NEWS
The Tank and Diesel + Art, Mumbai present a show titled ‘Monster Family’. Artists Siddhartha Kararwal, Mrugen Rathod and Vyom Mehta will showcase their work under the Diesel + Art initiative as part of the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival 2014. They will explore their own fears, through installations that draw viewers towards the monsters, rather than push them away.
Siddhartha Kararwal’s contribution to the Monster Family twists the very idea of monster on its head; created using found objects and materials that are playful in its process.
Vyom Mehta’s ‘Squid’ draws upon myths and legends, connecting them to the people, individuals and societies of today.
Mrugen Rathod uses the idea of Monsters to draw a parallel with our lives; Self-created monsters that go beyond stories into the realities we face everyday.
The show is on from 1st to 9th February 2014.
Akar Prakar Gallery, Kolkata, presents a solo show of recent works by artist Aditya Basak. The show is titled, ‘Myth Making’ and displays some of his recent works.
Gallerie Nvya is delighted to present a group exhibition titled The Spirit of India showcasing outstanding works of eighteen Indian artists.
( Report by Pushpa Chari Photos by K V Srinivasan for The Hindu)
Monster Family
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| ( Work on display) |
Siddhartha Kararwal’s contribution to the Monster Family twists the very idea of monster on its head; created using found objects and materials that are playful in its process.
Vyom Mehta’s ‘Squid’ draws upon myths and legends, connecting them to the people, individuals and societies of today.
Mrugen Rathod uses the idea of Monsters to draw a parallel with our lives; Self-created monsters that go beyond stories into the realities we face everyday.
Myth Making
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| (Work by Aditya Basak) |
Drawing inspiration from 19th century, Aditya has earlier displayed works related to the printing press and Bengal’s contribution to it historically. In the current show, he uses metaphors from the British- made famine of 1942 and other manmade calamities like the Holocaust and the Japanese bombings of Calcutta. Though innocent’s deaths comes up as the addressed thematic, the artist tries to incorporate a dark humour using popular illustrations and texts to keep the flow going in the works.
The show is on view till 8th February 2014.
Sakshi Gallery at IAF 2014
Sakshi Art Gallery, Mumbai presents exquisite works of a few select artists at the India Art Fair 2014, New Delhi. The prime focus is on the works of artist Rekha Rodwittiya from her series, Matters of the Heart. The works of other artists such as, Anirban Mitra, Kim Seola, Schon Mendes, Krishen Khanna, Sunil Gawde, Lee Hayan, Surendran Nair, Manjunath Kamath, Valay Shende, Ravinder Reddy, Vivek Vilasini and Waswo X Waswo are also on display.
The artworks can be viewed at Sakshi Gallery Booth C 8, at the India Art Fair 2014, on till 2nd February 2014.
The Spirit of India
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| ( Work on display) |
The eminent participating artists are Arpana Caur, Jehangir Sabavala, Lal Bahadur Singh, M. F. Husain, Nayanaa Kanodia, Paresh Maity among others.
The show is on view from 3rd February to15th February 2014.
( News reports by Sushma Sabnis)
FEATURE
Vibrant strokes of creativity
Mood and motifs on varied mediums come alive with colour at the Dastkari Haat.
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| (Pichwai artist Sisir Soni's work. ) |
Classical, folk and tribal brush strokes paint a collage at Dastkari Haat with images on paper, canvas, papier-mâché, cloth, clay and grass, telling stories old and new, in patinas ancient and edgy.
Mythology, gods and goddesses , toys, puppets, fantastic lions, tigers, birds and flowers, or even a mood and a motif are brought to life by the artisan’s blending of creativity with colour.
One can see it everywhere. In the hand-twisted pink and orange ‘mooj grass’ dustbins made by rural women of Bhadoi in UP, the jewel-toned clay mobiles and spotted parrots hanging from the trees in the Kalakshetra ground, the brilliantly coloured puppets, tie-and-dye dupattas, the charming blue and black pottery and in the Gond art canvasses, Pichwai’s lyrical colours, Phad and Madhubani paintings.
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| (Sisir Soni, Pichwai artist with his work) |
Gond artist Sukhram Maran of Patangarh village near Bhopal fills his fierce lions with vivid blue and orange stripes. His orange and black barasingha deer have green leafy trees coming out of their horns. The tigers, birds and peacocks are drenched in colours filled with tiny black dots, which seem to give them texture and movement. This is the ‘dhulichitra’ of the Gonds, which adorns the walls of their huts. It tells stories of mythology, and as Sukhram says, of “the tigers and deer, which still roam in our jungles.” But why orange lions and coloured snake? “How else can one see the world,” counters Sukhram. “Also, it is our parampara”.
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| (Pichwai artist Sisir Soni's work.) |
Sisir Soni, Pichwai artist from Udaipur, stands beside his wonderful antique Pichwai, done in mellow mehendi green shades and featuring a bejewelled Shrinathji in a field of lotus flowers. “I have made the piece using all the old techniques,” he says. “We first starch cotton cloth of the required size and stick it to the floor. This is used as a canvas. Stone colours and gold leaf is used in the painting. The back ground is filled in and coloured first followed by the clothes, while the faces are done last. The dupattas, chunris are almost transparent with the ghagra’s prints showing through the veil. This is the result of shading, which is done last.”
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| (Gond artist Sukhram Maran with his paintings) |
The artist’s repertoire of antique and new Pichwais in captivating colours includes a lyrical frame of a cow feeding a calf, Shrinathji surrounded by dancing cows and a ‘Swapna Swarup,’ where the half faces of Radha and Krishna merge to create the pictorial image of just one face - that of Shrinathji.
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| (Gond artist Sukhram Maran's painting.) |
The Madhubani artisan’s take on colours is expressed in ultramarine blue, bright orange, green, yellow and black. Stories from the epics and local legends, festivals and marriages, the flora and fauna of the region are depicted in the typical style of the art form. Dastkari Haat has on display Madhubani art saris and wall hangings, as well as the art depicted on papier-mâché and decorative objects.
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| (Gond artist Sukhram Maran's painting.) |
One can see the charm of Phad art on frames with unusual green backgrounds, black and white expressions, as well as traditional depictions in bright red, orange, blue and black. Apindra Swain gives a new canvas for Patachitra: a fan painted in the art’s style. There is much more on offer at the Haat all expressing the value of handicraft and the colour they bring into our lives.
The Dastkari Haat is on at Kalakshetra, Tiruvanmiyur till February 2nd 2014.
( Report by Pushpa Chari Photos by K V Srinivasan for The Hindu)
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