ART

IN FOCUS

6/30/2008 12:44:47 AM

In pursuit of applauding the achievers from the field of art, fashion and lifestyle The Ashok, brings you the legendary photographer ‘Akash Das’ as this week’s ‘In Focus’ celebrity.

A legend of Indian advertising and winner of more than hundred national and international awards. Akash Das has many firsts to his credit in the field of visual communication and photography. He is the first photographer in the world to hold a solo exhibition on Asian Elephants. Titled In Search of Asian Nudes the exhibition broke new grounds not just in its theme but also in stylization. A unique blend of art and wildlife photography, the images are reminiscent of highly finished and intricately detailed etchings by old masters. Photographed in their natural habitat, mostly in northern India, the elephants appear just as beautiful as the hundreds of beautiful models Akash has launched in his long advertising career.

A specially dedicated wall is been created to showcase his works which will be on display for 5 days. To compliment the occasion, F Bar and Lounge will spin up a special delectable cuisine, cocktails and mocktails. A signature drink and dish will also be introduced during the week of the ‘In Focus’ celebrity.

Commenting on the concept, Mr. Rajan Madhu, M.D., F Bar & Lounge, said: “We are proud to bring the legend of Indian Advertising as the In Focus celebrity of the week”.

Posted on: 30-6-08

‘ANANDA’

6/18/2008 1:58:49 AM

Renowned artiste Priti Kyal unveiled her new exhibition ‘Ananda’ at Jehangir Art Gallery on Monday, June 16 at Mumbai. This is the 3rd Solo exhibition of this prolifically talented artist. Right from her childhood, her paintings have expressed her imagination, spirit and heart through uninhibited brush strokes and colours.

Her new exhibition ‘Ananda’ continues the journey that began with her first two collections, ‘Images of Love’ in 2003, which was based on the small vignettes of her life which formed colourful montages on canvas The journey continued with ‘Moments of Truth’ in 2006 that was inspired by human love.

This time around, she feels she is far and has broken away from all the earthly bonds. Compared to her earlier collections, her subjects are portrayed as a tiny part of the huge cosmos. Unlike her earlier works of art, this collection is about the bliss and the journey moving ahead.

Several art aficionados attended the event in support of Priti’s phenomenal work.

Proficient artists Lakshman Shreshta, Vipta Kapadia, Prafulla Dahanukar, Sheetal Gattani, Madhavi Subramanium and Madhusudan Kumar, a prolific Sarod player were seen appreciating the artwork at the exhibition. Miss Kalpana Shah, owner of Tao Art Gallery and Usha Agarwal from Point of view Gallery came in for a short while to have a look at the art on display. Dr. Lukmani, former head of Bombay University in English Literature, Shilpa Mehta, also graced the occasion.

Posted on: 18-June-2008

WORLD AUCTION RECORD

6/14/2008 2:32:52 AM

Work of art by an Indian artist Francis Newton Souza has fetched a record price of 1,273,250 pounds at the Christie's in London setting a World Auction Record for any Indian Modern and Contemporary Work Of Art and for the Artist. The Christie's results of the South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art sale realized $ 10, 614,225, selling 70% by lot and 86 % by value. This sale included 12 works offered from the Harmony Art Foundation of Mrs. Tina Ambani in association with Barclays Wealth.

Hugo Weihe, Christie's International Director of Asian Art and Yamini Mehta, Head of Sale said, “The exceptional sale which realized £5,432,050, presented Christie's global clients with an inspiring array of works by over 50 of South Asia's leading modern and contemporary artists. 12 artists' records were set in total, reflecting the continuing strength and depth of demand for this important and vibrant category. Christie's are proud to have been part of this collaboration which will contribute to the Foundation's continued support of emerging artists going forward. This sale draws Christie's Asian art sales for the first half of 2008 to an exhilarating conclusion, with South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art realizing an overall total for New York, Hong Kong and London of £13,198,396/$25,825,146 - the highest total for one season ever achieved in this category. We now look forward to offering Syed Haider Raza's key work 'La Terre' at Christie's London Post War and Contemporary Art Evening sale on 30 June."

Posted on:14th June'08

PERFECT LINES

4/30/2008 1:59:53 AM

Bygone the era when art is considered as mere vocation, but now contemporary art forms has emerged in more organized and professional manner. Artists are getting suitable platforms in outline of art galleries that take their talent to critics and buyers hence help them in getting fame & money.

Following the similar lines, ‘Perfect Lines’ art exhibition was inaugurated at a gala evening at Designer Suneet Varma’s Easel Art Gallery. On the display are the works of 30 top line modern masters and contemporary painters that includes Akshay Anand , Anita Kulkarni Debyendu Bhadra, Illoosh, Laxman Oelay, Shamshad, Sanjay Bhattacharya, S. Harsha Vardhan, T. Vaikuntham, Tapan Dash, Vilas, Pramod Ganapatye, Anu Naik, Shubhra, Suhas Ray, Kishan Ahuja…. These artists have used various mediums like water, oil and acrylic colours on the canvas to delineate their ingenuity through perfect lines that conjoins to form a caricature of thoughts.

Seen enjoying this arty evening were people from fashion fraternity to name a few- Malini Ramani, Anju Modi, anjana Bhargav, Nikhil Mehra, Renu Tandon, Manav Gangwani, Leena Singh, Ranna Gill, Rina Dhaka, Puja Nayyar, Rakesh Thakur… Designer Suneet Varma, owner of Easel Art Gallery a selective collector, bought two contemporary paintings from his own gallery at the inaugural show.

SATISH GUJRAL GOES SOLO

4/9/2008 12:49:00 PM

Described as a living legend, renowned painter, sculptor and muralist Satish Gujral is among of the few who have consistently dominated the art scene in India for entire post-independent era. He is also known as one of the pioneers of Indian contemporary art.

This description is self-explanatory to advocate his contribution in bringing India on the world art map. After a halt of six years, this veteran artist did a solo exhibition at Lalit Kala Academy which was inaugurated by former Prime Minster of India I.K Gujral. The inauguration also saw people from various realms of life, to name few present were fashion designer Bina Ramani, ICCR director Pawan Verma, actress Nisha Singh, Kiran Gujral and JJ Valaya.

His latest works exudes the vitality of the fact that only constant in everybody’s life is change. He tries to capture the hidden energy of every object that is denoted in two forms; one in change and other the stillness depicting death. Besides eighteen new works, he presents a special installation christened ‘ICONS’ which are his tributes to legends that has inspired the prolific path of his artistic journey.

He characterized his introspection of the human body in abstract form through thirty bronze sculptures. In his bid to stretch the boundaries of art, Gujral has never flinched from experimenting with a wide variety of mediums where the canvas goes beyond flat surfaces to a multitude of forms.

Recently Satish Gujral has also donned the role of an author by publishing his engrossing autobiography “A brush with life”.

CROSSOVERS AND OVERLAPS

3/25/2008 2:18:15 PM

Abul Kalam Azad as a photographer-artist in his recent series "Man with Tools" is preoccupied with the contradictions and aporias involved in the critical practice of the photographic medium, He addressed some of the tenuous issues that have riddled the 'great photography debate' and the social and political implications of its theoretical premises in the postmodern context. The corpus of Azad's work seen to have a thrust towards an archive of local micro-history at the level of personal memory. In that sense, his works add up to a kind of social anthropology of his land and its people,.

Aditi Nayar's works in the respective media share a common ground that in terms of concerns and sensibility is complementary to each other. The fragmentary and evanescent visual experiences, short-lived and soon-forgotten, that appear as a kind of subliminal persistence of vision form a world of their own in her work. They are almost like visually enhanced sensory transfigurations of the mundane and the immediate on the threshold of perception.

Though trained as sculptor, Babukutty George has consistently been painting alongside his sculptures. He freely moves between abstraction and figuration. His compelling articulation of space and the imagery which is shorn of any imagistic correspondences or associations and yet is stark, go into the making of an abstraction that is determinate and finite in its meaning-making process.

Expressed through simple floral motifs, the works of Bini Roy have a subdued charm and are suffused with a lyrical sense of immediacy that marvels at the beautiful.

The work of Jeevan Thomas cannot be seen in isolation from his many proactive and participatory interventions in issues of public interest, particularly those related to environmental concerns.

Pushkin's works occupy that area of crossovers, overlaps and slippage between the subjective and the historical, emotion and thought, idea and ideation, the verbal and visual.

Sunil Gangadharan showed a penchant for drawing which he has consistently been practicing alongside. He has been constantly fascinated by the typical topography of the place, the nearby fishing harbour at Vizhinjam and the local people.

The works of Tensingh Joseph range from environmental, site-specific installations and sculptures to drawings. Coming as he does from the high ranges in the eastern ghats of Kerala, it is only natural, on his own admission, that Tensingh's predilection for the organic form born of a native life-affirming sense of nurturing and regeneration, has found a congenial and encouraging environment.

CROSSOVERS AND OVERLAPS1

3/25/2008 1:06:30 PM

Expressed through simple floral motifs, the works of Bini Roy have a subdued charm and are suffused with a lyrical sense of immediacy that marvels at the beautiful.

The work of Jeevan Thomas cannot be seen in isolation from his many proactive and participatory interventions in issues of public interest, particularly those related to environmental concerns.

Pushkin's works occupy that area of crossovers, overlaps and slippage between the subjective and the historical, emotion and thought, idea and ideation, the verbal and visual.

MODE OF INDIVIDUALISM

3/13/2008 11:35:06 AM

New Delhi: ‘Huesday’ in its 2nd series brings alive the insignia of artists Yati Jaiswal and K Jagjit Singh at the F Bar & Lounge. Huesdays are aimed to showcase emerging talents and to develop a platform for exchange of ideas between fresh talents, acclaimed maestros, critics, collectors and eager novices.

The guest of honor on the occasion was the Sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and his wife Subhalakshmi. While Yati Jaiswal displayed his socio-political futuristic works on the deteriorating world order, seasoned artist K Jagjit Singh’s works depict the mountains of Ladakh, Kumaon and the Nilgiris.

On the occasion, Mr. Dinesh Wadhwan, CEO MD, Times Internet Limited, said, “We’ve all known art as an indulgence of a privileged few. But Huesday is an opportunity for these varied tastes and aesthetic sensibilities to express themselves through Art”.

ART: METRO SPECTRUM

2/28/2008 11:28:40 AM

"Metro-Spectrum," Satadru Sovan Banduri's exhibition of paintings presented by Alakananda Saha and Kalyani Chawla at Galerie Romain Rolland-Alliance Française, is an enchanting experience. The show's theme is life in a metro and the paintings highlight aspects of urban life like ATM cards, deodorants, mobile phones, clubbing, and strobe lights. The title piece, in my opinion, is a dazzling wave that begins in a corner of the canvas, where it appears to engulf a girl holding a mobile phone, and cascades in a long, undulating stream across the length of the canvas. The piece hovers about an inch from the surface of the wall, mounted on long nails, and a spotlight illuminates the girl's tiara and earrings, creating dramatic shadow patterns. The mobile that appears in subsequent sheaths of paper is ambiguous. In some places, a driver is shown talking on the mobile through a side window of the car; in others, a hand typing out an SMS. The rapid embedding of mobile phones into young people's cultures raises questions about how they might alter the social aspects of everyday life. The organic and the synthetic are so intertwined as to be virtually indistinguishable, creating a perceptual confusion. The unanimous voice of the guests present: "I cannot live without my mobile phone!" The exhibition witnessed the city's glitterati in full attendance. We spotted Rohit Gandhi, Queenie Dhody, Madhu Jain, AD Singh, and Ridhima Kapoor taking a keen interest in the art. Satadru Sovan Banduri has solo exhibitions like 'Digital Age' and 'IT Culture@art.techno' to his credit. He has also showcased in select international shows including Affordable Art-Kunst, Germany and online video exhibitions such as Matrimonial Bazaar. The exhibition continues till January 13, 2007.

DREAMS HAVE NO TITLE

2/28/2008 11:22:31 AM

In Laila Khan Rajpal's book nothing is ever used up. Any motif, whether man-made or taken directly from nature, can have a new and vital life, with proper placement and adjustments in scale and color, of course. Ditto any technique. This point is driven home by the suavely eye-popping new paintings in her latest exhibition 'Dreams do not have Titles' at Kala Ghoda. Inaugurated by Shabana Azmi, the exhibition is based on the strength of a woman. Laila has tried to highlight the female predicament and the struggles that a woman has to go through. "I have brought out the strength of a woman," she states, and interestingly, the exhibit features a portrait of Sonia Gandhi and Goddess Lakshmi. I notice that her entire family has turned up to offer support. What do they feel about her paintings, I ask her? "They like my work. I do get censure at times, but yes, my father and Fardeen have time and again offered to buy my works," smiles Laila. Strangely, her works are never titled as she does not want her viewer to be shown the way. "Titles are constricting. For me painting a nude is no different from painting a flower; it freezes in a moment in time, the before and after, where and when is up to the viewer." Spotted admiring the paintings were Rohit Rajpal, Sundari and Feroz Khan, Fardeen Khan, Susan Roshan, Zarine Khan, Mallika Khan, Simone Khan with Dolly Thakore, Alisha and Riyad Kundanmal, Meena Raheja, Kailash Surendranath, Harsh Goenka, Alyque Padamsee, Aseem Khan, Nisha Jamwal, Urmila Matondkar, Zeba and Rajesh Kohli, Khushnuma and Arzan Khambatta, Devika Bojwani, Nawaaz Modi Singhania, Neelam Kothari, Bina and Talat Aziz, Viren Shah, Tanya and Kishen Kumar, Kehkashan Patel, Vikas Bhalla, Monica Vaziralli, Naaz and Remu Zaveri, Shweta Shetty, Pradeep Hirani, Mustafa Eisa, Feroze Gujral, Poonam Dilhon, Rajeshwari Sachdev, Javed Ahmed, Hanif and Pooja Bedi, Pinky Reddy, and Anu Diwan.

BLUE MEN

2/28/2008 11:16:41 AM

Artist Abhijit Guha has never been one to court publicity. But lately the limelight keeps finding him. His latest exhibit 'Blue Men' highlights the deep longing Abhijit has for "an earth where suffered souls come out of the cruel universe like a bunch of daffodils". In this series, Abhijit's signature suaveness is intact. When I congratulate him on the success of his series, he smiles and says, "I'm glad people like it." Such modesty does not begin to hint at the spectacular visual effects of his work. Curator Satyajit Sen calls Abhijit Guha "one of the best-kept secrets of the contemporary art world. On grey days, the swath of blue it injects into the environs is amazing." Although his work is characterized by optical illusions, Abhijit insists on demystifying them. "Though the turmoil of natural unrest unveils the outer aspects of my art, in their innermost sublimity flows a fountain of serenity. Out of the external broken shadows of pain, the inward eye engulfs my creation," he comments, adding, "Acrylic plays an important role in bringing out the mood of my series. Blue, green, yellow and white draw on the serenity of my thoughts, though in this series, I have used olive green and deep blue to bring out the depth of my subject … in addition to pieces of cloth, wool and sponge."

ARTICULLATE

2/28/2008 11:09:42 AM

MUMBAI, APRIL 27: Yash Birla means serious business with Articullate, the Birla lifestyle art gallery launched in collaboration with Devaunshi Mehta. Yesterday, Johnnie Walker Gold Label joined hands with Yash and Avanti Birla, Devaunshi Mehta, Kaajal Anand and Niyatee Shinde, to host the inauguration of their first anniversary exhibition, SpandanII-The Vibration. SpandanII is a saber-waving show, and you should see it before it closes on May 10. It is composed of work by Indian artists from across the country, who were born too late to be hardcore minimalists, and who then tried to take the medium to less structured, more intuitive and experimental shores. The impressive line-up includes Satish Gujral, Sanjeev Sonpimpare, Riyas Komu, Rathin Kanji, Gurucharan Singh, Deepak Shinde, Manu Parekh and Samir Mondal. Raising a toast to art were Gauri Khan, Karan Johar, Preity Zinta, Bhavna Pandey, Reema Kapoor, Kamal Sidhu, Maheep Kapoor, Seema Khan, Tina Ambani, Nandita Mahtani, Surily Goel, Diane Pandey, Nisha Jamval, Niketan Madhok, Sabrina Merchant, Shobha De, Roohi Jaikishan, Chaya Momaya, Kajal Anand and several other art aficionados. We asked Yash Birla for his take on art. "Art is an important component of our life. I grew up with art; I have a lot of art collected by my mother which has sentimental value. Our family is a great patron of art and therefore Articullate was imminent. Contemporary Indian art seems to be heading for new frontiers and art is being looked at as an asset class like equities, gold, debt, or real estate. It's all about the right artist, price and selection. Besides, art has become corporate and we are promoting it as a lifestyle product," he responds. The Yash Birla Group plans to invest in the creative art bank to market good works of established as well as upcoming artists. Articullate will showcase the works and all art business will be regulated through Birla Art Life Style.

THREE-TIER

2/28/2008 11:01:55 AM

"Three Tier" is a view-altering exhibit, for the simple reason that it showcases the works of three brilliant photographers, presenting Goa, Benaras and Pushkar through their lenses. Here, curator Ajay Rajgarhia [Goa] teams up with Sudip Bhattacharya [Benaras] and Vikas Malhotra [Pushkar] in a show that is alluring. Presented by e-commerce website 'Wonderwall.co.in', it is composed entirely of fine art photography. According to Rajgarhia, it's "a platform to introduce upcoming photographers and also showcase established names, as the website is dedicated to making photography an accessible form of art to the public at large." He hopes the exhibition would be "instrumental in getting people to understand photography as a medium". VIKAS MALHOTRA Checking out the preview pics, I was mesmerized by photographs of Pushkar by Vikas Malhotra, an MBA from Wake Forest University, North Carolina. Vikas has been involved in the art of photography for seven years. Photography is something that helps him release his creative urges. The camera, for him, is a sketch book to capture, visually, what his mind perceives at that instance … an instrument which helps him focus on that one particular moment in time, preserving it for all eternity. Why Pushkar? "Nirvana! This is the first word that comes to mind when one is at Pushkar, a sleepy, religious town in Rajasthan, a little oasis in the desert where every corner, every street talks about God and of course, nirvana. It is magical, it is whimsical, and it is one of my favorite places to spend a long, leisurely week, which is what I got to do in November 2006 during the build-up to the largest camel fair in the world. Most fascinating for me were the varied and diverse collection of people from all walks and of course, the camel themselves, those irritable beasts who don't think twice about kicking you out of their way," he grins. "Photographically, it was like paradise. There were innumerable opportunities to interact with people, to capture their emotions on camera; like Samir, the six-year-old boy who tried desperately to get his camel to drink but of course, the beast being obstinate that he is, refused, and poor Samir went back crying to his father. Or Lakshmi who wanted a cigarette every time she saw me and would pretend to trip near me so that I could catch her before she fell down [got wise to that after the first two times and let her fall the third time she tried it …. the look she gave me then would have easily grilled a raw chicken!], or Samar who would insist on getting his photograph taken so that he could view it on the LCD and show it to all his friends. And of course there were the camels with whom I tried to do close-up photography and still have the bruises to prove it. After being kicked soundly the first two times, I learnt my lesson and kept a safe distance from them! Thankfully my camera managed to escape from its nasty bite and it only managed to get a part of my pullover," he continues. "Pushkar during the camel mela, was one of the most relaxing and tranquil times, and the week-long vacation there was soul cleansing. Getting up at the crack of dawn every day, going to the mela and interacting with camel traders who traversed thousands of miles, hearing their stories, chilling out on a terrace coffee place in the afternoons, watching the devout take the holy dip and float diyas on the lake in the evenings; it was indeed extremely peaceful and a soothing balm for the soul." In hindsight, what makes this exhibit stimulating? The images send echoes of the rural camel fair in Rajasthan into the urban world. Vikas will steal any show, even if his camels cannot quite fly. The exhibit begins with 'Storm', an image that captures a dusty sunset with camels, bustling carts and tents—an austere masterpiece shorn of ornament. And continues to 'Sadhu', 'Camels at Dusk', 'Woman', and an overview of the camel fair … Sudip Bhattacharya Why does Sudip take p

SATISH GUJRAL

2/28/2008 10:43:57 AM

Painter, sculptor, muralist, architect and writer Satish Gujral is described as a living legend who has consistently dominated the art scene in India for entire post-independent era. His depiction of the tragedy that followed India's partition remains the only authentic documentation of that part of nation's history and the Republic of India honored him with the "Padma Vibhushan". Below are some of the works of Satish Gujral that are currently available. All paintings are in acrylic on a specially textured canvas. Price on request depending on the availability of piece chosen.

A THOUSAND WORDS

2/27/2008 7:03:23 PM

Actor, traveller and photographer Karam Puri is hosting a photo-exhibition titled 'A Thousand Words, at Market Café in Delhi'. From Africa to Japan, the limited edition prints in this collection span five years and three continents. ABOUT THE ARTIST: Karam Puri graduated from Ithaca College in 1999 to pursue a career as investment banker with Societe Generale, where he closed deals totaling $5.0 billion in three years. After a brief stint in Paris, he gave up his job to return to his true love, acting. Karam trained at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute in New York and made his off-Broadway debut with 'The Indian Wants the Bronx'. Karam has since acted in the New York premier of 'Kalighat', 'SubUrbia', 'Ordinary People', and 'The Swan'. Karam is also an electronic DJ and has held residencies in clubs in New York. His passions include photography, traveling and wildlife conservation. Here is a sneak preview of the photo-exhibition that opens tomorrow: :: Fast Facts DATE: June 1-14, 2007 VENUE: The Market Café, Khan Market, New Delhi

NUMB: SUNIL PADWAL

2/27/2008 6:57:25 PM

DELHI, JUNE 2007: "Numb: cold sweat, scars, color blind, black water, debris, mute…black I see and feel here, I am pretty numb here" defines artist Sunil Padwal's current body of works. Padwal is presenting a series of 35 works in his latest exhibit titled NUMB, including drawings, paintings and two installations done over the past two years. The artist has used a diverse range of materials in different permutations and combinations. For all his canvases' immediate appeal, their effects depend on fiendishly complex structures. There's a buzzing play between how each looks from far—often legible and luminous—and the fractured surfaces that make it up. When you come close to a Padwal, you get more mystified about how it achieves its ends. Padwal's courage comes from his decision to work with a complex theme. Bold, simple, immaculate—his works catch your eye even if you are just passing by, and this glimpse takes you into a journey of reflection; Sunil's paintings push you into a new realm of thought, of reflection. "It's not meant to be out and out negative, but yes, it does have negative undertones. Besides, it’s high time I spoke about the issues that have been disturbing me for a long time. My idea is to come up with works that will make the discerning art lover think," reveals Padwal. Yet, the day's take-home impression is of unadulterated splendor. There is a drastic shift in his recent works from his earlier androgynous protagonist—an urban being with a sense of angst. Artist Sunil Padwal's angst-ridden, urban man has evolved. Earlier, the solitary man whom the artist has been painting for a decade was given a definite form and identity. His canvases, which reflected a mélange of colors, were filled with pop art icons, graffiti and motifs, and made an overt political statement through symbols of the Sarajevo-Bosnia war or Marxist icons. The changing pictorial form and new imagery of animals, insects, machines and other figures exemplify a greater symbolism and deeper meaning. Through this series of recent works, Padwal attempts to comment on flawed systems, current political scenario, violence and other such issues.

RAJAN FULARI

2/27/2008 6:34:41 PM

Galleries are in the habit of saving their best — their newest, boldest, oddest — for the annual blitz of end-of-season shows that give exposure to underseen artists and freelance gigs to promising curators, while the commercial heat is down. But this year, as art-world eyes are turning to India — a few artists have jumped the gun with a splash of stylish fizz, a knotty theme, a soak in strangeness, something special to catch the eye. One such artist who caught our eye is Rajan Fullari. As I walked through his exhibit, the first thought that came to mind was, 'someone with a lot of effect, a lot of outrage, a lot of emotion'. "Everything came to me suddenly and as a challenge in life; so did visual art. That perhaps served as a nucleus to sort out problems that young artists like me face at outset of a career. The chaos I went through brought a realization that helped me to see my past and present with clarity. Further it was my school teacher who inspired me to get into the field of visual art. And even then I was always in constant in circle of art, literature, theatre personalities," reminisces the 33-year-old from Sailom-Goa. What does he focus on, I ask him? "I work with human themes. My works reflect my perception of the immediate world. They represent the metascapes of my mind. I draw moral icons [Buddha-Christ-Gandhi] of society and create awareness of social values in my works. I always try to include social-political elements in my paintings. Presently, the image of a single torso makes a strong statement in my works," he responds. Without the market, the art world would be a boring place. But this is a complete acquiescence to a world where money and hype are measures of success; where advisers sell art over the net, via JPEGs of the collection. "Art has become a major source of investment. There are several corporate houses and individuals investing in Indian art. It seems Indian investors prefer paintings on canvas than paper, or for that matter, prints [etching and lithograph]," agrees Rajan Fullari, an emerging artist on the scene. Though he has specialized in printmaking, Rajan is passionate about painting and has a deep interest in installation art. Presently he is focusing on printmaking and contemporary Indian art. As I get up to leave, I ask him about the art scene in India. "Art is not where you acquire degree and you are through in life, its long way of practice, hard work and your visual language which make you in this field," he explains. "India is a vast country and its multifaceted traditions and culture are reflected in visual art. Here we have people working on miniature paintings in addition to artists practicing experimental art [installation and performance]. In general, paintings with figurative approach are the mainstay on the art scene."

GALLERY: DEEPTI NAVAL

2/27/2008 6:16:01 PM

Deepti Naval is an artiste in the true sense of the word. Behind her silence lies a strength that has made Deepti Naval the persona she is today. With a passion that cries art in its truest form, and, which has traversed from the celluloid where each act was carefully chosen and honed, to paper where verse flowed from her thought to be penned for posterity and her latest, her canvases, where her strokes kindle the flames of her latent talent, she wins critical acclaim for whatever be the creative outlet of the self." S. Gonzalves Check out our gallery of her available art: SKETCHES

SURESH GUPTA

2/27/2008 6:11:34 PM

DELHI: Directed by curator Subi Chaturvedi, Suresh Gupta's exhibition tackles life in Benaras and Varanasi with both gravity and gall. The artist has employed fine art photography to paint a fascinating picture of Varanasi and Benaras. The locals have created a cultural system of beliefs, practices, myths, narratives, imagery, and socio-politico economic structures which surround and support their devotion; it is therefore noteworthy that with this exhibition takes a look not just at the visual imaginary and practices but how people relate to the city. The artist situates his work within visual anthropology and focuses our attention upon systems of visuality, addressing the profound connections between the holy city and an outsider's perspective. The variety of images and practices is impressive, ranging from a Muslim woman in a burkha to scenes from the Ramayana. It portrays how culture is multiple in expressions and celebrates the differences. As curator Subi Chaturvedi notes, the artist is concerned with "how people relate to the cities of Benaras and Varanasi," gathering together images of devotion whether they are categorized as urban, popular, tourist, devotional, or international. Subi herself is a photographer and has styled and shot for Tarun Tahiliani at Old Fort, Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week and Globus.

BENGALL

2/27/2008 6:00:38 PM

DELHI, JULY 28: An art exhibition curated by Kalyani Chalwa and Alaknanda Saha. A sensuous set, with walls showcasing works by great masters as well as young turks from West Bengal. A-list art aficionados. 'Bengall', an exhibition of works on artists from Bengal, ran last weekend at The Oberoi before shifting for a week to Galerie Romain Rolland. Alongside a constellation of artists like Rabindranath Tagore, Abanindranath Tagore, Gaganendranath Tagore, Jamini Roy, Atul Bose, Ramkinkar Baij, Amitabh Sen Gupta, Lalu Prasad Shaw, Sudip Roy, Jogen Choudhary, Sanjay Bhattacharya, Dhiraj Choudhary and Suman Roy are Kalighat pats i.e. old Bengal mythological paintings meant for the puja-ghar, and oleographs printed in Germany. The USP of 'Bengall' is to showcase Bengali art which has not been promoted owing to a lack of understanding, leading to stagnancy in prices. Alaknanda Saha has done the sourcing for the exhibition, and those works which are not on consignment have come from Bengali homes which have beautiful art. When families went into decline, often the first thing to be sold is the furniture; the last is art. At a time when Indian art is establishing a global presence, access to old, authenticated works is an asset, given the number of fakes in the market—particularly from the Bengal school. Chawla insists commercialization is not a motive for selling such works, and hence along with the established masters are younger artists whose work she is hoping will catch the eye of serious collectors. The theatrical playground was filled with Delhi's top partygoers. Rohit Bal took a keen interest in the art while Ajay Sood chatted up former model Sonia Bhasin. We also spotted Ritu Kumar, Varun Bahl, Vijay Arora, Bindu Vadhera, Sunil Sethi, Tikka and Vikramjit Singh, Sanjay and Sonia Passi, Raja Kanwar, Neeraj Kanwar, Naina Balsavar, Divya and Amit Burman, Mohit Burman, Samir and Shivani Modi, Shivani Wazir, and Neeva Jain.

IN THE SHADOWS

2/27/2008 5:55:18 PM

"Homespun skills and native intelligence" is all they have. Incongruity in a world dominated by mass-produced goods, these wig-makers, light-makers, polo ball-makers, boat-makers and even shuttlecock-makers use their hands to manufacture and have no marketing skills. "In the Shadows: Unknown Craftsmen of Bengal", a book by Payal Mohanka, celebrates the resolute spirit of endeavor of rural craftsmen. The book chronicles the story of six such rural areas. It takes a close look at the lives, craft and future of the people who lives here. Following the original process which has been passed down generations, these craftsmen keep alive old family traditions. Their efforts give them a basic livelihood. From a sea of blue jeans to white feathers of shuttle-cocks, "In the Shadows: Unknown Craftsmen of Bengal" celebrates crafts that are all but extinct. Each of the six chapters is dedicated to a village and its craft, providing detailed information on the village, its craft, its origin, its economic effect and in what condition it is in today. As a journalist, when Payal was filing capsules on each of these activities for BBC World Service she made a decision to capture it in more detail. "When I worked for a news channel in Kolkata ten years ago, it was difficult to file a dynamic business story every week. There are villages in Bengal where the economy hinges on a craft. These stories worked well as they were visually appealing. But I told myself I would come back one day to capture the fleeting images in a more substantial way, "says Payal.

CHRISTIE'S TO STAGE PREVIEW IN DELHI

2/27/2008 5:52:16 PM

NEW YORK, AUG 2007: Following two successful exhibitions in Mumbai, Christie's comes to Delhi with an exclusive preview of Modern and Contemporary Indian Art and Watches at Imperial Hotel on August 24. The Indian paintings and watches will be offered during Christie's sales in New York and Dubai. 'Christie's is the only international auction house that has had a presence in India for more than a decade now, which testifies to our belief in the influence of the country, its art and the market. We have anticipated and executed against its growth and increasing collecting momentum with our many activities in India, such as our exclusive previews, which now for the first time will also include watches. We are delighted that the Christie's-India connection continues to inspire connoisseurs and new entrants for whom these previews provide an excellent way to discover art,' said Ganieve Grewal, Christie's representative in India. Recently, Christie's Modern and Contemporary Indian Art department, headed by Yamini Mehta, organized auctions of 20th and 21st century Indian paintings and sculpture in Dubai, New York, Hong Kong and London. Not only has the field been entered by first time buyers and bidders that are not part of the Indian communities, there has been increased cross-over activities from other collecting areas such as Post-War and Contemporary Art and Modern and Impressionist Art. Autumn will again see exhibitions and sales of Modern and Contemporary Indian Art at Christie's key salesrooms. Among the Indian highlights on view in Delhi will be Bhupen Khakkar's 'I, Me, My Village' [$200,000-250,000] in which the artist employs Indian religious imagery, early Italian painting, Byzantine icons and Indian miniature painting. He juxtaposes scenes of Indian village life with Hindu imagery identified in the portrait of Shiva, alongside allegorical elements including a quaint townscape. Bhupen Khakkar established an artistic and cultural foundation which facilitated the success of contemporary artists such as Jitish Kallat of whom the exhibition will show 'Covering Letter 7' [$40,000-60,000]. Kallat resurrects the strewn debris of mass media, piecing together old photographs, faxes and photocopies to create a visual collage from which he paints his canvases. Splashing truncated slogans across his paintings, he exposes the idiosyncrasies of mechanical reproduction by revealing the grainy resolutions and cropped compositions of his news clippings and internet printouts. Similar to Kallat, are Justin Ponmany's holographic paintings which find their subject in detritus, gutters and alleys. Concerned with the brute Darwinian quality of life in a megalopolis, Ponmany composes his paintings based on photographs of people and places. His tools are often industrial; the artist infects his surfaces with plastic, resin, printer's ink, salt and holograms to create visceral imagery. The Modern and Contemporary Indian Art sale will take place at Christie's in New York on September 20 and will feature a range of Indian art including works from Progressive Movement artists as well as creations from contemporary prodigies. Among further highlights not exhibited in Delhi are 'Three Painters' [$150,000-200,000] by Atul Dodiya, TV Santosh's 'Across An Unresolved Story' [$30,000-40,000] and Chitra Ganesh's 'Secrets' [$7,000-9,000]. Christie's International Watch department offers 12 auctions annually of rare watches, with sales in Geneva, New York, Amsterdam, Milan, Paris, Hong Kong and Dubai. The sale of Contemporary Jewels and Watches in Dubai is scheduled for November 1 and follows the inaugural Contemporary Jewels and Watches auction which took place on 31 January. Highlights of the Contemporary Jewels and Watches sale will include a lapis lazuli, aquamarine and diamond timepiece by Asprey [$100,000-150,000].

VISTAAR

2/27/2008 5:41:31 PM

Delhi, September 11, 2007: In this city, art and fashion are constantly colliding—on stages and gallery walls, on the runway and on the street. Gallery Limited Editions has brought them together by setting the season's art and runway styles in an assortment of cultural contexts. Gallery Limited Editions is hosting VISTAAR, a rare initiative that invites twenty masters of contemporary art to work with design professionals in a new experimental format. The old-master mastery is indisputable—but this season, it is paying fresh attention to the contemporary world. The exhibition culminates in 20 masterpieces, limited in edition and rare in artistic pedigree. After all, artists and designers have in unison worked for over a year in various mediums, formats and oeuvres to create these installations. Aparajita Jain, Director Gallery Limited Edition has been inspired by the Ganga-Jamuni culture of Indian art and craft that went beyond canvases to enrich the Maharajas jewels, canopies, beds and thrones. Vistaar just recreates this regalia in a contemporary, modern day mould. The show includes functional objects that blur the boundaries between art and crafts. The range of expressions includes art idioms like a ceramic wall painting by Akbar Padamsee and Vineet Kacker, a chest of drawers by designer duo Anamika Khanna and Gunjan Gupta, a steel chandelier by Alex Davis with Art DInox. Chintan Upadhyay and Arjun Khanna make a fashion statement by transforming a bike into a work of art. Gopika Nath and Murti Ahuja bring art and crafts closer with an embroidered piece framed in a wood and metal play while artist Laxma Goud works with caster Thomas on a bronze Urli. We liked the work of art by Manish Arora and Gagan Vij; the duo created a stunning garden umbrella that unites a high sense of design and technical skills. Blending art with fashion, Bose Krishnamachari and Ezma weaved pashminas. Textile protagonists David Abraham and Rakesh Thakore interpreted Paris-based Sujata Bajaj's calligraphic art into stoles. Paresh Maity's works, one in gold and the other in silver, were transformed into necklaces by Raj Mahtani. The father–daughter duo of Alpana and Satish Gujral created pendants embellished with precious stones, inspired from Satish Gujral's sculptures. A buxom woman from Thelangana, whom Vaikuntham captures in his canvas, gets strung into pearl and gold jewellery by young jewellery designer Suhani Pittie. The art of fashion isn't always easy. Luckily for you, all you have to do is wear the clothes!

TRANSLATOR OF DREAMS

2/27/2008 5:33:19 PM

The old-master mastery is indisputable—but this season, people are paying fresh attention to contemporary art. With myriad paintings—from the works of great masters to contemporary digital art—housed under its roof, De Montage Art is the finest address for contemporary Indian art and aesthetics. Each season, people head over to their exhibitions in search of the thrill of aesthetic vertigo. Many make a beeline for the poetic lyricism of Rabindranath Tagore and the rooted art of Jamini Roy, both among the finest under the aegis of the Bengal School of Art. However, must-see works abound in every corner of the building; also competing for visitor attention are the abstract and inspiring creations of young masters. Last week, Montage Art once again put this puritanical school under the arc lights, offering art lovers and investors an opportunity to view the works of legendary masters and invest in contemporary Indian art that has scope to appreciate. The exhibition is a visual narrative that unravels the evolution of fine arts in Bengal and attracted the presence of creative gurus Sudip Roy, Ashim Chakraborty, Sanjay Bhattacharya, and Satadru Sovan Banduri. The exhibit began with a Tagore, a Jamini and a Ramkinkar Baij, progressing to the modern day angst of a Jogen Chowdhary and Sanjay Bhattacharya. The illustrious list of artists includes Rabindranath Tagore, Abanindranath Tagore, Jamini Roy, Atul Bose, Ramkinkar Baij, Shuvaprasanna, Shipra Bhattacharya, Aditya Basak, Subrata Gangopadhyay, Ramananda Bandopadhyay, Amitabh Sen Gupta, Lalu Prasad Shaw, Sudip Roy, Jogen Choudhary, Sanjay Bhattacharya, Dhiraj Choudhary, Ashok Mullick, Ashim Chakraborty, Jaspal Singh, Anindita Singh, Shekhar Roy, and Suman Roy. Rohit Bal was among the first to walk in and remained for most of the evening. Alpana Gujaral and Ritu Kumar were seen admiring the works with curator Alakananda Saha. Other attendees included Sunil Sethi, art critic Sandeep Shankar, Shalini Passi, Bindu Vadhera, and Tanisha Mohan. "Established galleries have enhanced their affordability to a level of saturation. In contrast, Bengal art stands a better chance to get appreciation from art connoisseurs and become a blue chip investment," explained art critic Vinod Rathore. If you are a "completist," know that it will take an hour to walk through the exhibit—and that's without stopping in front of anything for more than a few minutes.

A SPOT IN THE MOUNTAINS

2/27/2008 5:21:31 PM

DELHI, SEPTEMBER 18, 2007: Gallery Espace presented a photographic show by Ayesha Kapur and Siya Singh titled 'A Spot in the Mountains', curated by Arjun Sawhney. Having spent the past two years interacting with the Tibetan populace in Dharmshala, each artist's work presents an individual viewpoint. Fine art photography big enough to drape the sides of mountains or unfurl in the valleys take on subjects just as colossal: 'In Transit' delves into the socio-political and cultural environment affecting the life of the displaced Tibetan youth in Dharamshala and 'Red' focuses on the traditional monastic life in Dharamshala.' No one could tell it was Arjun Sawhney's first curatorial effort. His curatorial notes were straightforward and meticulous, just like the man. Arjun feels 'it is difficult to say who or what represents the future of Tibetan youth,' and attempts to explain this: 'Dharamshala is where Tibetan refugees took shelter after the invasion of Tibet by the People's Republic of China in 1951, bringing with them the ancient knowledge and wisdom of Buddhism. The town is the sanctuary of Tibet's highest spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama and the seat of its government in exile, raising this rather non-descript Himalayan village to a site of great spiritual significance, world over… But will this acceptance and homogeneity last indefinitely? A settlement that will restore Tibet to its people becomes more unlikely as the years progress. For second generation Tibetans, Tibet as a homeland is an abstraction of a nation. Who do they identify with? Their older relatives, with their tales of lost sovereignty, or their spiritual leaders, who many feel have done an injustice to Tibet by refraining from a militant stand against China? Is it India, or is it the endless influx of dollars and goodwill from the west…' 'Today there is a new and vibrant present that is changing how the world sees Tibetans. Tibetan culture, until 1951, secluded in a kingdom of clouds, has met with other cultures in an unprecedented movement filled with opportunity and information. The Tibetan people have allowed us a glimpse into their culture and worldview, where religion is not a call to arms but an empathy and compassion to all human beings… 'A Spot in the Mountains' attempts to document this rich and poignant cultural phenomenon, with empathy, clarity and truth…' 'Our mandate has been to explore unchartered territories via different mediums of art and we are proud to showcase these works by Siya Singh and Ayesha Kapur,' says Renu Modi, Director of Gallery Espace. 'A mere embryo of a concept a year ago, this brainchild of Arjun Sawhney and Espace has fleshed into, what I believe, is a truly exceptional show. The two photographers have been able to capture the essence of these displaced people within their lenses, their familiarity with them permeates through the frame.' ''In Transit' is an observation of the metamorphosis of these multiple identities that are constantly being reconstructed at many varying levels as a consequence of the external socio-political and cultural environment and experiences that affect their everyday life. My observance is very personal and opinionated by my own social reality,' explains Ayesha. Siya Singh says her images 'explore this religious identity that is an evolving and fluid one, which still retains the traditions of the Buddhist order of the monk at its core but with the inescapable influences of modernity at its periphery.'

KHUSHII ART ON CANVAS 2007

2/27/2008 5:11:55 PM

DELHI, SEPTEMBER 21, 2007: Filmmaker Karan Johar has picked up the paint brush and color palette alongside collagist Farhan Mujib for a charitable cause. He is not alone. There are other eminent personalities who have teamed up with artists to create rare paintings that will be auctioned. Last year, Tina Ambani, Ratan Tata, Renuka Chaudhury and Amitabh Bachchan were among the imminent personalities who lent their support to this charitable fundraiser. 'India on Canvas', hosted by NGO Khushii in association with Hello!, showcases paintings that artists and celebrities have jointly created for Khushii, to raise funds for underprivileged, homeless youth and the elderly. This season, the list of artists included MF Hussain, Atul Dodiya, Satish Gujral, Jehangir Sabawala and Riyaz Komu. They would be complemented by luminaries like Gautam Singhania, Vijay Mallya, Aishwarya-Abhishek Bachchan, Sushmita Sen and Bal Thackeray. Over cocktails and conversation, the roomful of guests including Ramola Bachchan, Kapil Dev, Manav Gangwani, Nisha JamVal, Dr. Cyrus Poonawalla, Sangeeta Jindal and Gayatri Ruia, waited in anticipation for the celebrated filmmaker [as did the throng of shutterbugs]. 'Worldover, Hello! Taps into the power of celebrity to uplift the needy and downtrodden. We are proud to partner with a worthy concept like Khushii India on Canvas and hope to continue supporting the NGO's noble endeavours,' said Ruchika Mehta, Editor of Hello! 'Last year, many of us, who shared the growing pride of India's rising stature in the family of nations and who also shared an equal measure of discomfort for that 'other' India which has got left behind, had gathered together to shape 'India on Canvas', a unique forum for art, charity and rare investment. Conducted by Christies at the residence of The British High Commissioner in Delhi last year, it was hailed as the art event of the decade. 120 collaborative works were auctioned as 1,400 people looked on. The funds will facilitate a continuation of our work to uplift that other India. The overwhelming response of the both participants and buyers motivated us to organize 'India on Canvas 2007'. A list of eminent Indians will collaborate with the greatest names in the art fraternity to produce a canvas, which will be auctioned in Mumbai on the 28th October at The Royal Western India Turf Club, Mahalakshmi Racecourse,' is the collective viewpoint at Khushii.

ART TRADE FAIR

2/27/2008 5:04:16 PM

DELHI, OCTOBER 2007: Works of India's aspiring and veteran artists and photographers can be seen without leaving town, by visiting 'All India-Art Trade Fair', at Chinmaya Mission … an art extravaganza that pulls together approximately 40 works created across the country. The two-day art trade fair will feature the works of artists and photographers from the metros as well as remote places like Jharkhand, Aurangabad, Surat, Baroda, and Bhopal. Participants include Asha Gulati, Om Prakash, Deepika Dhiman, and Anand Mishra from Delhi; Hariharan Hiranandi and Sheela Khubchandani of Kam Art Gallery; J Nandkumar and Shalendra P Bokshe from Aurangabad, Tapan Kar from Kolkata, Mohona Dutta and Rituparna Das from Baroda Art School, and photographers SL Saini, Sunil Sharma, Ashwani Nagpal and Manoj Kumar who will showcase a photographic collection titled 'Four Wheels-View from all Directions'. These artists have expanded art's communicative powers, eager to surpass one another in expressions of pride and devotion. According to Adishwar Puri, the brain behind the fair, "Globally, the art trade fair is an emerging trend. It offers an opportunity to buy artworks directly from professional artists without the involvement of gallery and museums. Since the festive season is approaching, the art trade fair will be a destination for affordable art." :: Fast Facts DATES: 2, 3 November 2007

MUKTI - ETERNAL FREEDOM

2/27/2008 4:54:07 PM

DELHI, NOVEMBER 19, 2007: Artist Shiv Singh gives an old medium a jolt of life with Mukti-Eternal Freedom, observes JASMEEN DUGAL. This is no romantic, formulaic, conceptualist-formalist art abstraction. The art debutante proves his mastery of this process-driven medium with theatrical, high-energy paintings presented by Maishaa at The Stainless Gallery. There are echoes here of Malevich, who talked about a "desert where nothing can be perceived but feeling"; of Lucio Fontana, who slashed the surfaces of his monochrome paintings and said, "I want to open up space, create a new dimension"; and Clyfford Still, who said, "To be stopped by a frame’s edge was intolerable; a Euclidean prison that had to be annihilated." It’s all a continuum. Seeing this many drawings is an overload, but it allows you to understand that Shiv Singh is combining punk, pop, Minimalism, the monochrome, high art, low culture, and something brooding, all in his tenacious hand. He has worked with strong colours to portray freedom from the shackles of the daily grind. The mix of solidity and structure, infused into free flowing whirls of colour, is subtle yet profound and reflects the energy of youth. Why has he titled the works Mukti-Eternal Freedom, I wonder? "Freedom is when the blank canvas stares at me… allowing me to blend my inner thoughts with colour to portray the confusion and evolution of human existence through each stroke," explains Shiv. "One of the most prominent paths I followed was the exploration of life in an urban landscape and what it means to us, especially in the globalized world where life moves at such a frenetic pace."

DIGITAL ART

2/27/2008 4:43:50 PM

Born in 1984, Pushkar Thakur has been dabbling with computers and art since the age of four. His education took an obvious path towards software engineering but was shrugged aside by his passion for art and graphic design. He conceived and began The Grafiosi [2004], now an award winning graphic design studio that focuses on aesthetically enriched visual solutions. 'It wasn't anything planned; I started freelancing while pursuing software engineering and the hobby quickly turned from passion into profession. I completed my engineering course but chose to pursue graphic designing. Digital art started at the same time though I've been dabbling on the computer forever now, and it's 100 per cent passion. I get to do something I love doing and get paid for it, so what more can one want,' grins Pushkar. Inspired by the world of honour, power, control, passion and compassion of the Sicilian families that tunnelled the underworld, The Grafiosi is more than just an idea, it is an ideology. His unbridled success comes as a surprise then as Pushkar has received no formal training in art or design; he educates himself through books, dialogue, the Internet, and everyday experience. Now 23, his art continues to evolve and has been showcased at select exhibitions. The young boy has a few 'fashionable' projects up his sleeve. 'I have done a few branding and identity projects, websites, packaging and Rohit Bal's yet to be launched perfume. I have also designed the illustrations printed on Siddartha Tytler's last collection and the Fashion Week stalls for Tytler and Vikram Phadnis. F Bar has just signed up to handle their creative duties and I am designing a funky concept menu for Hookah in VV; it is a mix of digital art and menu design. What else? Ah, yes, a new series called 'chasing the orgasm' i.e. erotic digital art!' Pushkar Thakur was the only Indian to have participated in the recently concluded Digital Long Island, a bi-annual exhibition that creates awareness about digital art and reveals the seamlessness between the New Media-inflected vanguard and the era's commercial work, visible in the two dimensional images, sculptures, interactive works, and robotics on display. It also elucidates the weaving of soulfulness and formal clarity at which the artists excelled. 'I value freedom from the evaluated commercial world and my indulgence in the world of colour, form, light, touch, and sound… visually represented in a captured moment. Each piece is frenetically and fanatically worked upon in isolation till the perfect visual creates itself. This indulgence is neither therapy nor remedy and most often is not a pretty picture either though its beauty lies in the creation of excited pulses within the mind of anyone who looks at these pieces. The creation of my art does not end with a print command or a glass frame. The concept is to transfer my thoughts into someone else's. As a kid, I used to always wonder if there was a way by which I myself could see exactly what I was thinking… let alone sharing it with others…,' sighs the young artist.

PRAGMATIC INTERLUDE WITH FEMINITY

2/27/2008 4:35:49 PM

December 20, 2007: As it goes, Women are the mortals that are sturdy to decipher. On the other hand, feminine form is the most loved arty pictogram. In her work, Prenita Dutta took the initiative with ease to set up connectivity between human existence and the world of flowers, birds, leaves and colours. In the show, she embellishes the nature’s ornamentations into embroidery for a finery draping young woman who is the spotlight of her art. With her womanly focus, she tries to identify her vibrant canvases with pleasing colouration culled from nature. Like drape of the yellow is identical to the sun’s ray, the turquoise is a reminder of ocean depths, the azure is scraping of the sky’s blue and the green and reds, emerging in floral and leafy forms, all these proffers a distinctive natural avowal. Whirling emotional bind of colours in her collection strikes a narrative milieu of entwining nature and man. That bear splash of autobiographical element in her work endorses the deep spiritual empathy in nature. She embodies the spontaneity of the hushed moments of empathy, unsaid and felt between humans and nature that is swaggering through a female protagonist. All in all her illustrations transcends ‘what unites this world into one’, using her enormous understanding. It epitomizes the celebration of womanhood in true astuteness. Ode to Women!

PASTELS AND CONTEMPORARY INDIAN ART

2/27/2008 4:26:32 PM

Art Motif presents a preview of a presentation entitled ‘Pastels and Contemporary Indian Art’. This presentation focuses on history of a medium like watercolors, intaglio prints, lithographs and relief prints. Motive behind these medium-specific displays is to inform the public about the historical perspective of different media in the hands of artists. Art world is not just about the art piece but the fact that the individual artist and his medium are also a part of the art history. How a conjecture of history, non-artistic factors like new technology and inventions, the colonial system of art education, new social formations like the urban middle-class and the introduction of new art materials, influenced the ideas and techniques of Indian artists, are the part of this art awareness exhibition. As history depicts, ever since the opening of art schools under the British patronage in colonial India, literally thousands of artists took up oil, water colour, intaglio and relief printmaking as their media of expression but only few of them explored the pictorial potential of pastel as the European masters did. Pastel, mostly neglected as a medium in this country, inspired artists in the West, who dedicated their lives and inventiveness to it. Now, in view of the rising craze for shocking newness in the postmodern situation, this exhibition will explore the medium to uncover unknown beauties still latent in it. The exhibition will showcase the works of Anwar, Akhilesh, Jhupu Adhikari, Vishakha Apte, Suddhasattwa Basu, Manisha Gera Baswani, Jyoti Bhatt, Pulak Biswas, Arindam Chatterjee, Amitava Das, Sohini Dhar, Gopi Gajwani, Shobha Ghare, S. Harshavardhana, Suhas Nimbalkar, Akbar Padamsee, Mona Rai, Yogesh Rawal, Tara Sabharwal, Paritosh Sen, Lalu Prosad Shaw Paramjit Singh, K. G. Subramanyan, Yogendra Tripathi, John Tun Sein and Jai Zharotia. :: Fast Facts January 6th to 13th 2008 The Stainless Gallery The Mira, Ishwar Nagar, Mathura Road, (Okhla Crossing near Tata Telecom & Godrej), New Delhi.

LET THERE BE LIGHT!

2/27/2008 4:15:17 PM

The exhibition “Let there be Light” showcases photographic excellence, personifying the beauty of nature, as explored by Mahesh Nair through his lens. Inspired by the critical component- Light, which undoubtedly brings to life all art, including photography, it is also an essential part of life itself! Therefore, with distinctiveness and imagination side by side, coupled with the ideal enhancements of light, these photographs portray a unique picture of the naturally mesmerizing world around us. Entrapped by his creativity and enamored by the potential of a single flash, his work embodies timeless, digital masterpieces, captured in a click, which effortlessly highlight and dramatize the intoxicating beauty and simplicity of nature. He captures inmitable images, allowing us to admire the long forgotten natural beauty that surrounds us. Dr. Alka Pande is the curator for this exclusive exhibition, who is currently the Consultant Arts Advisor and Curator, Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre.

CHRISTIE’S CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS

1/5/2008 1:09:45 PM

Christie, the world's leading art business with global auction sales will feature works from the leading 20th and 21st century artists from South Asia, including artists from Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan. The auction will focus on prime examples of many different movements and styles and highlights that include works from modern masters M.F. Husain, Francis Newton Souza, Tyeb Mehta, Vasudeo S. Gaitonde, Syed Haider Raza and Ram Kumar as well as works from leading contemporary artists Atul Dodiya, Bharti Kher, and Jitish Kallat among others. Among the various paintings in the sale prominent are the work of Maqbool Fida Husain which is monumental to The Battle of Ganga and Jamuna, made in 1972 depicts a scene of the ancient Hindu epic, Mahabharata, detailing the cosmic civil war between forces of right and wrong. The goddesses Ganga and Jamuna are the personifications of the holy rivers originating in the Himalayas, and here they are depicted as conjoined. The treatment of his subjects is complex and brilliant, and the division of the space into four colors alludes to Rajasthani miniature painting. Whereas, Francis Newton Souza’s nude, Untitled, 1961, is one of spectacular size and is a highlight among the dozen paintings by the artist offered in the sale. Made in the artistic peak of Souza’s career, this work demonstrates his inventive interpretation of the human form. Other Contemporary highlights include Atul Dodiya’s Untitled, a work commissioned for the exhibition Visions of Landscape, curated by Ranjit Hoskote, in which Dodiya focuses on the horizon and divides the landscape into earth and cosmos. Dodiya added a short text in Sanskrit from the Hindu scripture of the Upanishads, translating, “it moves, and it doesn’t move, it is close and it is far away at the same time.” The house at the bottom of the painting signifys the importance of belonging and returning to one’s own roots.

WANDERLUST ROHIT CHAWLA

1/5/2008 1:08:38 PM

Shutterbug Rohit Chawla’s ‘Wanderlust’ calendar, a tribute to Gujarat’s nomadic Rabari community has been put on display together with the digital display of his Fashion Photography at Epicentre Art Gallery, Gurgaon. The exhibition came as a welcome change of subject for the fashion photographer, and for those of us inured to the Pirelli-ensue tropes of bikini-clad babes thrusting about on yachts. He started his career as an editorial photographer and later switched to advertising and fashion photography. Although he spent most of his professional career at JWT India, as Creative Director and National Film Chief. His work has been featured extensively in mainline magazines, both Indian and International. Last year he undertook an ambitious expedition, driving 32000 km through twenty-six countries across the continent of Africa, while filming a documentary. Besides producing and directing a slew of television commercials for some of India’s biggest brands, he is currently working on his first full-length feature film. The opening was well attended by people like Tikka Shatrujit Singh-Brand Ambassador of Louis Vuitton, Arun Kapoor-Director Vasant Valley School, Maharani of Bharatpur with her son, Gautam SJB Rana with Bhawna Rana from the royal family of Nepal, Karen and Kamini Khanna, Sujjat Khan-singer and many more. “Wanderlust- is my photographic tribute to the relentless spirit and style of Gujarat’s nomadic community”, said the photographer.