Session X: Art, Culture, and Literature
The Himalayan region is culturally diverse with various practices intertwining with one another. It has rich art and profound literature that has the potential to resonate on an international scale. This session aims to explore this richness through the voices of experts to highlight the scope of promoting and leveraging invaluable artistic and literary assets. Additionally, it aims to discuss concrete measures to facilitate the preservation of these assets by empowering the respective communities and artisans.
NayanTara Gurung Kakshapati
Co-Founder and Director
photo.circle
NayanTara Gurung Kakshapati lives and works in Kathmandu, Nepal. She is the co-founder and artistic director of photo.circle, Nepal Picture Library, and PhotoKTM. She primarily works on platforms and initiatives that nourish image-making, history-telling, and dialogic engagements with diverse publics.
Nyema Zam
Founder & CEO
Samuh Mediatech
Nyema Zam, CEO of Samuh, Bhutan's top OTT Platform, merges 20+ years of media and communication experience with art, entertainment, and technology. Passionate about showcasing Bhutanese and Himalayan creativity globally, she has received numerous accolades, including the UK RISE Business Awards 2022 and Ngultrum Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2022.
Raman Shresta
Bookseller, Publisher, Inn-keeper
Rachna Books & Publications
Raman Shresta, is a bookseller, publisher, inn-keeper and a barista-in-training. In the past two decades, he has grown Rachna Books into an engaging space for creativity, culture, art and music in the heart of Gangtok. Rachna Books is now a part of modern Sikkim's cultural identity and a destination for travelers and the people from the region alike.
Sujan Chitrakar
Associate Professor - Department of Art and Design
Kathmadu University (KU)
Sujan Chitrakar is a Kathmandu-based artist, art educator and curator. He is an Associate Professor at KU Art+Design where his team recently launched a Bachelor of Craft and Design to accommodate the diverse artistic heritage and indigenous skills of the region. He is also Co-Artistic Director of Kathmandu Triennale, 2026.
MODERATOR
Amish Raj Mulmi
Author, ‘All Roads Lead North: Nepal's Turn to China’; Senior Fellow
Nepal Economic Forum
Amish Raj Mulmi is the author of ‘All Roads Lead North: Nepal's Turn to China’. He has written for Carnegie, Observer Research Foundation, Centre for Social and Economic Progress, History Today, Al Jazeera, Engelsberg Ideas, and The Third Pole, among other publications. He is a Senior Fellow at Nepal Economic Forum and a Visiting Fellow at CESIF Nepal. He is also a consulting editor at Writer’s Side Literary Agency and a contributing editor at Himal Southasian.