Forms of Activism, Fete de la photo- Holi, and more..

NEWS

Forms of Activism

SAHMAT celebrates its 25th year with a curated exhibition titled, ‘Forms of Activism’. The show explores the connections between art and activism. Aiming to address questions of constructed memory (Communal Violence – Gujarat); identity (Citizen Rights); conflict zones (Kashmir); direct improving environmental degradation (Ecology); provocative stances in relation to gender, nation and history (Mother/India/Tradition); and confrontational positions inherent within class/caste (Labour/Materiality). 

The show explores various media practices and the participating artists are, Anita Dube,  Arpana Caur, Arpita Singh, Arun Kumar H.G., Ayisha Abraham, Gauri Gill, Gigi Scaria, Gulammohammed Sheikh, Inder Salim, Jehangir Jani, Jitish Kallat,  Madhvi Parekh, Navjot Altaf, Parthiv Shah,  Prashant Panjiar, Pratul Dash,  Probir Gupta, Pushpamala N., Ram Rahman,  Ravi Agarwal, Reena Saini Kallat,  Riyas Komu, Saba Hasan, Samit Das,  Shamshad, Sharmila Samant,  Sheba Chhachhi,  Sonia Khurana, Subba Ghosh,  Sudhir Patwardhan, B.V. Suresh,  Tushar Joag,  Vasudevan Akkitham,  Vasudha Thozhur, Veer Munshi, Vibha Galhotra and  Walter D’Souza.

The show is on view till 1st March 2014 at Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi.

Eclectic expressions

( work on display)

Lokayata Art gallery, New Delhi presents an eclectic mix of paintings. The show displays a range of art works by a group of artists from India and the rest of the world. 

The show displays works by artists Awtans, Jitender Murhadhya, John Luis Dias, Makhan Saha, Mukta Gupta, Ramesh Rana, RK Tatawat, Swatantra, Shikha Agnihotri, and Varsha Singh. The show commences on the 28th of February 2014.

The show is on view till 6th March 2014.

Indian landscapes

(work on display)

Malaka Spice, Pune presents an exhibition of paintings by Shamim Qureshi. 

Shamim Qureshi is a senior citizen with a strong passion for art. Influenced by European water colour artists, his Indian nature studies are depicted in English colours, an edge over the common and usual Indian colour scheme. He has to his credit a range of landscapes and cityscapes in water colour, which have received wonderful response from the fraternity and art lovers.

The show is on view till 28th February 2014.

Fete de la photo - Holi

(work on display)

Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad presents a show of photography by photographer Xavier Zimbardo. Today photography is practiced in many forms, as an artistic expression, a hobby, a social activity etc. We say that it has become the most popular Art form, at a time when all the mobile phones are equipped with cameras. Everybody can be a photographer and everyone can appreciate photography.Celebrating this the photographer has brought to the fore an exquisite collection of captures about the colourful festival of Holi.

The show is on from 7th March to 18th March  2014.

( News reports by Sushma Sabnis)

FEATURE

Imagination on fire

‘Fire’, an exhibition of paintings by architect S. Gopakumar, is a tribute to the elements

(Work on display)

The antics of the birds that visit the Plumeria tree in S. Gopakumar’s garden provide a peaceful early morning ambience to complement his newspaper reading. And this scene of tranquillity was soon immortalised on canvas as ‘Morning Visitors’, one of the many works by him that are currently on display at the Durbar Hall Art Gallery as part of his exhibition, ‘Fire’.

Architect and artist

An architect by profession, Gopakumar has been painting since his college days. He had already received a Kerala Lalithakala Akademi award for his efforts by the time he completed his architecture course from the College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram, in 1970. Despite focusing more on his career since his move to Kochi from Thiruvananthapuram in 1976, Gopakumar says his passion for painting has not lessened in the slightest. “The exhibition is called ‘Fire’ because it represents inspiration. A while ago I felt the urge to paint again and ended up creating 12 works in a span of about two-and-a-half months,” he says.

The titular element is not lacking in his works either, with large sections of canvas devoted to late evening skies; large bands of red in its many hues streaking across the scene. ‘Angry Crab’ depicts a crustacean on a pristine white beach before broad strokes of colour are unleashed upon the eyes. ‘Island’ is a vision of a few skeletal trees feebly extending their leafless branches skyward as another crimson streaked sunset soaks the waters around them.

“For me, more than the result, it is the action of painting that elates the soul. I come from a family of artists and designers, and a family exhibition we held at Thiruvananthapuram in 2012 got me painting again,” says Gopakumar, before telling the story of how a kite seller he met in Chandigarh became the basis for his work of the same name.

Dedicated to Nature

His latest works are a series of five paintings dedicated to the five elements of Nature—fire, water, earth, sky and air. The serene reflection of the moon on a body of water contrasts the angry flame that occupies the canvas beside it. A brownish hue permeates Gopakumar’s vision of the earth, with giant buildings anchored by strong roots, while the sky dwarfs the buildings and trees that stand beneath it, painted with subtle hues of the fiery motif. A few overlapping swirls in smoky grey suffice to depict air.

Though most of the works have the undertones of Nature and the elements, a few stand out by not conforming to the theme. The ‘Space Cube’ goes for a light blue shade while ‘Silence Of The Leaves’ is a tapestry of green, with a tiger and a rabbit being its sole inhabitants. The last of the works on display, ‘Black Hole’, is an example of art extending beyond the canvas, or in this case right through it, as it includes a physical hole right in the middle of the work.

The exhibition is on at the Durbar Hall Art Gallery till February 28.

(Report by Sooraj Rajmohan for The Hindu)