Artists residencies

"Ignite your artistic vision and traverse the world with our international artists residencies - where art knows no borders!"

“Experience Nepal’s vibrant artistic ecosystem – connect, create, and thrive in our studio-based and community-based residencies, designed exclusively for Nepali as well as international artists.”

Open call for
Artudio international
artists residency 2025/26

Deadline: Ongoing

AIAR 2025/26

open call
for 2025/2026

About Artudio
International
Artists in Residency
Program

We are excited to introduce  Artudio International Artists Residency Program, designed as a creative sanctuary where artists can freely experiment, explore, and refine their work in an inspiring artistic environment.

 

Our residency:

  • Accommodates two international artists at a time throughout the year.
  • Offers customized residencies from 1 to 6 months, tailored to each artist’s unique needs.
  • Provides a space for self-discovery, critical thinking, and artistic growth in a vibrant setting.

At Artudio International Artists Residency, we are committed to building a sustainable global art ecosystem that connects artists to Nepal’s rich cultural, natural, spiritual and artistic landscapes. Through this immersive experience, we empower artists to unlock their full potential and forge meaningful creative journeys.

As an Artist-in-Residence, you will become part of a dynamic and supportive art community, gaining access to valuable resources to enhance your creative practice. Our residency is designed to inspire and empower artists by fostering an environment that encourages exploration, dialogue, and collaboration.

Here, you will have the opportunity to:

  • Connect with fellow artists, curators, and cultural practitioners—building lifelong friendships and professional relationships.
  • Engage with Nepal’s contemporary art scene, exploring its evolving narratives and creative expressions.
  • Immerse yourself in the country’s rich cultural and geographical diversity, drawing inspiration from its traditions, landscapes, and people.
  • Showcase your work through exhibitions, presentations, and networking events, opening doors for future collaborations.

We strive to maintain a stimulating, open, and accessible environment, offering affordable residency fees while ensuring a fulfilling and immersive experience. We are confident that your time with us will be transformative and unforgettable, propelling your artistic journey forward.

We are situated in Swoyambhu-15, Kathmandu, Nepal, where the harmonious blend of nature and urban life fosters an inspiring environment for creativity and reflection. Just a short distance away is the Swayambhunath Mahachaitya, a revered UNESCO World Heritage Site with deep historical and cultural significance. Known for its profound spiritual importance, this sacred site offers breathtaking views of the Kathmandu Valley and serves as a symbolic gateway to the valley’s cultural heart.

The stupa, believed to be over 2,000 years old, stands as a living testament to Nepal’s ancient Buddhist heritage, drawing pilgrims from around the world. Swayambhunath is not only a major center for Buddhist worship but also a place where interfaith dialogue thrives, as both Buddhists and Hindus coexist in harmony. While commonly referred to by tourists as the “Monkey Temple,” this nickname overlooks the stupa’s true essence—a sacred site rich in mythological, historical, and religious significance. According to legend, the Bodhisattva Manjushri drained the ancient lake that once covered the Kathmandu Valley, and the stupa is believed to have been self-created. Today, it stands as a monument to Nepal’s spiritual, cultural, and artistic heritage, adorned with countless shrines, sculptures, and intricate carvings that reflect the country’s deep connection to the divine.

Convenient Location with Easy Accessibility

Our location offers easy access to the Kathmandu ring road, just a 7-minute walk away, ensuring smooth connectivity to the rest of the city. Artudio is also a mere 5-minute walk from the ring road, offering easy access to Kathmandu’s major attractions and amenities. Tribhuvan International Airport is just 8.5 km away, simplifying international travel for visiting artists.

Explore Cultural & Historical Landmarks Nearby

For those eager to explore Kathmandu’s rich cultural heritage, our vicinity is home to three remarkable museums:

  • National Museum of Nepal – Showcasing Nepal’s diverse history and artifacts (4-minute walk).
  • Military Museum – Offering insights into Nepal’s military history (3-minute walk).
  • Natural History Museum of Nepal – Featuring an extensive collection of Nepal’s flora and fauna (3-minute walk).

Serenity in Nature

Nearby hiking spots, such as Ichangu Narayan, Nagarjuna Hills, and Jamacho Hills, offer panoramic views of the Kathmandu Valley, providing an ideal retreat for creative reflection and inspiration amidst nature’s tranquility.

Proximity to Historic & Cultural Landmarks

Artudio is located just 2.3 km from the Kathmandu Durbar Square and 7 km from Patan Durbar Square, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites that are steeped in history, architectural brilliance, and cultural significance.

Spiritual Enrichment

The area is home to renowned Buddhist monasteries, including:

  • Benchen Monastery
  • Seto Gumba (Druk Amitabh Mountain)
  • Tergar Osel Ling Monastery
  • Maitreya Gumba
  • Manang Gumba

These monasteries contribute to the serene, spiritual ambiance of the residency, offering an enriching experience for the soul.

Dynamic Neighborhood

Artudio is close to vibrant areas like:

  • Narayanhity King’s Palace Museum (3.5 km)
  • Dharahara (3.5 km)
  • Thamel (1.6 km)
  • Asan (2.5 km)

These locations allow artists to explore diverse facets of Kathmandu’s culture and history, adding a dynamic layer to their residency experience.

 

Staying at Artudio allows you to embrace both the tranquility of nature and the richness of Kathmandu’s cultural landscape, making it the ideal place for artists, researchers, and explorers. Immerse yourself in Nepal’s timeless charm and begin your creative journey here!

Residency Fees:

  • 1 month – $750
  • 2 months – $1,400
  • 3 months – $2,200
  • 4 months – $2,900
  • 5 months – $3,600
  • 6 months – $4,000

Artists can bring one companion (a family member or partner) with an additional contribution of $5 per day.

 

All fees must be paid upon arrival at the start of the residency.

 

Included in the Fees:

  • A spacious bedroom with a balcony overlooking Swayambhunath Mahachaitya.
  • A shared kitchen with an induction stove, refrigerator, microwave, and basic utensils.
  • A shared bathroom with a hot water shower.
  • A workspace with your own desk for projects.
  • Wireless internet access (bring your own laptop).
  • Electricity and water included.
  • A common washing machine for laundry.
  • Airport pick-up and drop-off service.
  • Weekly housekeeping (dusting, sheet changing, and restroom cleaning).
  • Black-and-white printing (A4 size) and photocopying.
  • Networking opportunities within Nepal’s art and cultural scene.
  • Exhibitions and presentations at Artudio or Artudio’s partner institutions, with event invitations.
  • Frequent visits to galleries, studios, museums, and libraries based on artists’ needs.

 

If you need extra space for your project, shared studio access is also available.

Here’s a simpler and clearer version:


 

  • Flight Costs – Money spent on airfare for the artist’s travel.
  • Meals – The cost of food and dining during the trip or stay.
  • Exhibition Setup – Expenses for planning and organizing an art exhibition.
  • Promotional Materials – Costs for printing brochures, catalogs, or other materials to promote the artist’s work.
  • Personal Travel – Any travel expenses not directly related to the art project.
  • Art Supplies – Money spent on materials needed to create artworks.
  • Daily Expenses – Costs for everyday needs like local transport and phone use.
  • Health Insurance – Payment for insurance to cover medical needs during travel.
  • Trekking Costs (if interested) – Expenses for trekking or outdoor activities.
  • Travel Outside the Main Location – Costs for trips beyond the exhibition or residency site.

We welcome visionary thinkers and contemporary artists from around the globe, spanning diverse disciplines including:

  • Visual Arts (painting, drawing, mixed media, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking)
  • New Media Art (video art, sound art, digital installations)
  • Design (graphic, industrial, fashion, illustration)
  • Writing (literature, poetry, art criticism)
  • Curatorial Practices and Research
  • Performance Arts (theater, dance, interdisciplinary)
  • Creative Media (photography, vlogging, creative influencing)

You can mail your application to: artudiofoundation@gmail.com

Your application must contain the following:

Artist statement,

Recent works (maximum 15 in PDF format),

CV/Bio,

Portfolio,

Project Plan,

Copy of valid Passport,

Application form &

Your profile photograph

 

Open year-round (rolling admissions). Apply now to secure your spot for 2025/26.

We encourage resident artists to conduct workshops at Artudio or with our partner institutions, fostering knowledge exchange, community engagement, and artistic dialogue. These workshops provide a platform for artists to share their practice, skills, and insights while interacting with local creatives and audiences.

We look forward to welcoming you to Artudio’s vibrant contemporary art and cultural community in the heart of Kathmandu city for a transformative artistic journey.

Artudio Residency Space

Artudio International Artists in Residency 2024

MEET oure past
Resident Artists

Artudio Young Artists in Residency 2024

MEET THE
Resident Artists

Artudio Young Artists in Residency 2023

MEET the past
Resident Artists

Watch the video of the inaugural Artudio National Artists in Residency program from 2023.

Let the transformative power of art amaze you with the exclusive inaugural Artudio Residency Program 2023. Two young Nepali artists, Suchin Shrestha and Kiran Shrestha, have been selected for a 5-month residency program to support their art practice. Here is an Open Studio video beautifully crafted by Khojpatra that you can watch. Immerse yourself in the limitless possibilities offered by the innovative and diverse community of resident talents. Their masterpieces are showcased in this stunning video, witnessing the vibrant fusion of artistic expression and creativity that will reignite your own passion for art. This inspiring video encapsulates the very essence of our dynamic residency, offering you a front-row seat to the boundless potential for creative exploration that lies within it. Allow yourself to be captivated by the power of art as you explore the transformative world of the Artudio Residency program. Press play and let the magic unfold before your eyes!

Discover more

Our Past
artists residencies

Discover more about our past residencies here.

Artudio International Artists in Residency 2022

MEET the past
Resident Artists

Youri alvites

Youri Alvites has been obsessed with drawing and painting ever since he was young. Being on the road in solitude and in search of archetypical forms, had let him create story’s through cryptic shapes and an unconstrained technique. Simultaneously flirting with big city life, flashy streets and endless bars, thinking about the New York school, DADA, DIY culture, and advertisements. These contrasting topics interact in a new way, by referring to a place forever in motion. By applying, removing, covering and painting over illustrative building blocks, these elements combined, speak a language. Enhancing mistakes and coincidences is an essential part of this process. Living in these fast and complicated times, had let Youri rethink about community and ways to reconnect with one and each other though art.


Artudio International Artists in Residency 2016

MEET THE past
Resident Artists & Curator

Dolakha Album, a curated community Homestay Art Residency 2016.

Witness the power of art to unite communities and inspire creativity. The Dolakha Album, a community homestay art residency program was a truly transformative experience curated by Kailash K Shrestha, artist and founder, Director of Artudio. From May 3rd to 10th, 2016, talented Nepali contemporary artists, including Sujan Dangol, Surendra Maharjan, Sandhya Silwal, Rajan Shrestha, and Abhimanyu Dixit, were brought together for a community homestay art residency in Gairimudi, Dolakha. But they weren’t alone – artists from the Global Art Collective also joined in for a community sculpture burn. This residency showcased how art can bring diverse minds together and create something truly beautiful. Let’s be inspired to pursue our passions and use our talents to build bridges and connect with others. The possibilities are endless when creativity leads the way.

Get to know

Our
Resident
artists & curator of Dolakha Album

Sujan Dangol

Sujan Dangol is multimedia artists who believes that “Art cannot be manufactured but it comes as a true gift from people to people”. He has had his two Solo exhibitions ” Utopia 2.0″ and Through My Stories” in 2012 and 2013 fespectively. He was also awarded the Australian Himalayan foundation Award in 2013. Dangol’s artworks comes from what he sees and hears which transfroms into what he feels at different periods of time.

Rajan Shrestha

Rajan Shrestha is a multimedia artist working primarily with music, photography and videography following closely. Shrestha is keen about digital media and its artistic, as well as pragmatic implications. Bassist /co-producer for a Kathmandu based post-alternative band, Jindabad, he finds his new interest in audience participation based interactive art and electronics.

Abhimanyu Dixit

Abhimanyu dixit believes in cinema and believes that all kinds of films should be made. He does not differentiate between fiction and non-fiction or long and short: he is a film maker and the co-founder of one of Nepal’s fastest growing contemporary cinema company- Gauthali ‘Ent. In the field of cinema, he has produced two feature films, directed numerous shorts -both fiction and not -fiction and is also a mass media scholar and educator.

Sandhya Silwal

Sandhya Silwal is a working viusal artist. She has had two solo exhibitions, ‘Blissful Entanglement’ and ‘Journey’. Recently , she exhibited her art works in Siddhartha Art Gallery along with four other artists which was the outcome of an Art Residency scholarship, awarded in 2015 by Kathmandu Contemporary Arts Center. Ms. Silwal’s artworks are enriched with patterns as well as metaphorical figures. She enjoys experimenting with different materials and techniques. She is also an art instructor at Ullens School.

Surendra maharjan

Surendra Maharjan is printmaking artist. He was also Awarded the Australian Himalayan Foundation Award in 2015 and the recipient of the Prashant Memorial Scholarship in 2008 and 2012. He has participated in several printmaking workshops and exhibitions.

Chabi Bahadur Shrestha

Chhabi Bahadur Shrestha is a local artisan and farmer from Gairimudi 8, Dolakha. From a young age, he has been an active bamboo weaving artisan. He enjoys weaving Dok0s, Phulgos, Chapani and Chitras for his community’s daily use. Shrestha has not recognized his skills were a form of art till Dolakha Album created a platform.

Kailash K Shrestha

Kailash K shrestha is contemporary visual artist and Founder of Artudio, Centre for Visual Art. He is the curator for Dolakha album. His several years of art practices have employed a variety of visual languages. engagements and initiatives to create narratives that are both personal and relatable. The local identity in the global context is the center of focuses in his art approach that demands diverse engagements and mediums. He received 1st Himalayan Art Award from Australian Himalayan Foundation and has featured in various Art Festivals, Biennials and triennials including KIAF, Asian Art Biennale and Kathmandu Triennial and more with several national and international solo and group shows.

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