Art and Entrepreneurship share bond we can capitalize

Nepal is a country rich in natural resources. But it is also known for its diverse culture, art and entrepreneurship ventures, now more than ever. However, the country is far from able to commercialize this specialty despite many efforts from an individual level.

With so many skills and rich resources of concept for art, the horizon of artists’ has expanded over the years.  Art is a great way of creating an appropriate atmosphere for the economy. Art does not have direct economic implications but there are chances it can create a web of businesses benefiting off art. Artists also believe that entrepreneurship culture flourishes along with the development in the art field.

Whenever tourists visit any new place, at the end of their trips, they have a culture to take some souvenirs back home. Their first choice while visiting Nepal is Nepali art decors. The business around the tourist hub booms significantly during the season. There is no doubt that the trend has been in practice for a long time.

People flock from all around the world to witness an art be it natural or man-made. The eye-pleasers always attract tourists and with an influx of tourists in the country, employment opportunities are created. With stakeholders stepping up with their goods and services, the ecosystem builds up the country’s economy.

Art and Entrepreneurship today

Photo: Unsplash/ OhTilly

For generations, Nepalis have been integrating art and entrepreneurship together in one way or the other. The integration of art in entrepreneurship or vice versa is, however, not about changing everything rather it is about modernizing the ways for commercializing the products. Along with that, it is also about promoting the art practices of the country.

Art-based entrepreneurs are hard to spot in Nepal but they exist nevertheless. Many are working in a traditional pattern, while many are making comebacks to what their ancestors did after experiencing the professional life. Meanwhile, there are many venturing into a whole new concept revolving around art and entrepreneurship.

Art-entrepreneurship is not only beneficial from an economic point of view. It carries social and cultural importance too. People are attached to art, for it resembles their cultures. It has that storytelling element that creates a platonic surface for people to rely on while they seek identity.

But art entrepreneurship is not about wanting to earn a whole lot of money; it is about looking into the commercial viability of an art component, according to Ashmina Ranjit, an art-ivist, curator and Nepal’s leading conceptual performance artist. Artists nowadays are not only involved in creating art, they now have the platform to generate income from multiple jobs available in Nepal. Some teach while some freelance and some do temporary side jobs. It is being creative and productive and remaining economically strong like professionals in many other fields have proved to be.

Sustainability

The most obvious issue artists today face is where their next paycheck will come from, and how to keep their last one from running out too quickly. Determining the cost of conducting your art business is an essential tool to ensure that you’re staying on budget and on track. Making a living as an artist is a hard thing in Nepal.

Photo: Pexel/ Steve Johnson

The concept of a sustainable art career has started to be accepted in Nepal. Art educators in Nepal claim that the number of students joining art schools has surged. With many fields to explore, parents nowadays feel no pressure to make their children study subjects considered safe.

The emergence of digitization has helped many young artists to indulge in the global market, and not just the domestic market. A few have entered the scenario with the revised concept of art and entrepreneurship. Artists are innovating new designs; they are inspired and produce goods that resemble our culture with a hint of modernism. And this very integration has have made people choose Nepali producers over international brands.

An artist with an idea to sell can get the market. One can design and further develop the concept into a business. ‘Made in Nepal’ products have the impression of them being good quality and handmade. Some Nepali products already have a niche market they cater to.

Art entrepreneurship has always existed in the past but its ways need some fixes in the context of Nepal. The lesson that if an entrepreneur artist fails to identify and try to address the demand of the market should be learned and Nepali art entrepreneurs should step up their games to survive in the competitive global market.