The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) hosted a six-day photo exhibition recently to celebrate the central role food plays in the life and culture of the Nepalese people. The exhibition was held at the Nepal Art Council Gallery, Babar Mahal, Kathmandu.

The six-day exhibition, entitled “The Life of Food in Nepal”, showcased 46 photographs taken by various photographers from across the country to portray the life of food, the diverse fields on which different crops are grown, the daily dedication and rituals of preparing the food for the table and the gods.

The participating photographers include James Giambrone, Mani Lama, Bikash Raunihar, Chandra Shekhar Karki, Narendra Shrestha, Kiran Pandey, Bhim Ghimire, Bijay Rai, Bikash Karki, Hari Maharjan, Krishna Mani Baral, Laxmi Ngakushi, Naresh Shrestha, Pradip Shakya, Rajesh Gurung, Sanchit Lamichhane, Manoj Poudel, and Ashok Raj Shakya. All of the photographers were awarded a prize by Richard Ragan who is the WFT’s country representative.

“From the grains that feed our bellies to the rituals that inspire Nepal’s spirituality, food is the glue that holds life together, and we wanted to tell a story about the life of food in this country”, says Richard Ragan.

”This exhibition is principally a celebration of Nepal’s vibrant food culture, but it is also about raising awareness on issues around food insecurity in this country. By describing the life of food through the lenses of the countries’ most talented photographers, we believe the story is much more powerful than mere words can describe,” Ragan said in answer to a query as to what the exhibition was meant for.

The exhibition included a number of short feature documentaries, including the first ever 3D animation made in Nepal, especially for the World Food Program. People who attended the exhibition got the exclusive preview of the animation.