Deepak Shimkhada (Nepali: दीपक सिंखडा) (born September 5, 1945) is a Nepali American educator, artist, art historian, author and community leader. He currently serves as an adjunct professor at Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga, California. He has previously held visiting and adjunct appointments at several universities in the United States, including Scripps College, Claremont Graduate University, California State University, Northridge, University of the West and Claremont School of Theology. His teaching career began in 1980 and although he is fully retired from full-time teaching, he currently teaches Asian art part-time at Chaffey College.
Deepak Shimkhada | |
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![]() Shimkhada in 2016 | |
Born | (1945-09-05) September 5, 1945 (age 77) Darkha, Nepal |
Nationality | Nepali American |
Alma mater |
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Occupation | Educator, artist, art historian, author |
Years active | 1968–present |
Organizations |
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Board member of | South Asian Studies Association |
Spouse | Kanti Shimkhada[1] |
Children | Leepi Shimkhada-Mahalingam Riti Shimkhada-Relan |
He is the founding president of the Foundation for Indic Philosophy and Culture (Indic Foundation)[2] and the Himalayan Arts Council. He has served on the boards of several organizations, including Asian Studies on the Pacific Coast and the America-Nepal Society of California (the latter as president).[3] He served on the Board of Visitors of the School of Religion at Claremont Graduate University as Chair of the Hindu Council from 2006 to 2012. He is also a founding board member of the South Asian Studies Association.
A well-published author of many journal and newspaper articles, book chapters and edited books, he has also exhibited his paintings and graphics in group and one-man shows in Nepal, India, Japan and the U.S. Notably, he has appeared as a commentator in several episodes of the History Channel series Ancient Aliens.[4][5]
Shimkhada was born on September 5, 1945 in Darkha, Nepal to Ratna Prasad Shimkhada and Kausalya Devi Shimkhada. He attended JP High School in Kathmandu and completed SLC in 1960. He completed IA in Economics from Saraswati College in Kathmandu in 1962.
In 1962, upon receiving a scholarship from the Government of India, Shimkhada left for India to pursue higher education in fine arts. He studied at The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda and received a bachelor's degree in fine arts in 1968. He received his master's degree in fine arts with a focus on art criticism in 1970 from the same university. In 1972, he received a Fulbright fellowship to study art history and moved to Los Angeles in the United States.[3][6] He is considered among the first few Nepalis to immigrate to the U.S.[3][7] He earned his Master of Arts in art history from the University of Southern California in 1975.[2] Shimkhada earned his PhD in Education from Claremont Graduate University in 2001.[8] His dissertation was in art and religion using semiotics as a methodology to analyze them.
Shimkhada's professional career as an artist began in 1968 when he had his first one-man show of paintings in Max Gallery in Kathmandu, Nepal. In 1971, in the second Triennale of World Contemporary Art held in New Delhi, India,[9] one of his paintings was selected as the best work from Nepal and was featured in its exhibition catalogue.[10] He had several private shows of his works in Beverly Hills, California in 1973 and 1974. He exhibited his last work in Chicago Public Library in 1977.
Shimkhada began his teaching career as a lecturer of Asian art history at Scripps College in Claremont, California in 1980.[11] At that time he had just returned from India after conducting his field research for his PhD dissertation under the aegis of American Institute of Indian Studies (AIIS).[12] Since 1980 he has lived in Claremont and has performed various duties as administrator and professor teaching art history at various colleges and universities in Southern California.
Although his articles on Nepali art, culture, philosophy, and religion began to appear in various newspapers and journals in Nepal in the early 1970s, Shimkhada's major research writings about them took place in 1973 when his first paper was published by "Arts of Asia" followed by a series of articles by "Artibus Asiae" and "Oriental Art" in 1983.
Shimkhada’s research focuses on art, philosophy, religion, history, and science. The following writings reflect a relationship between them. His books include The Constant and Changing Faces of the Goddess: Goddess Traditions of Asia, Popular Buddhist Mantras in Sanskrit, Himalayas at the Crossroads: Portraits of a Changing World, Nepal: Nostalgia and Modernity, South Asian Studies: Bridging Cultures, and As the World Churns: A Legend Where Reality and Myth Blend. He has contributed chapters to The Constant and Changing Faces of the Goddess, Health and Religious Rituals in South Asia: Diseases, Possession, Healing, and Sangama: A Confluence of Art and Culture During the Vijayanagara Period, Contemporary Hinduism, Modern Hinduism in Text and Context, and South Asian Studies: Bridging Cultures. He is the author of many art historical articles published in peer-reviewed and non-reviewed journals such as NAFA Art Magazine, Arts of Asia, Orientations, Artibus Asiae, Oriental Art, The Journal of Asian Studies, The Himalayan Research Bulletin, The Journal of Dharma Studies, Voice of Ulan Bator, Himalaya, Folk Dance Scene. His articles have also appeared in newspapers: The Overseas Times, India West, Rising Nepal, and others in Nepali vernacular. He has written six children's books.
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref(s) |
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2021 | Mysterious power of yoga | Himself | UnXplained | |
2021 | Lost Civilization : The submerged city of Dwaraka | Himself | UnXplained | |
2021 | The Mysteries of Vault B in Shree Padmanabhaswamy Temple of Kerala | Himself | UnXplained | |
2021 | Power of Sound | Himself | Ancient Aliens | |
2021 | Impossible Artifacts | Himself | History Channel - Ancient Aliens, Season 12 | [15] |
2019 | Lost Kingdom | Himself | History Channel | [16] |
2019 | They Came from the Pleiades | Himself | History Channel | [17] |
2019 | The Divine Number | Himself | History Channel | |
2019 | The Shape of Things That Came | Himself | History Channel | |
2019 | The Shapeshifters | Himself | History Channel | |
2019 | Impossible Artifacts | Himself | History Channel | |
2019 | Prophecies and Premonitions | Himself | History Channel | |
2019 | Aliens and Wars | Himself | History Channel | |
2019 | Reptilian World | Himself | History Channel | |
2019 | Hindu & Central American Maya | Himself | History Channel | |
2019 | Galactic Keyhole | Himself | History Channel | |
2018 | Declassified | Himself | History Channel - Ancient Aliens (episode dealing with the Great Flood and underwater archeology) | |
2017 | 72 Dangerous Animals, Asia | Himself | Showrunner Productions, Australia. Distributor Netflix, USA | [18] |
2017 | Sushruta Samhita and Modern Science | Himself | History Channel, TV Series | |
2017 | Nine Mysterious Men | Himself | History Channel, TV Series | |
2016 | Akashic Records | Himself | History Channel, TV Series | |
2016 | Man at Arms | Himself | El Rey Channel, TV Series | |
2016 | Natural Histories | Himself | BBC London Radio interview Ganesha and elephants in South Asian art, culture and religion |
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2016 | History Channel's Shiva the Destroyer | Himself | TV Series (Season 9, Episode 15) | |
2016 | History Channel's Decoding the Cosmic Egg | Himself | TV Series (Season 9, Episode 6) | |
2016 | History Channel's The Visionaries | Himself | TV Series (Season 9, Episode 5) | |
2016 | History Channel's Destination Mars | Himself | TV Series (Season 9, Episode 2) | [19] |
2015 | Natural Histories | Himself | BBC London Radio interview | |
2015 | History Channel's The Alien Wars | Himself | TV Series (Season 8, Episode 9) | [20] |
2015 | History Channel's The Alien Agenda | Himself | TV Series (Season 7, Episode 12) | [21] |
2014 | History Channel's The Great Flood | Himself | TV Series (Season 7, Episode 5) | [22] |
2014 | History Channel's Alien Resurrections | Himself | TV Series (Season 7, Episode 8) | [23] |
2014 | History Channel's Secrets of the Mummies | Himself | TV Series (Season 7, Episode 5) | [24] |
2014 | History Channel's The Genius Factor | Himself | TV Series (Season 7, Episode 4) | [25] |
2014 | History Channel's Forbidden Caves | Himself | TV Series (Season 7, Episode 1) | [26] |
2014 | History Channel's Aliens and Superheroes | Himself | TV Series (Season 6, Episode 20) | [27] |
2014 | History Channel's The God Particle | Himself | TV Series (Season 6, Episode 18) | [28] |
2014 | History Channel's The Reptilians | Himself | TV Series (Season 6, Episode 16) | [29] |
2014 | History Channel's Mysterious Devices | Himself | TV Series (Season 6, Episode 14) | [30] |
2014 | History Channel's Treasures of the Gods | Himself | TV Series (Season 6, Episode 7) | [31] |
2014 | History Channel's The Star Children | Himself | TV Series (Season 6, Episode 6) | [32] |
2013 | History Channel's Aliens and Mysterious Mountains | Himself | TV Series (Season 6, Episode 3) | [33] |
2013 | History Channel's Emperors, Kings and Pharaohs | Himself | TV Series (Season 5, Episode 19) | [34] |
2013 | History Channel's The Crystal Skulls | Himself | TV Series (Season 5, Episode 14) | [35] |
2013 | History Channel's "The Power of Three" | Himself | TV Series (Season 5, Episode 13) | [36] |
2011 | History Channel's Aliens and Deadly Cults | Himself | TV Series (Season 3, Episode 12) | [37] |
2011 | History Channel's Aliens and Deadly Weapons | Himself | TV Series (Season 3, Episode 9) | [38] |
2011 | History Channel's Aliens and Mysterious Rituals | Himself | TV Series (Season 3, Episode 5) | [39] |
2009 | Swaha: A Journey of Transformation | Himself | Documentary | [40] |
Shimkhada married Kanti Shimkhada. They together have two daughters, Leepi Shimkhada-Mahalingam and Riti Shimkhada-Relan.