, we did classes in many places like art council, in groups… at many places. As the ‘Inner Dance’ process peels away the layers of our conditioned mental limitations, it slowly reveals our deeper core principles and the activation of our Birth Vision – our primary reason for existing on the planet to begin with. It is in this remembrance that ‘Inner Dance’ ultimately leads participants to intuitively evolve in response to global shifts and to embrace a more harmonious way of existing on our planet. For me it’s a different kind of experience and different kind of performance and different kind of experimentation.” (Ashmina Ranjit, Performance Artist)
Hem Ratna Bajracharya also used a form of dance to offer relief in his community after the earthquake. As a traditional Charya dancer (Buddhist ritual dance):
“After the earthquake we started a project for the relief of children. We decided to organize the Charya (traditional Buddhist ritual) dance training. [Since] dance relieves our mind, we organized this class. Me along with one more trainer, Maila Guru, were trainers for a year at Bubahal. During that time about 180 children came for the training. We trained them for a year and some of them are trainers themselves these days. So, after the earthquake that was the most effective thing we did in this field of dance.”
In a project through the Transcultural Psychosocial Organization, Jamuna Shrestha supported victims of the earthquake through creating story cloths:
“We taught [victims] how to design and sew narrative textiles to share their stories and encouraged empathic listening by group members. Then cautiously worked through the processing of distressing memories, while being cautious of re-triggering for some participants, and offering additional individual support as needed. We also used cognitive behavioral techniques such as positive self-talk and assertiveness training. After the session we had a discussion and group decision about potential exhibition of the textiles that participants created.”
In another initiative through Nepal Knotcraft, community members were engaged with utilizing traditional weaving techniques, which can impact overall happiness and wellbeing in a therapeutic manner:
“When you are engaged [in weaving], you don’t have anything to think about. When your mind is busy with the craft, you focus on making your work better, make it cost effective, your mind becomes increasingly creative. You can easily spend your time creating. You are busy both physically and mentally, and you can eat very well, sleep very well, you will be happy. Because for me, most of these cultural products and natural fibers, women, and environment, I am involved in all these things and it is therapeutic for me. When it got a bit difficult to me, I started weaving the same knots repetitively, and with a little bit of thought, I made a new product, Tiki Jhya.” (Shyam Badan Shrestha, Founder of Nepal Knotcraft)
Consuming/observing community art was also mentioned as a form of relief. Several artists spoke to the way that consuming art can aid in “forgetting” the stress of the moment and encourage viewers to immerse themselves in the art and its message:
“My personal point-of-view is that by looking at my painting, [I hope people] get peace, and for a moment, forget themselves and be present in that painting and appreciate what is there” (Lok Chitrakar, traditional religious paubha painter).
Another artist discussed the practical nature of art providing relief through creating and displaying art in the community:
“Before the earthquake happened, people wouldn’t mind walking next to a wall . . . but after the earthquake people had this fear with buildings, the city, the walls, and the whole urban landscape. People started walking around just looking up. The fear behind this was interesting for me because we are street artists and we paint walls; we want people to appreciate the walls and have this direct connection with these urban landscapes. Due to the earthquake, people really didn’t even want to stand next to a wall or do anything next to it. Basically, they became scared of walls. It was crucial for us to make sure that people got back into appreciating those walls [with street art] again because we felt like it was necessary for the city to recover, for the growth of the city, but also for street art to flourish again.” (Kiran Maharjan, urban muralist)
“When we were [creating art] in the streets [after the earthquake], we could see the direct impact. People came up to us and started talking about the earthquake and how it happened, and we [started seeing] connections happening. It’s interesting because that becomes a starting point for a conversation and by the end of conversation, you can understand the other person better and vice versa. A barrier kind of gets broken down because of a common topic, like the earthquake, by using the medium of street art.” (Kiran Maharjan, urban muralist)
In other examples, community art projects were created with the explicit goal of promoting communication and conversation after the earthquake:
“Along with a writer friend of mine, Rishi Amatya, we started thinking of how we could ignite a conversation among young adults. We devised a comic book that could lead people to comprehend how sudden and disastrous an earthquake can be, and [help to] change many social and political priorities.” (Prakash Ranjit, visual artist/illustrator)
Manish Lal Shrestha, a multidimensional visual artist, discussed a participatory art project made of knitted rope. He discussed its importance in encouraging reflection and conversation:
“People started to say, ‘I will also help you stitch.’ I think there is some sort of connection, rather than understanding, that they are experiencing. They also interpret the project in their own manner, like ‘Oh, he is teaching us everything to make everything united.’ From this I learned that [community members] have their own perspectives [about the art and its meaning].
From Manish’s experience, community art encourages individuals to express and contemplate their own beliefs while engaging with others’ conceptions. Through creating these art works and initiatives, artists and community members often discussed sensitive topics, and the community artwork ultimately resulted in a platform for reflection. Overall, community art projects can lead to cooperative creation of meaning, and ultimately understanding and healing:
“Giving people of the community the opportunity to comment, add, have conversations about the art is an important step in healing as a community” (Marie-Ange Sylvain-Holmgren, gallery owner).
Art as a tool for communication was also discussed in terms of its power to promote messages of hope and resilience, which can inevitably affect overall health and stability in a community.
Durga Pariyar, a Nepali musician, expressed:
“I feel music has this power to heal, power to touch the heart of people, power to make them forget their sorrow and grief.”
She discussed the power of some of the music she listened to after the earthquake, which got her through those difficult days.
“The houses collapsed; the house collapsed | You shouldn’t collapse In this time of grief | The path of trust shouldn’t collapse | The nature betrayed us | in spite of daylight, the sky is dark | The road collapsed; the road collapsed | Your heart shouldn't collapse | This might occur again | But the path of trust shouldn’t collapse | The houses collapsed; the house collapsed | But you shouldn’t collapse. … I really like this song. The way it is written, it gives you hope, that no matter what happens, you shouldn't fall down.”
Rohit Ranjitkar, a conservation architect, discussed the process of conserving and protecting sacred art and artifacts after the destruction of temples in the earthquake. These art forms serve as an important part of community identity, and preserving and restoring them was a critical component to restoring a sense of community:
“During the earthquake, community people came to help restore artifacts and move the remains to a safe place. Of course, the police and army were there with bulldozers to rescue and clean, but they didn’t have the slightest idea how to conserve the heritage and artifacts. Rather it was the community people who came forward and helped to pick up the artifacts manually without the help of machines. Every day we had 50–60 people who came. They even took turns providing food to the police and army who were helping cleaning up the debris. Within five or six days, everything from left over logs to statues were moved to a safe place. It is because of the community people that this work was made easier and faster.”
The physical contribution of participating in preserving sacred art and artifacts helped community members maintain a sense of purpose, and encouraged them to work together to preserve, and ultimately rebuild, important symbols of their heritage. While the community members were not involved in creating the temples, the act of coming together for the sake of preserving historical community art and artifacts, in this case ancient temples, provided an opportunity to restore community cohesion.
Dharma Raj Shakya, a painter and sculptor, also discussed the importance of reconstructing traditional monuments after the earthquake:
“After earthquake, I completed that Buddha Statue at Muktinath, upon order. I was also the president of the Federation of Handicrafts Association of Nepal at that time, and we did 2-3 rounds of meetings in order to make strategies to train people and organized trainings on woodcarving, stone carving, ceramics, and metal crafts. We also mobilized artists in other districts of Nepal. [All of this was to] work to reconstruct and rehabilitate our heritages after the earthquake.”
When asked about the impacts of traditional handicraft initiatives, Shyam Badan Shrestha, the founder of Nepal Knotcraft, explains using traditional weaving techniques can have a lasting impact on communities in terms of economic impact and empowerment:
“Creating handicrafts promote] a sense of responsibility for example, the craft of basket weaving, to make one small basket with traditional techniques takes days. These baskets were disappearing because they were only used for cultural purposes, but [we thought about how to use] that skill for economic empowerment. I did a lot of research and experiments, altered the technique of weaving, colors, design, and range, for utility value. Now lots of people in different districts are making them, copying them, selling them, and in turn empowering the people involved. It makes an impact, through traditional craft, and there are thousands in Nepal. Once you earn and are independent everybody respects you. It gives you the power to lead.”
Sara Parker, a visual methodologies researcher, related the significance of art and community:
“I think art—and art that is inspired by and connects to local culture—plays a really important role in connecting people. Generally, I think that art and co-creating art in particular has an important role to play in developing community cohesion. I saw this with the photography project I ran from 2008– 2011, in that it can connect people and create spaces where people can share ideas and make connections through the use of photography or any other medium.”
Considering the growing impacts of climate change, which make natural disasters more likely, communities urgently require post disaster coping methods. This project provides insight into the role of community art and its potential for influencing health, social cohesion, and community resilience in the aftermath of a disaster or traumatic event. Findings suggest that community art initiatives provide many opportunities for relief, communication, and promoting community cohesion in such contexts. These findings can provide structure for future research and intervention efforts seeking to address community art in a post disaster context. Funding support and development of partnerships with grassroots artists and creators should be promoted in health and development programming, especially for risk reduction and recovery in the aftermath of natural disasters.
For the complete analysis, download and read our open-access research paper published in Health Promotion Practice here.
Credits:
Dikesh Maharjan, Eric Shrestha, Basanta Ranjitkar, Image Ark, Google