Ed Van Der Kooy, born on 9th September 1956 at The Hague, Netherlands who came to Nepal during 1978. He manages a Facebook Page called Nepal and Ladakh & a Youtube channel, where he has documented his travel to Nepal in the form of photographs and video. In 2019, Ed Van Der Kooy, in coordination with The Saraf Foundation, The Taragaon Museum organized a photo exhibition titled ‘Nepal Then’ at Boudha. In a press statement released by The Taragaon Museum, the artist explains how he fell in love with Nepal on his first visit in 1978. (This article features old photos of Mustang during his trip to Nepal.)
His Statement:
Summer 1978, I was a student at the Royal Academy of Visual Arts in The Hague, Holland. I had heard about Nepal. Without any knowledge I flew to Kathmandu. In Freak street I rented a room in Century Lodge for 10 rupees per day. I stayed in Kathmandu for a month. A small city with a lot of temples, mountains on the horizon and above all friendly people.
A lodge owner in Dulikhel told me it was possible to make a trek from Pokhara to Muktinath. Kathmandu, the Annapurna trek, it was all equally beautiful. To Muktinath around Annapurna it was an incredible experience. I fell in love with this beautiful country. After 1978 I returned every year, made many trips, Langtang, Lo-Manthang, Kangchenjunga, Helambu, Encounters with many different cultures, incredible adventures. I had A few exhibitions at Siddhartha Art Gallery, also made a portrait painting of Late Princess Shruti. And now 40 years later, after my first visit, I am doing an exhibition at the Taragaon Museum Kathmandu. For this exhibition I have painted two large panoramas with the subject of my trek in 1978. A film will be shown that I made in 1978 and pictures from that year will be hung on the walls. You could say the circle is closed.
Old photos of Mustang during 1978-80 that you have never seen before by Ed Van Der Kooy
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