Kathmandu, June 15 -- From entirely different worlds, Grishma Giri and Katharina Schanderl cross paths in a Thangka painting class, where an unlikely friendship begins to take shape.

Schanderl, an art studies graduate from Germany, came to Nepal in 2020, hoping to learn Thangka, a sacred art form. There she met Giri, whose uncle ran the shop where Schanderl was a disciple. Over those nine months, their friendship gradually developed, and for Schanderl, a deep appreciation for Nepal's bustling environment and rich artistic heritage also grew.

Even after she left for Germany, the memories of her time in Nepal and exposure to Thangka-which she describes as the beginning of a patient and therapeutic art journey for her-never faded. When she...