An initiative of Esther Benjamin Trust Nepal (EBT – N), Himalayan Art Project was initially established as a workshop to empower hearing impaired adults. The trust is a non – profit organization founded in 1999 by Philip Holmes. The workshop which was established as an empowerment opportunity to the visually impaired has now, become a sanctuary for female victims of trafficking and youths rescued from Indian circuses.

The project that has expanded to Hetauda and Bhairahawa, was first started in the EBT home in Godawari. To guide these youths, professional mosaic artists had come from UK to Nepal as a volunteers who provided the training session for three months for the first time. After that, the exceptionally good students began to train other youths which resulted in the formation of a group of professional mosaic artists. They transform the worthless colored ceramic titled, wooden boards, grouts using glue in to an exceptionally artistic design. For making it, first of all, the design or concept is prepared and then it is traced on a wooden board using a carbon paper. After that, the tiles are filed into required shapes and are arranged by color to form a picture. The pieces created are, then, pasted on the wooden board and the gaps are filled using grout.

Most often, the final pieces are inspired from Nepalese culture, religious icons and wildlife. Interested groups might also approach the artists with their own motifs. The mosaic art pieces, however, are not only limited to wooden boards but also other workshops are conducted to incorporates micro mosaics using ceramic tile to create unique pieces of contemporary silver jewelry.

Various exhibitions are conducted in embassies and major hotels to showcase these works and although mosaic art do not have a long history in Nepal, the mosaic produced by EBT under the Himalayan Art Project is also on demand from foreign countries.