“Come on, why don’t you try out your hand here? Let’s play with clay,”

is what Gopal Kalapremi Shrestha says to me during a visit to his studio (Gokem Art Ceramic Studio) - a well ensconced and private address within his newly built house in Maharajgunj. Straightaway one can decipher that the well known sculptor seems to be the sort to take much in a lighter vein. This feeling is further solidified by his revelation that he did not demand payment for many of the busts he has done of public figures. Like the life sized Bhanubhakta statue installed in Bhanubhakta School and the bust of Kantiswari at the Kanti Sanskritik Kendra. Outwardly too, his personality is one of down-to-earth simplicity. One begins to wonder at the sculptor’s apparent lack of interest in anything material. Then one sees a couple of Osho Times lying around and one begins to understand. “Oh yes, I admire Rajneesh’s logic. He is right about so many things,” the tall and lanky sculptor admits. Perhaps Osho’s influence in making him into more of a benevolent philosopher is the reason for his unfussy attitude. The training of gifted students free of cost could only be a continuation of the same approach.