Luigi Fieni first came to Nepal in 1999 under a prestigious restoration project sponsored by The American Himalayan Foundation. His professor, Rodolfo Lujan Lunsford, from the Ars Labor Conservation Institute in Rome, was invited by John Sanday Associates to work on the restoration of rare Tibetan frescos dating from the 15th century at monasteries in Mustang. As Fieni had studied the conservation of mural paintings with Lunsford, he set on this journey as his professor’s assistant. Although Fieni studied aeronautical engineering before this, he preferred art conservation as a career. After five years of work on this project, Lunsford retired, and Feini took over as the director. He expanded the projects from Italy and Nepal to other countries, including Bhutan and China.

Besides his restoration projects, he also focused on passing on his skills and training the locals to preserve their cultural heritage. Luigi Fieni has photographed landscapes, culture, and the cultural heritage of the Himalayas for more than two decades while working as a conservator of Tibetan art. As the lead conservator, he has worked mainly in Nepal, Bhutan, and China, restoring ancient Buddhist art and training local people. His photographs have been exhibited in America, Europe, and Asia. His work is part of private collections worldwide, including The Manggha Museum (Krakow, Poland), The Taragaon Museum (Kathmandu, Nepal), and The Contemporary Art Collection of the Vatican Museums (Vatican City). He is still devoted to photography and the preservation of Tibetan culture.

“The Himalaya means more to me than just restoration. In the silence of the mountains, I have discovered true voice and creative expression. Behind a lens, or through a paintbrush, my experiences have been manifested. Every one of us has a wish in life. Mine is to show you the wonders of the Himalayan world through my eyes…”

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