Our story

The small lights that kept showing up

They showed up when I needed them most. These are the places I found them.

A mountain peak lit gold by the low sun against a dark sky

झिल्केjhilke, a glint

A small, bright catch of light, like sun on a river bend.

  1. 2008Odara to Manakamana

    Sun on the river

    Amrit as a young boy in a cream kurta, holding binoculars on stone steps
    Manakamana, 2008
    • Born and raised in Odara, a village in western Nepal.
    • Sun on the river below the cable car: my first glint.

    My first cable car ride, to Manakamana temple

    वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम्

    Vasudhaiva KutumbakamThe whole world is one family.See this print
    Amrit as a young boy in a cream kurta, holding binoculars on stone steps
    Manakamana, 2008

  2. Baglung

    Where two rivers meet

    Jamara, young barley shoots, growing in a tray beside a picture of the goddess Durga
    Jamara, shoots grown for Dashain. Portugal, 2022
    • Boarding school in Baglung, by the Kathe Khola and the Kali Gandaki.
    • I counted the days to Dashain, Nepal’s largest festival.
    • Too young to go alone, I walked home with people from my village.

    A three to four hour trek home

    एकता

    EktaunitySee this print
    Jamara, young barley shoots, growing in a tray beside a picture of the goddess Durga
    Jamara, shoots grown for Dashain. Portugal, 2022

  3. 2019 to 2020Nepal to Portugal

    One suitcase, one carry-on

    Amrit with a red tika on his forehead and a marigold garland
    Bhai Tika in Nepal, 2019
    Amrit in a blue checked suit, standing outdoors
    Dashain in Portugal, 2020
    • My last Bhai Tika in Nepal, when sisters bless brothers.
    • Then lockdown kept me there. My family was in Portugal.
    • So I joined them, in time for my first Dashain abroad.

    साहस

    SahasacourageTo me, it’s the courage to move to another country, try something new and not give up.See this print
    Amrit with a red tika on his forehead and a marigold garland
    Bhai Tika in Nepal, 2019
    Amrit in a blue checked suit, standing outdoors
    Dashain in Portugal, 2020

  4. 2020 to 2021Costa da Caparica, Portugal

    Sun on the sea

    Amrit seen from behind, arms raised, facing the sea at sunset
    Portugal, October 2020
    • Days after I landed: arms in the air, facing the sea.
    • Bar and restaurant work paid the bills and my university fees.
    • My workmates came from all over, and we had each other’s back.

    मानिस ठूलो दिलले हुन्छ, जातले हुँदैन

    Manis Thulo Dille HunchhaA person’s greatness is in their heart, not their caste.Laxmi Prasad Devkota, Muna MadanIn the poem, Madan says it to the Tibetan man who nursed him back to health. To me, it means wealth comes from your heart and how you treat others, not from money.See this print
    Amrit seen from behind, arms raised, facing the sea at sunset
    Portugal, October 2020

  5. 2021 to 2024Denmark

    The hard part

    • I went to study mechanical engineering. At first, it went well.
    • Then I got ill and fell into depression, alone in a new country.
    • I couldn’t see the light at all. In the end, I left college.

  6. न कश्चित् शाश्वतम्

    Na Kashchit ShashvatamNothing is permanent.

  7. 2024 to 2025Madeira, Portugal

    Hills like Odara

    • My dad’s friend had a place to stay and a job, so I went.
    • My walk down to work in Madeira was like the walk from Odara.
    • Nature and the people around me healed me.

    एउटा हाते ताली बज्दैन

    Euta Hate Tali BajdainaOne hand alone can’t clap: it takes cooperation.I read it as: don’t be afraid to ask for help. We all need each other.See this print

  8. 2026Portugal

    A ray of hope

    • I couldn’t find Nepali art or design to buy in Europe.
    • So I started Jhilke Studio, between restaurant shifts.
    • I named it for the small glints that gave me hope.

    सबै कुरा एकै फेर पाइँदैन, तारा देखिन पनि घाम डुब्नु पर्छ

    Sabai Kura Ekai PherYou can’t have it all at once: even the stars need the sun to set.A lesson I learned the hard way: I started many things at once and failed at all of them.See this print

  9. NowEurope

    Every word, every route

    Amrit sitting on a rock above a forested valley
    Hiking in the Ardennes, 2026
    • I pick each word and route and approve every design.
    • I haven’t walked the treks yet, but I mean to.
    • The hills I grew up in were just like those treks.

    सत्य

    SatyatruthFor me, it means being honest and true to myself and to others.See this print
    Amrit sitting on a rock above a forested valley
    Hiking in the Ardennes, 2026

One more glint

I want these prints to be small lights for other people, too.

Browse the collections

AmritFounder of Jhilke Studio