The ethos of the era that began with the aspiration of a highly advanced future and the metamorphosis into that future, together, form the quintessential pieces of storytelling in this exhibition.
1) Image: Left astist - Anupama Dey, Ashwathi Avinash, Dattaram Nerurka, Curoter - Smita Kinkale and Bhaskarjyoti Gogoi. Jehangir Art Gallery - Kala Ghoda |
The world changed politically in 1991 with the collapse of Soviet Russia and followed by further mutations, brought over by technology, the information revolution, genome sequencing, communication, and AI. Biology became ideology and a strange moral preoccupation eclipsed the clarity and sanity of mind, twentieth century struggles with reality and reality became extremely complex with the introduction of virtual reality and a never expanding cyberspace brought in a dimension hitherto unknown to the human race. New loneliness and new meaninglessness challenged the existence on the one hand while on the other neoliberal capitalism with its ability to metamorphosis continuously and quickly introduced a new alienation & isolation, cutting off the individual from his or her social threading. Anthropocene, and the derangement it ushered unweaving of the strands embroidered over thousands of years between man and nature, not the world, the universe of the Man, and the universe within the universe changed and is still changing. This is a continuous cycle that takes place and, in this cycle, somewhere a pause occurs and everything starts with a new beginning like a renaissance.
Similarly in the field of art too we can see many changes. Artists had started to explore their surroundings which we can see in their paintings, religious themes had taken a back seat and replaced with present-day happenings and events also with insight into the future were depicted. These paintings were more fantasized, and romanticized at the same time depicting the real truth and the practicality. A new approach towards bright color new mediums can be seen hence paper and canvas were not the limits. Here only seeing and painting with a realistic approach was not only art, whereas combining the seen with own thoughts and providing it with a self-touch was also art.
Jehangir Art Gallery |
Expressing oneself in their desired expression in different
ways whether it is color, brushing, forms like geometric forms, distorted
forms, etc., or whether it is any other medium for the depiction of thoughts.
Our practicing artists of the show are completely immersed
in their works and excellently depict their thoughts and surroundings with a
fundamental perspective with the help of their respective mediums. Which
directly connects their thoughts and works with the viewers.
Anupama Dey
Born and brought up with a rich artistic background in a
small village in West Bengal, Artist, and Printmaker Anupama Dey tries to depict
the connection between humans and neglected creatures such as house lizards.
She strives to kindle human emotions towards nature through her work.
Intrigued by the way house lizards move and communicate, the
artist found inspiration in their rhythm and body language. She carefully
observed their every movement, taking note of the sounds they made and the
energy they exuded. Eventually, this fascination with the tiny creatures
infiltrated her art, as she began to incorporate their unique qualities into
her printmaking and drawing. Through her creations, she was able to express the
beauty and complexity of the lizards in a way that honored their existence as
much as it celebrated her own artistic talent.
Her expertise lies in various methods of printmaking such as
etching, lithography, woodcut, serigraphy, etc. Post-pandemic, her interest in
masks grew slowly which sparked her interest in going back to the concept of
masks and how they were traditionally made and used. From ancient times masks
were used to survive in the wild to the present day where a different version
of these masks help us fight diseases is a concept that she is currently
engaged in studying and researching to be able to effectively represent it all
in her works.
She has done a Bachelor degree (B.F.A) in painting at Govt.
Chitrakala Mahavidyalaya, University of Nagpur and received a one year
fellowship at Nagpur Govt. Art College. She completed her master degree (MFA)
in Printmaking at Indira Kala Sangit Vishwavidyalaya, Khairagarh and recieved a
junior fellowship of ministry of culture, New Delhi an still continues to
practicing and explore printmaking at Indira Kala Sangit Vishwavidyalaya,
Khairagarh. Currently she is pursuing her PhD in Printmaking from IKSV,
Khairagarh.
Ashwathi Avinash
She completed her early education at Sacred Heart High
School, Navi Mumbai. In 2014, and final schooling from Atomic Energy Junior
College, Mumbai, in 2016.
In the year 2022, she completed her education in BFA
ceramics at the Sir J.J. School of Art, Mumbai.
The start of her professional career involved working as an
intern in a well-known pottery studio. This experience proved to be valuable as
she gained a lot of expertise in creating high-quality tableware products. Her
creations were appreciated by renowned celebrities and design houses.
Additionally, during her internship period, she demonstrated her versatility
and creativity by designing unique porcelain buttons for a fashion designer.
In her capacity as a ceramic artist, her creations and the diverse experiences she has accumulated in the course of her artistic practice stand as a testament to her creative abilities and expertise. Her body of work is a reflection of her artistic prowess, manifested through her technical skills and intrinsic understanding. She made clay compositions and glazes from scratch. Her work was also displayed at the Embassy of Switzerland for the “Every Mother in India” Stakeholder event in New Delhi.
She inspected and practised 10 gas firings of glazed wares and acquired knowledge about the slip decoration technique. Currently, she's working at Studio White & Grey Lifestyle, designing and creating products for a fine interior company, The Great Eastern Home. Also, putting on her skills on the combination of wood with ceramic in furniture and as art.
Bhaskarjyoti Gogoi
Bhaskarjyoti Gogoi is a skilled and experienced artist who
hails from Assam Guhati. He pursued his education in the field of fine arts and
successfully completed his bachelor's degree in 2016 and masters degree in 2018
from Indira Kala Sangit University Khairaghar, which is an esteemed institution
for arts education. His talent has been recognized by various authorities at
the state and national level in the form of numerous prestigious awards. As an
active participant in the art community, he has showcased his work in multiple
group exhibitions all across India.
The artist hails from a region that is naturally diverse and
rich in culture. This influence is evident in his works, which are executed in
a minimalist fashion. He creates a pleasant atmosphere in his paintings with
the use of cool tones, which provides a soothing and relaxing experience to the
viewers. His artistic skills are evident in his ability to beautifully depict
the culture, people, flora, and fauna of north Assam in his paintings, where every
painting captures the essence of the region's rare flowers, birds, textures,
and colors. His artworks showcase the unique beauty of his native region in an
exquisite way, and they are a true reflection of the artist's love for his
homeland.
The artist's body of work is not simply a reflection of his
hometown's landscapes, but a call to action aimed at individuals to do their
part in preserving them. By using artistic pieces that display the charm and
potential of the natural world we inhabit, he prompts onlookers to conserve and
secure their environment. The artist's work can act as a compelling tool for
conservation and is an excellent example to inspire everyone to recognize the
need to protect and preserve the earth.
Dattaram Nerurkar
Dattaram Sudhakar Nerurkar is an upcoming Indian artist born
in Mumbai. He completed his bachelor's degree from Sir J.J .School of Art in
the year 2018. He has received numerous national awards and has also been
selected for the France based scholarship Euro art, a culture exchange
scholarship for sculpture in the year 2019. He has participated in many group
shows namely "Rupayatan" Postage group shows in Chandigarh and Busan.
His expertise lies in various mediums, out of them all, he
is fond of working with metal and wood. He generally works on topics related to
migration and depicts his thoughts through the grains and lines of the wood
which helps him portray his thoughts clearly. Wood is his chosen language of
expressing his thoughts through its natural textures and lines in these
sculptures.
The sculptures of this artist are an exquisite mix of Indian philosophy, tradition, culture and modernity. Through his work, he beautifully captures the essence of culture at the level of consciousness, which has evolved over thousands of years. The core of his sculptures lies in the form and beauty of culture, which is intricately woven into his art. His sculptures are not merely objects of beauty, but also serve as a reflection of our shared heritage and cultural legacy. Through his fusion of ancient and modern concepts, he brings to life a new and dynamic vision of Indian culture, one that is both timeless and relevant to our contemporary world.
Our artists being from the millienismal period are the touch
bearers who preserve the past and inculcate the future to create and
document our present and the past and
portray it through their own style to the viewers. Which is a part of this huge
and continuous cycle of our contemporary art.
“Understanding the past are steps to craft the future,
thoughts breed actions and with action comes creation and inspiration takes
hold and the cycle begins anew.”
-Smita Kinkale
Artist and Art Educator
Jehangir Art Gallery
30th May to 5th June 2023
Address: 161B, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Kala Ghoda, Fort, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400001
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Thanks for comment JK