Sanjeev Maharjan, along with his partner Sunita Maharjan, established Drawing Room KTM in the year 2013. The aim of this organization was to develop a productive platform for art enthusiasts in the valley with the theme: Art is for everyone. “I often hear people saying that they are extremely bad at art.
But the truth is everyone can be an artist,” says Sanjeev Maharjan, co-founder of Drawing Room KTM. “You just need to get the right guidance and the right technique,” he adds.
The Drawing Room located at Khichapokahri, Kathmandu has recently opened its a branch in Jhamsikhel, Lalitpur as well. This place welcomes all energetic learners who enjoy the process of drawing and painting and want to hone their skills in fine arts. “We cater to a large age group. From toddlers to adults, everyone can be a part of this Drawing Room KTM experience,” says Maharjan. This place also has a large number of dedicated professionals who have an experience of working with artists of all age groups.
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The method of teaching toddlers here is completely different from that of teaching adults. “We encourage children to be creative,” says Maharjan. “Children are not taught any specific techniques. They are just left to explore their surrounding,” claims Maharjan adding that they never confine children to a specific method.
Also, there are various workshops organized for children during their school vacations. “We want them to be creative and discover their talent. Hence, our workshops for children are not just about fine arts. We have organized storytelling workshops, puppet making, face painting and many more in the past,” he explains.
The adults, on the other hand, are taught technical skills to help them better their art. These techniques enable them to refine their creativity. Along with regular morning and evening classes for adults, Drawing Room KTM also offers a three-month foundation course. “The foundation course is usually taken by people who pursue art as a hobby,” says Maharjan.
In the first month, students are taught the basics of drawing, shading, and measurement. The second month becomes slightly more complicated where students learn portrait making and enlarging small images. Lastly, in the third month, students learn the theories of colors. They are even taught how to use watercolors efficiently. After completing this three-month foundation course, students can then specialize in a medium that interests them the most.
“Some students take up charcoal drawing while others like portrait or landscape painting. Students can choose the field of their interest after completing the basic foundation course,” says Maharjan.
However, Drawing Room KTM is not just for frivolous part-time artists. They also guide students who want to take up art as a profession. “We have especial counselling sessions for those who want to take up fine arts in their higher studies. We give them a list of the best universities they can join and also help refine their artistic abilities for the future,” says Mahajan.
The scope of art is slowly but steadily growing in our country. Many artists in Nepal have established successful careers for themselves. “We want to encourage more students to study art because this field has an extremely bright future,” concludes Maharjan.
