Indian Divine, Head Tale, and more..

NEWS

Head Tale

( work on display)

Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi presents a solo show of paintings by artist Soumen Bhowmick. The show titled, ‘Head Tale’ tells the tale of hope, despair, failure, struggle, deceit and tears of all kinds of disillusioned people who make up the fabric of society. Like the children who perform on streets for a living, migrant labourers in an urban space who live with flse hope of ever becoming rich.  All these heads are reflecting the soul of our present society. The contemporary dilemmas of mankind are vividly portrayed here.

'Head Tale' stands on an understanding of daily exploration of a soulless journey towards attaining the truth. The show tries to visually trace the imperfect frameworks for negotiating the complexity of existence.  The elements facilitate engagement at all levels of consciousness, being provocative in nature. 'Head Tale’ is based on the inner turmoil and its struggle with various elements. Influenced by forces of society, norms of survival, rules of coordinated etiquette, economic pitfalls, political lies, back stabbing idiots, race to success.

The show is on from 15th March to 25th March 2014.

Versicoloured Days of Mine

All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society (AIFACS), New Delhi presents a solo show of paintings by artist Archana Das. The show is titled, ‘Versicoloured Days of Mine’ and on display are the vibrant evocative paintings of the artist. Delving into figuration and a strong narrative for her works, the artist presents a series with distinct stories to tell.

The show is to be inaugurated by eminent art critic and poet, Keshav Malik, and will be presided over by Ram V Sutar eminent sculptor and President of AIFACS and Paramjeet Singh, eminent painter and Chairman of AIFACs, New Delhi.

The show previews on 10th March 2014 and is on view till 16th March 2014.

Indian Divine

Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi presents its upcoming exhibition titled, ‘Indian Divine:  Gods & Goddesses in 20th Century Modern Art’. The show explores the worship, propitiated, cajoled and given a primal place in the lives of Indians from the earliest of times to today.

The works are dated across three centuries from 19th century to present day, earliest work dating from 1849 on saint Chaitanya in the Early Bengal style. The exhibition aims to build a historical perspective and chronology of Indian art through mainstream religions like Hinduism, Buddhism,Islam and Christianity. It includes paintings in the Western style of deities by artists like Raja Ravi Varma, MV Dhurandhar and paintings from the Kalighat style and the early Bengal styles. Other artists works in the show are Nandalal Bose, Bikash Bhattacharjee, Ganesh Pyne, MF Hussain, KK Hebbar,Rabin Mondal, PV Janakiram,Krishen Khanna, FN Souza, Madhvi Parekh, Kanwal Krishna, S Dhanpal and V Nageshkar, GR Santosh, Sohan Qadri, PT Reddy, Sunil Das among many others.

The show is on view from 15th March to 26th March 2014

(News reports by Sushma Sabnis)

FEATURE

New art space, Tarq, opens in Colaba

A 3,000-sq-ft gallery, Tarq, opened in Colaba with celebrated photographer Clare Arni’s Disappearing Professions of Urban India on display

(A Tinner in Delhi; copper can react with acidic foods causing toxins. In such workshops, pots are tinned on the inside. With the coming of stainless steel vessels, this profession is vanishing.)

While art lovers are spoilt for choice at Colaba and the neighbouring Kala Ghoda sub- precinct, there always seems to be room for more. It’s evident with the opening of Tarq, the latest gallery to open its shutters at Colaba. The new gallery spans 3,000-sq-ft and is spread across the ground and first floors. Tarq in Sanskrit stands for discussion, abstract reasoning, logic and cause. The contemporary art gallery is dedicated to enabling a conversation around art from a diverse range of contexts.

Gallery talk

(Dhobi Ghat in Bangalore; there are 40 permanent members. With the introduction of washing machines their work is getting less and less.)

Gallery director Hena Kapadia elaborates, “The idea of this gallery is to be open to conversation, and to be a space where artist, collector, critic and art enthusiasts can learn and grow together. The intention is to have a space where different voices can be heard, and a sense of context and history can be developed.”

She adds that they wish to encourage a constant dialogue between the viewer and the artist and work with newer artists and collectors. “A clear sense of the artist’s thought and an insight into his practice are essential in choosing works for me. The influence of the artist’s larger context on the art, and how that is effectively expressed in the work is also essential to an artwork,” elaborates Kapadia.

(Quri Mohd Yaqub in Delhi is a calligrapher. Arni recounts that he sat with his legs tucked under him and sang his answers to her questions.)

Offering some location trivia, she states that the gallery, located in Dhanraj Mahal, is one of Mumbai’s iconic Art Deco buildings. “It was built in the 1930s and was the former palace of the Raja Dhanrajgir of Hyderabad. It was designed by the architectural firm of Gregson, Batley and King, and is now home to several commercial enterprises as well as private residences. Having housed the British Navy in World War II, the building has recently been restored to its former glory,” she informs.

Bangalore to Mumbai

(Tarq gallery in Colaba is spread across 3,000-sq-feet)

The first exhibition to grace the gallery is Clare Arni’s collection of images featuring the country’s vanishing occupations. Kapadia met Arni in Bangalore and loved her photos and the thoughtful archive that she had created. The exhibition has 50 images on display. All are digital photographs, some are on paper and a few are printed on canvas.

The UK-born and Bangalore-based photographer says that she stumbled upon the subject of her latest exhibition, titled Disappearing Professions of Urban India: “I was working on the subject of urban change, and I found that this was a good way to document the changing face of the urban geography of India.” Arni, a professional photographer for over 25 years in India, shot these works over a span of six years. Till April 1st 2014.



( Report by Soma Das for Mid-Day)

Subraan, Tracing Layers, Emerging Lines and more..

NEWS

Wo/Man: From the Personal to the Political

( Work on display)

Sir J J School of Art presents an exhibition which looks at the deeper cultural roots of the construction of gender identities and of the relationship between men and women in urban India today. Eight young artists Salik Ansari, Shruti Bhosle, Makarand Dhotre, Yogesh Kamble, Lini Radhakrishnan, Aditya Rajput, Jinal Sangoi and Kruttika Sequeira have come together to showcase their work in the show titled, ‘Wo/Man: From the personal to the political’.

The exhibition looks for connections between the ideas of gender and safety, exclusion and inclusion, protection and segregation. The show plans to use various mediums like sculpture, painting, print, photography, video and performance to explore several ideas of gender.

This exhibition attempts to create a socio-political dialogue not only within the artistic environment the young artists work in but also the city they live in. By analysing the ways of categorising, constructing and representing gender, the artists suggest alternate gender identities through a critique of the framework of our normative gender binary.    

The show is on view till 14th March 2014.

Subraan

( work by Ramesh Gurav)

Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai presents the exquisite figurative works of eminent artist Raosaheb Gurav. The show is titled, ‘Subraan’ and will display the vibrant and colourful works of the artist. Raosaheb’s works usually feature the rural and village life, with special focus on the village folk and various communities, from places like Kolhapur and Pune. The ar work in this particular exhibition focuses on the ‘Dhanngar’ community, who rear cattle. The works portray landscapes, rural lives and farmlands with the protagonists at their everyday jobs as goat and cow herds. The works are rendered in various mediums like water colours, oils, acrylics pen and inks.

The show is on view till 4th March 2014.

Emerging Lines

( work on display)

Mahua Art Gallery, Bangalore presents a show titled, ‘Emerging Lines’, a new series of works by artist Shirley Mathew who expresses her perceptions of a growing city, through her paintings. Using colours to portray the seasons interspersed with geometrical forms, suggests the viewer to go through a journey and make their own impression of the representational icons used to convey the message.    

Her observations during a recent journey through Italy making note of the aesthetics of humanity merging at times with what she believes is uncompromising terrain, was truly inspiring enough to do a series to paintings. Shirley has great interest in organizing annual art awareness shows, to connect with people and to create an environment for an informal viewing of art in her studio courtyard.   

The show is on till 8th March 2014.

Tracing Layers

Ananya Drishya and Venkatappa Art Gallery, Bangalore present a solo show of art works by the artist Ramesh Kalkur. The show is titled, ‘Tracing Layers’. Ramesh completed Diploma in painting at Ken School of Art, Bangalore 1990, Post Diploma in Painting at Faculty of Fine Arts, M.S. University, Baroda 1993 and M A in Painting at Royal College of Art, London, 1996. Held several solo exhibitions including  'Assemblages' at Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai 1994, Traveling show of photographs, Sakshi Art Gallery, Bangalore, British Council Gallery, Chennai, Chitram Art Gallery, Cochin 1998, ”11 X 11” at Sumukha Art Gallery among several others.

He received the Inlaks grant for artist in residence at Kanoria Centre for Arts, Ahmedabad, 1991, Inlaks Foundation Scholarship and Overseas Development Association shared scholarship scheme to study at Royal College of Art, 1994 – 96, John Minton Travel Grant for three months exchange program to study at Art college in Berlin.

The show commences on 8th March 2014.

(News reports by Sushma Sabnis)

FEATURE

New contexts of tradition

The exhibition 2D3D by Gallery-g at the Taj West End showcases traditional ideas in a Western aesthetic

(Normalising the gods)

The East and West come together, in the exhibition of ‘fusion art’ titled ‘2D3D’ presented by Gallery-g at the Taj West End.

The exhibition features three artists — Priti Singh, Kandi Narasimalu and Sri Lanka-based Leo Pasquale. The three artists deal with a range of subjects that span across timelines in human history, from the ancient/mythological, the old and the modern.

Priti Singh expresses her love for Indian mythology through her series of paintings depicting Indian Gods and Goddesses in a rather contemporary context. The Gods and Goddesses, in all their finery are seen performing every task, Shiva lounges on the sofa with a drink while the Devi, seated above on a carpet is adorning herself with lipstick and nail polish. In another instance, he is seen doing his tandav with an electric guitar (complete with an amplifier in the background).

Priti also depicts a divine family scene where Shiva and his consort are bathing Ganesha. Shiva pours water while the Devi scrubs him. Karthikeya meanwhile is bathing himself in a blue bathtub. “I have always been fascinated by Indian mythology because I belong to Benares and my family used to spend a lot of time visiting temples. So this always reflects in my paintings,” says Priti. “But I don’t think God only slays demons and helps us solve our problems from somewhere above. I think Gods also lead normal lives like us,” says Priti.

Priti’s Gods are painted in vivid fluorescent shades set against light backgrounds. She draws her inspiration from the walls of Ujjain, Benares and rural Rajasthan, where the figures are often painted in these shades. Priti says she also draws her imagery from the tradition of the Gonds, among whom she has spent time working.

Kandi Narasimalu meanwhile is preoccupied with the life and the people of rural Andhra. His canvases are filled with tall, strong frames of the women and men on Andhra’s heartlands. The women are dark-skinned, with lean figures and curvy bosoms. They wear shiny golden jewellery, which the artist draws attention to through his embellishments. Their attire is vibrant, contrasting with their dark skin.

The women are seen gossiping, dressing themselves in front of the mirror with a comb tucked in the folds of their saris and carrying their wares over their heads.

“In my paintings I usually depict my family and their lifestyle in the village and so my works have a distinct rural aesthetic. The traditional culture in the villages is fast disappearing; so many aspects of our heritage are disappearing. So I have tried to draw attention to some of these tangible aspects of our heritage,” says Narasimalu, whose imagery is deeply inspired by his work in the field of 2D animation, in its minimalism of line and form.

The exhibition also features works by Leo Pasquale. ‘2D3D’ will be on view at the Taj West End, Race Course Road, until March 3rd 2014.

(Report by Harshini Vakkalanka for The Hindu)

Melange '14, Formes and Lumiere, Dreamlike Dimension and more..

NEWS

Formes and Lumiere

( work on display)

Alliance Francaise de Delhi, presents an exhibition and light show by light sculptor Patrick Rimoux. Patrick Rimoux is a contemporary artist and engineer, who works primarily with French technologies. As a light sculptor, Rimoux modulates light and uses it as an artistic medium. Rimoux’s projection at Alliance Francaise has been inspired by five different elements: Architecture, Range of light, Kaleidoscope of his recent paintings in Jaipur city, Seasons and richness of Bollywood cinema. Rimoux’s projects are primarily urban sized and he works with well directed spaces and architectural ensembles to integrate light into the urban landscape. He uses light reflection to make his integration look organic and natural. The show Formes and Lumiere showcases 3 aspects of Patrick’s works: 

Photographs of his works
Video installation & projection
His artistic work which focuses on cinematography films that crystallize the question of revealing light- Patrick has used raw 35 mm film material and has painted on these negatives’ to highlight different aspects of projecting light.

The show is on view till 9th February 2014.

Fractures in Colour

( work on display)

Artisans Gallery, Mumbai presents a show titled, ‘Fractures in Colour: An Exhibition of Drawings and Paintings’ by artist Anando Dutta. 

The images of this exhibition try to capture evidences of some fragments of who we are and where we belong, while seeking some embedded ones we don’t care to look for, and then others that are assigned to belong to the vault of memory. All set locked in moments of time, somewhere deep in our subconscious. This collection is an intermingling of many parts.

The show is on view from 20th February to 25th February 2014.

Melange '14

Prakrit Arts Gallery, Chennai presents ‘Melange’ a unique art show by eminent artists.  Artists will be painting on doors, metal trunks, chairs and cupboards to display their versatility. 
On 14th February, there will be a workshop for 14 years and above on canvas shoes painting. Morning walkers and joggers will experience a very artistic twist to their exercise regime. Limited registration for the show painting workshop. Last date for application is 10th February 2014.

The show is on view from 10th February to 14th February 2014.

Dreamlike Dimension

( work on display)

Piramal Art Gallery, National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai presents a compilation of photographs shot by photographer Fiorenzo Senese about the mesmerising city of 'Aamchi Mumbai'. 

Senese is an Italian manager and photographer, born in Rome in 1964 and now living in Mumbai. He took his first steps in photography when he was merely a teen, using his father’s camera, a Zeiss Ikon 1954 make, which he still utilizes every now and then.Through overexposures, underexposures, graining and out-of-focuses, he strengthens the image, going beyond the conventional use of the camera. No photograph has been altered in postproduction.

The show is on view from 11th February to 21st February 2014.

( News reports by Sushma Sabnis)

FEATURE

Art for a Cause

The exhibition hosted by Gallery Time and Space at the Ritz-Carlton featured a variety of artwork by both established and emerging artists

( From animal figures to landscapes to abstract floral forms, the canvas had many things; a work by Shubhashis Mandal)

Gallery Time and Space, in collaboration with the Itech Law and The Ritz Carlton recently hosted an exhibition of paintings over the weekend featuring a range of artists.

The show was held to raise funds through a part of the show’s proceedings, for PallCanCare, an NGO that works with palliative cancer patients.

The exhibition showcased both experienced artists like A.V. Ilango, Dhiraj Choudhury and Arpita Kar as well as upcoming artists like Shiva Prasanna, Pragati Dalvi, Shubhashis Mandal and Rudragaud Indi.

Shiva Prasanna’s artworks mainly featured etchings of animal figures, mostly birds, including an owl and a hog. His etchings were detailed, intricate and realistically composed.

Suparna Mondal also works with etching and printmaking, producing fantastical images in shades of black and white with a touch of red, composed of bicycles, barred windows and strips of patterns. Her woodcut on the other hand features almost psychedelic human figures in shades of red and black.

While Manisha Kumar featured abstract floral forms in vibrant hues set against textured, contrasting backgrounds composed of spatters of paints against solid coloured backgrounds.

Both Shubhashis Mandal and Santanu Roy featured landscapes in watercolours. While Shubhashis featured quaint, sunny corners of towns crammed with houses, a few cars, roadside cafes and pedestrians, Santanu’s landscapes showcased the hillside, or hilly backdrops.

Sanjiv Sankpal’s paintings evoke the rustic, with his village landscapes featuring cowherds with their cattle in lush environs or a group of women in front of their homes surrounded by their cattle. His figures are simple, vibrant and evoke a sense of belongingness.

While Rudragaud Indi works are more surreal, featuring a boy next to a large white paper boat, blowing puffy white clouds like bubbles standing in a desert.

Or a cracking boat in lime green water with a statue balanced on its right edge and a large fish balanced on its left with a life preserver around its suspended oar. Sharks (presumably) surround the boat.

The exhibition also featured works by Bonny Hazuria and Girish Kulkarni.

(Report by Harshini Vakkalanka for The Hindu)

Profile Pragati Dalvi, Nature Series, Rang De and more..

PROFILE

A Ballet of the Unuttered

A calmness ensues the hectic activity of things. Like a stray piece of paper performing a solo ballet under a street lamp on a dark morning to an only witness. A silent commune of energies in unuttered syllables. Probably the same nondescript piece of paper had been the centre of a midnight dust storm, an observer in complete stillness. At once a performer in the limelight and at once the unmoving spectator in a swirling dust tornado. This is how artist Pragati Dalvi’s work mutates from being an artist’s act and a silent reflection of events, observes Sushma Sabnis.

( Artist Pragati Dalvi)

Pragati Dalvi has a BFA degree in Painting and MFA in Creative Painting from Sir JJ School of Art, Mumbai. Her medium of making art varies from water colour to oils and inks on paper. She has recently stepped into the realm of experimental photography as well.

When one looks at the paintings by Pragati, one would be aware of the obvious influences of nature in them. It would be too easy to type cast them as nature abstracts, but on closer observation, one could see the interplay of metaphors and a conscious study of the subject at hand. Most of them are rendered as abstractions of sensory stimuli and memory sources, but what takes them a step further would be their multiple implications. The artist tries to capture an emotion exactly as it was experienced, an intangible ethereal emotion she has felt at the instant in response to the external stimulus. Hence the works can either appear as if painted hurriedly or at leisure as if savouring a moment of beauty and sensitivity to make it last much longer than its original occurrence.

( Blue After Rain -I)

Also captured in the works are multiple essences of an experience. In an interview Pragati talks about the sensorial aspects of an experience. As an artist she tries to capture what the senses say initially and then she urges the viewer to take this sensory response to a transcended level of a lingering moment. A midnight sky, may appear in the mind’s eye as  black or dark grey to most, but to Pragati this very midnight sky is a palette of blues, purples, mauves and violet shades. This palette is kept to a minimum of colours and most of her works in the ‘Pause’ series are an interpretation of the influence of this muse of memory of one moment in time. 

(Red in Rain)

For example, a sunset in the summer induces far different feelings in the viewer than a sunset in the monsoon or winter. Moreover the location from where it would be experienced and with whom, would impart a new meaning to this experience. Intermingled with a liberal dose of emotional catalysts, the images that emerge are a blend of the sensorial, the reactionary and the imagined in complete aesthetical harmony.

(Blue After Rain - II)

In her works, ‘Blue After Rain I and II’, ‘Red in Rain’, ‘Blue and Warm’, ‘A touch of Blue’ the images suggest the dominance of a colour as well as an emotion, possibly a moment spent in solitude. ‘Witnessing a Change’ hints at the seasonal changes or it could also subtly hint at the artist’s state of mind to a more optimistic outlook towards life. 

(Witnessing a Change)

Most of her works have a suggestive ‘moving on to something-ness’ in them. This would be possible only when all the nuances of a reaction to a stimulus are not closed. Pragati leaves a few unexplored areas, intentionally, in the form of empty spaces or white spots or addition of small bits of tissue paper, which probably is her way of keeping the mystery of her work intact, veiling it. When asked about the  curious usage of tissue paper in her works she reveals that it could be that the emotion experienced then was not a positive one, hence the tissue implies a ‘cleansing’ logic. So it is not about just veiling a negative emotion, but wiping it off from the psyche. The artist revisits her inspiration in nature and according to her, nature often is in a flux, a moving, evolving state which reflects in the regenerative ability. In spite of all the abuse nature is going through from various causes, She survives,  retaliates or resurfaces for the better, restoring the balance. Pragati tries to capture these subtle unseen intuitive qualities of nature in her works, ensuring that anyone who views the works would take with them a sense of harmony and balance in their lives, like Mother Nature offers.

Pragati Dali lives and works in Bangalore.

NEWS

Nature Series at Tangerine

(Work by Sripad Kulkarni)

Tangerine, Bangalore, presents its first artist for 2014, Sripad Kulkarni. A graduate from the Karnataka Chitra Kala Parishad, Sripad's latest exhibition at Tangerine titled 'Nature Series', displays paintings that are influenced from nature and inspired from Indian paintings to the extent that the figures are drawn in the same form and all his work depicts forms of either the butterfly, fish or the horse. 

Having conducted a number of group shows and solo shows, notable being his solo at the Chitrakala Parishad in 2012 and at the Udupi Art Foundation in 2013, Sripad believes, 'There has to be a certain freshness and newness in one's art, otherwise it's pointless to pursue it. To be different means doing something you have never done before’. Strong yet inspiring words that influence the way you work, Sripad Kulkarni is one such artist inspired to create a different perspective. His drawings reveal his predilection for form: forms that consist in tone rather than line, carefully expressing the textural effects of various mediums. 

Sripad’s works are on display till 10th February 2014.

National Art Katta 

The Art Katta, Pune presents a national level art exhibition every year starting from 2014. This is the first ever national level exhibition organized by The Art Katta and they are happy to have it in the cultural capital of Maharashtra. The idea is to maintain the diversity in display so the people could get a chance to see the variety of artworks. 

There will be more than 40 selected artworks on display by various artists from various parts of India such as Pune, Mumbai, Kolkata, Ratnagiri, Delhi, Surat, Ahmednagar, Vishakhapattanam, Goa, Kolhapur, Patna and Hyderabad.

The show is on view till 4th February 2014.

Rang De

( Work by Reha Shisodia. Image courtesy Pradarshak Gallery)

Gallery Pradarshak, Mumbai presents a solo art show of self taught painter, Reha Shisodia. The show titled, ‘Rang De’ displays the artists abstract renditions on canvas in acrylic and mixed media.

Her work can be classified as Abstract Expressionist. Each of the canvases communicate with the viewer in a bold rush of colour and intensity, taking the viewer deeper into their journey, sometimes playing the field, merging into each other, and at other times standing loftily apart.

“Rang De” is the artist’s tribute to the season of joy that begins with the harvesting season in January and culminates in Holi in March. 

The show is on view till 15th February 2014.

Kaleidoscopic Art

( Work by Burhan N Nagarwala)

Malaka Spice Art space, Pune presents an exhibition of paintings by Burhan N Nagarwala. Burhan holds a degree in Fine Arts and is doing his Masters from Bharati Vidyapeeth, Pune. All of 27 years, he is already imparting art to others. He is inspired by what he sees in real life , and captures what touches his heart, on canvas. 

His works vary from horses to people to nature and also still life and objects. His paintings reveal boldness as well as, an inner strength. His palette leans towards red and black in expression and renditions.

The show is on view till 15th February 2014.

( News reports by Sushma Sabnis)