Kathmandu February 17.

Sculptors from India, China, Japan, Israel, Ukraine Italy, France, Canada and Brazil have arrived here to participate in the International Sculptors’ Workshop being held at Galkot, the historical place in Baglung district. The workshop will commence at Teuwa of Galkot municipality-5 from today. It will run until March 4. Jun Ichiro Sugimoto from Japan, Liu Yang from China, Bitino Franceni from Italy, Javiers Gonzalez from France, Taw Lin Li Len from Taiwan, Julie Glaspie from Canada, Tutu Patnaik from India, Tanya Preminger from Israel, George Luiz from Brazil and Ludmel from Ukraine have arrived here. Nepali sculptors Prabin Kumar Shrestha, Om Khatri, Rajan Kafle, Buddha Chaudhari and Raju Pithakote will join them in the workshop. Baglung municipality mayor Janak Raj Poudel, representatives of the Kalika Bhagawati Guthi Management Committee, the district administration and the Galkot locals welcomed the sculptors at the Kalika Temple premises. They were taken around the temple. The artisans will be carving out statues on historical and cultural themes as well as that which are especially useful in human life, Capt Purna Bahadur Rana, president of Galkot Art Academy, said. The Academy is hosting the workshop. In course of the workshop, sculptors will work to revive sculpture art and also make sculptures related to the fine arts and human sentiment in the world. Boulders weighing from five tonnes to 10 tonnes have been kept at the workshop venue for the artists to give them shape. Dozers will be used to turn and move the boulders. The artists have already chosen the themes for the sculptures they are going to prepare. The national flag of the sculptor’s country has been planted beside the rock assigned to him/her. They will chisel out sculptures staying at Teuwa for two weeks. The venue would be developed into a rock garden with the stone sculptures prepared by the artists. Teuwa will be an attractive place for retreat for visitors as it is close to the trekking route going towards Ghumte, one of the main tourism destinations of the district.