In The Open, Gossip, Mapping Gender and more..

NEWS

In The Open

( Sculpture by sculptor, K S Radhakrishnan)

Ojas Art Gallery, New Delhi presents a solo show of sculptures by renowned sculptor, K S Radhakrishnan. The show titled, ‘In The Open’ features the sculptor’s exquisite open air sculptures in large formats. 

In addition to the show of sculptures, is a launch of a book ,‘In The Open’ about the sculptor’s journey in the making of these sculptures written by eminent art critic and curator Johny ML. The book will be released by eminent painter, Anjolie Ela Menon at the occasion.

The show previews on 15th November 2013, 6:30 pm onwards and is on view till 12th December 2013.

Mapping Gender

Organized by the Inlaks Shivdasani Curatorial Lab, jointly with the Jawaharlal Nehru University(JNU), present a group show titled, ‘Mapping Gender: Bodies & Sexualities in Contemporary Art across the Global South’.

The show will display works by eminent  Indian and international artists such as Anita Dube, Blank Noise/Jasmeen Patheja, Chengyao He, Jaya Daronde Awatare, Kanak Shashi, Manmeet Devgun, Maya Rao, Mithu Sen, Naiza Khan, Pushpamala N, Rashid Rana, Rekha Rodwittiya, Savi Sawarkar, Shakuntala Kulkarni, Sharmila Sawant, Shweta Bhattad, Tayeba Begum Lipi, Tejal Shah, Tere is sa Serrano, Zanele Muholi.

The show has been curated by Aditi Kumar Gupta, Arnika Ahldag, Dilip Kumar Malik, John Xaviers, Jyothidas K.V., Komal Pande, Mansi Dhiman Mandhwani, Shaheen Ahmed, Shivani Kaul, Shobha Talengala with guidance from Susan Hapgood.

The show commences on 16th November and is on view till 3rd December 2013.

Pasi - Everyday Art of North East India

IGNCA, in collaboration with Crafts Museum and National Museum presents an exhibition on basketry titled, 'Pasi - Everyday Art of North East India'.

In North East India, Bamboo is extensively used for making houses, constructing foot bridges, covering bullock carts, shielding boats, making hosts of household objects, musical instrument, apparels, agricultural implements, objects of defense, carrying of water tubes, weighing goods, fishing implements, religious paraphernalia and other everyday arts. It is closely interwoven with the life of people there.

Besides excellent bamboo baskets in different shapes and sizes, 'Pasi - Everyday Art of North East India' showcases craft demonstrations by award winning artisans of North East India.

The show is on view till 15th November 2013.

Gossip

( Work on display)

Gallery Pradarshak, Mumbai presents a unique table top sculpture show by young upcoming sculptor, Sushma Walavalkar Adate.

Sushma  works in stone and bronze medium and most of her sculptures depict the human condition and interactions. In this show titled, ‘Gossip’ she explores press casting in bronze as her medium of expression. With intense interpretations to simplistic forms, her work exudes a union of skill and intent.

The show is on view till 23rd November 2013.

(News reports by Sushma Sabnis)

FEATURE

Splashes of emotions

Chandigarh-based artist Madan Lal’s ongoing exhibition in New Delhi addresses the increasingly busy but ultimately hollow human existence

( A work by artist Madan Lal at the show)

Well-known artist and critic Martin Bradley once described his works as a “broad spectrum of kaleidoscope”. As soon as you rest your eyes on these paintings, on display at New Delhi’s Shridharani Galley till this Sunday, those words ring true. A myriad of colours seems to surround the visitor, not to suffocate, rather to enlighten.

Chandigarh-based senior artist Madan Lal’s exhibition “Urban Mirage” explores the increasingly busy but ultimately hollow modern urban existence that now plagues humanity. “The problem with us humans is that our yearning for possessions just increases — materialism has never decreased. That is what my paintings explore,” he says. Among themes, the artist explores the reluctance of procreation in the work “Aquarium”, the five phases of life in “Where Seeds To Grow” and true emotion of a person in a crowd of masks in “Faces”.

“I chose the word ‘mirage’ because that is mrig trishna, a desire that can never be fulfilled. Our current existence has left us like the egret — always flying high up in the sky whether it is day or night, and crying out for satisfaction, but we never come down to land, which is what we were meant to do,” he says.

For him, painting is a never-ending journey. “I have no focal point in my paintings. Rather my creations showcase what I feel, the complexities of human relationships and life.”

His paintings are awash with symbolism — almost every painting in “Urban Emotions” has arrows, which depict the inner and outer chaos that plagues the urban human life. Other symbols that are present in his works are that of the parrot — for him, representing love, since according to mythology, the parrot is the vehicle of Kamdev. “I like to communicate to my audience through symbols; all that is needed is a close look and all that I wish to communicate will come through,” he says.

Sufism is well and alive in his works too. “I hail from Punjab, and Sufism is seeped into our literature, our culture,” Lal explains. “Sufism is not limited to any religion; it is a way of life. Right from childhood, it is inculcated into our creative outcomes.”

In 1995, Lal had his first exhibition, and since then, his paintings have moved from touching on abstract concepts like music towards a relatively tangible topic in urban musing. He feels that he has not done so intentionally, but offers an explanation, saying, “When I start painting, I start with a blank canvas. I first envision an abstract concept in my mind, and as I add paint to the canvas, a more concrete form starts appearing. That is how I would trace my progression in art.”

As an artist well traversed with the international scene — he has previously had exhibitions in Germany, England and Sweden — he points out that Indian art is very distinct from other cultures. “Indian artists are still rooted in tradition, which comes across in the colours, symbols and forms that we use.”

“Personally, though I have been well educated in the western schools of art, I take inspiration from the Ajanta murals, Indian sculptures and typically Indian architecture while painting,” he says.

(Report by Kartikeyan Ramanathan for The Hindu)