Affordable September Art Mela - Kolkata

 Affordable September - Art Mela

12^th – 30^th  September  2022

With the festive season setting in, Aakriti Art Gallery is hosting the 10th edition of the ‘Affordable September Art Mela’ in Kolkata . After completing  nienth successful editions of the fair at the Kolkata gallery, we look forward to offering this special opportunity to our patrons. We at Aakriti Art Gallery constantly strive to make art more accessible to all. ‘Affordable Art Mela’ hopes to bring art into the lives of people who harbour a passion and love for it. The gallery will be showcasing the works of over a hundred artists with more than a thousand art works within the range of 1000 to 1,00,000 INR. This is a one-of–a-kind occasion for art enthusiasts to collect original pieces of art at the best prices. The pursuit of owning great works of art should not be limited to a few. The pleasure of living with and savouring great works of art is incomparable to merely looking at them in galleries.

 The fair would feature paintings, sculptures and art prints  by renowned artists as well as fresh talents in the industry. The gallery is putting together works by Abhijit Gupta,Adip Dutta,Aditya Basak,Akbar Padamsee,Akhil Chandra Das,Akhilesh,Alik Das,Alok Bal,Alok kumar Bhattacharya,,Amalnath Chakladar,Amit Chakraborty,,Amitava Dhar,Amlan Dutta,Anasuya Chakraborty,Anil Tekam,Anindya Roy,Anshuman Dasgupta,Arindam Chatterjee,Arun kumar Majumdar,Arunangshu Roy,Arup Das,,Ashok Bhowmik,Ashoke Roy,Asim Goswami,Asim Basu,Asit Mondal,Atanu Bhattacharya,Atin Basak,Babu Xavier,Banasree Khan,Banatanwi DasmahapatraBarun Chowdhury,Bhajju Shyam,Bhaskar Mukherjee,Bibekananda Mukherjee,Bibhuti Chakraborty,Bijan Chowdhury,Bimal Kundu,Biraj kumar Paul,Biswajit Saha,Biswapati Maiti,Chaitali Dey,Chaitali Chanda,Chandan Bhandari,Chandra Bhattacharjee,Chandrakanta Nayak,Chhatrapati  Dutta,Debabrata Chakraborty,Debajyoti Dhara,Debasis Chakraborty,Debasis Barui,Debotosh Kar,Dharamnarayan Dasgupta,Dhiren Shasmal,Dibyendu Basu,Dipak Banerjee,Dipak Kundu,Dipali Bhattacharya,Dipti Chakraborty,Diptish Ghosh Dastidar,Gautam Paul,Gita Maity,Gobardhan Ash,Gopal Ghose,Gopinath Roy,Hiran Mitra,Indira Puri Mistry,Indrapramit Roy,Irish Hudson Ghosh,J.M.S. Mani,Jahar Dasgupta,Jaya Ganguly,Jayanta Roy,Jayashree Chakravarty,Jogen Chowdhury,Jyotirmoy Dalapati,Kanchan Dasgupta,,Krishna Sardar,Laxman Aelay,Lalu Prasad Shaw,Laxmi Narayan Panchori,M. B. Ingle,Madhubanti,Malay Chandan Saha,Manashi Mitra,Manik Talukdar,Manoj Dutta,Manoj Mitra,M. F. Husain,Mithun Dasgupta,Mona Ghosh,Nikhileshwar Baruah,Nirban Ash,Nitya Kundu,Palash Bhaduri,Pannekunwar,Parag Roy,Partha Dasgupta,Partha Bhattacharya,Partha Pratim  Deb,Paula Sengupta,Peter Daglish,Pinaki Barua,Piyali Sadhukhan,Pradip Mondal,Pradip Roy,Pradip Rakshit,Pradip Maitra,   Prasanta Sahu,Priyanka Lahiri,Prasenjit Sengupta,Prokash Karmakar,Rabin Mondal,Radha Tekam,Rajarshi Biswas,Rajat Sen,Rajen Mondal,Rajesh Deb,Ramesh Tekam,Ritendra Roy,Sadhan Chakraborty,Sagar Bhowmick,Samindranath Majumdar,Sanat Kar,Sanchayan Ghosh,Sanchita Sengupta,Sandip Daptari,Sanjay kumar Das,Sankha Banerjee,Santanu Bhattacharya,Saptarshi Das,Sarreshwari,Sekhar Baran Karmakar,Sekhar Kar,Sekhar Roy,,Shankar Ghosh,Shyam Kanu Barthakur,Shyamal Mukherjee,Sisir Tikadar,Somit Mukherjee,Somnath Chakraborty,Soumen Khamrui,Soumik Chakraborty,Sourav Jana,Srikanta Paul,Subhendu Porel,Subhanil Roy,Subrata Paul,Subrata Biswas (sculptor),Subrata Sen,Subrata Chowdhury,Subrata Biswas,Suchibrata Deb,Sudip Roy,Suhas Roy,Sujit Kumar Karan,Suman Roy,Suman Kumar Pal,Sumana Ghosh,Sunil De,Sunil Das,Sunil Kumar Das,Supam Adhikary,,Swapan Kumar Mallick,Swapan Kumar Saha,Swapan Kumar Das,Swapnesh Chowdhury,Sweta Chandra,Tapan Ghosh,Tapan Mitra,Tapas Biswas,Tapas Konar,Tapas Sarkar,Tapas Shankar Basu,Tarun Dey,Tathi Premchand,Timir Brahma,Tusar Kanti Pradhan,Wasim R Kapoor  and many more artists. The wide collection of works will showcase multiple art techniques like gouache, tempera, acrylic on canvas, charcoal drawings, etching, drawing on digital prints,  bronze, ceramic across various styles and genres.

Affordable September -Art Mela

12th – 30th  September  2022

The business hours run from 11 am to 7pm, Mondays to Saturdays. To browse the exhibition from the comfort of your home, please visit the Affordable Art section

 https://www.aakritiartgallery.com/product?grade=affordable-art-2

Aakriti Art Gallery - Orbit Enclave, 1st Floor

12/3A, Hungerford Street, Kolkata – 700 017

Phone: 91 33 22893027/5041 - Mobile: +91 9830411116

Email: kolkata@aakritiartgallery.com

Web: www.aakritiartgallery.com

THE FOLDING CLOUD by VANITA GUPTA

किसी ने अपनी साइकल बड़े बादल के नीचे लगायी थी

पर अब पता नहीं वो बादल कहाँ गया

और वो साइकल छोड़कर बादल दूंद्ता रहा

Kalakriti gallery welcomes you to drift through the latest collection of works

Paintings | Sculptures | Multimedia | Installation 

by 

Vanita Gupta

on

13th August 2022

Artist: Vanita Gupta 

If one were to focus on the look of Vanita Gupta’s oeuvre, it would encompass characteristics of sculpture, installation and drawings, interspersed with quotidian and provocative videos that loop in melancholic shifts - the stuff of workshop experiments that test the plasticity and strength of natural materials - metal, wood, or rubber. 

Vanita's artistic position is fluid with regard to the categories of materials she places before us but for the certitude and temperance, she grants to every object she composes.   By conflating genres and pictorial means where the deadpan demeanor (literally a frozen stillness) of assembled figure objects and structures of installations stand assertively, she fundamentally forges a singularity of form and dimension as the concrete and visible profile of the constructed artworks. They are independent of each other carting aloneness as a votive relationship with an invisible audience; taut with a kind of prowess, corresponding with the dry fragments of aphoristic phrases running on the wall.   By and large, one is led to a pivotal standpoint: that of circuiting pictorial elements to favor diverse material constituents.. The sleeping life of the hardened sculpture seems to swell into wakefulness in its striving for organicity. It is a key aesthetic ingredient that the sensibility of this artist enfolds. Gupta, in this manner, is driven to imbue a degree of weightage that clothes her soft and solid objects. We see then, that urge to revive and manipulate material from a state of stillness to that of an anthropomorphized entity. This can prod and tease the mind into believing in the artist’s wizardry. For her, the worn, decrepit condition of castoff debris offers endless opportunities to consecrate such stuff into untitled statuary, icons, and calibrated videoed performances that disclose her formal intentions.

Gallery View -  Kalakriti Art Gallery 

Introductory poem by Vanita Gupta

Concept note by Roshan Shahani

VANITA GUPTA - BIO- PROFILE 

Vanita Gupta’s practise deals with the minimal, most relevant and perennially compelling forms. She 

confounds us by enlarging the definition of art, conflating genres and pictorial language.She began as a painter, concerned with coordination of movement and balance, juxtaposing existence and non-existence, empty vacuums and solid spaces. If one were to focus on the look of Vanita Gupta’s oeuvre, it would encompass characteristics of sculpture, installation and drawings, interspersed with quotidian and provocative videos that loop in melancholic shifts – testing the plasticity and strength of natural materials – metal, wood or rubber.Vanita was awarded J D 3rd Rockefeller Fellowship Grant, 2014-15 by the Asian Cultural Council, New York, to observe the contemporary art practice in New York, visit museums and galleries and meet curators. She was invited for a residency at ‘Residency Unlimited’ New York, 2015. Vanita’s video work, the “Balloon Trilogy: Liberation”, was featured at the 16th International Media Art WRO Biennale 2015, Wroclaw, Poland. In 2014, she was awarded the Pollock Krasner Foundation Grant, New York. The same year she was at an artist residency in Vermont Studio Centre, USA. In 2012 her video works were selected by Videoholica International Video Art Festival, Varna, Bulgaria. Vanita was also a recipient of the Raza 

Award 2008, India for excellence in art. Vanita’s drawings on large scale canvas were presented in a solo show at Red Church Street Gallery-London (2008) by Pundole art Gallery and Rob Dean Art. In 2006 Gallery Threshold represented her in solo show at Singapore Art Fair’, Vanita’s work transitioned towards sculpture through explorations with balloon and metal, which were exhibited in solo show at Pundole art gallery, Mumbai (2013), Art heritage gallery, Delhi (2015). Her experiments with silicone rubber presented as an architectural scenography of 250 sculptural pieces that was chosen as a special project at India Art Fair, Delhi 2017, Presented by Art Heritage Gallery. Her experience in New York translated into a light+glass sculpture, “Window without a wall, presented in Delhi by Art Heritage Gallery. In 2019 her intervention with architecture which lead to a collaborative work with Architect Naveen Mahantesh which was presented as ‘An act in three scenes’ by Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai. In 2020 her sculpture/videowork/performance was at Waterman’s Gallery, London.

Vanita lives and works between Mumbai and Bangalore.

Exhibition on view till: 10th September 2022

CONTACT

Address: Kalakriti Art Gallery 

Plot 8-2-465/1,

Road No 4, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, Telangana,

India. PIN 500034.

Hours: All Days(11 AM - 7 PM)

E-mail: artsales@kalakriti.in

#vanitagupta #kalakritiartgallery  #hyderabad

Dibakar Das, Solo Exhibition

Nippon Gallery is pleased to present Dibakar Das solo exhibition “Lines”

“Being an artist, I believe that art work speaks for itself; it has its own language, one can feel the visual aspiration before describing it in words.” The visual quality of drawing, ink on paper, is a creation of the whole cosmos by tender touching, sensitive lines like a spider web. There is no specificity as such, although it involves ambiguity space, all seen unseen, day to-day life ‘objects’ forms are derived from nature, inspired by observation of shape and cyclic change, but their appearance only matters in so far as it symbolizes an inner actuality that receives meaning from its relationship to the cosmos. The surface is played in the continuity of shifted vision and multiple layers create dimension. A single image is created by multiple contours or visa-versa to build up a form. Whole Drawing is an ongoing visual dilemma, which once started, involves the artist playing till visual satisfaction is achieved. The key to drawing is the involvement of the artist, both physically and psychologically, in art work.

Artist: Dibakar Das

 

Dibakar Das (Mumbai, India) – Born in Howrah, he completed his education in art with a Masters of Fine Arts from BVU, Pune. He worked as a visiting lecturer at Gulbarga University, Karnataka. Dibakar is working as an Art Director in the film industry. He participated in several exhibitions and residencies in Andorra, Austria, Hungary, Turkey, the UK, and India.

1) Dibakar Das & Montosh Lall  2) 6x10 ft drawing paper by Dibakar Das

3) Dibakar and Roul Hemanta   4) R B Holle & Dibakar Das at Nippon Gallery- 

 

Duration of the exhibition: 12.08.-20.08.2022

Exhibition Opening: 12.08.2022, 5 p.m.–9 p.m.

Nippon Gallery

30/32, second floor, Deval Chambers,Fort , Mumbai

Sale Enquiry-WhatsApp 9820510599

https://www.nippongallery.com – Nippon Contemporary-E-commerce Gallery

Nippon Gallery info@nippongallery.com

 

Lines by

DIBAKAR DAS

– solo show –

Preview Date:

12 / 08 / 2022

Time: 5.30 pm to 8.30pm ( Open to all RSVP )

 

Gallery Opne Date:

13 to 18 / 08/ 2022

 

Time – 3 to 8pm (Appointment only)

Sale & More details: Tel: 022 66333997. M: 9820510599

R.S.V.P “Please respond.” M:9820510599, E: info@nippongallery.com

@thinkwave @dibakar_83

#dibakardas #nipponsolo #artmumbainight #gallerynight #nipponnight #untitteldrawing #drawingstudy

“Life Witthin” Artworks will be displayed by Renowned artist Sangeeta Kumar Murthy at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai

For Sangeeta Kumar Murthy, excellence is a continuous endeavour. She is not one to rest on her laurels, she continues to explore new frontiers and experiment with advanced concepts. Sangeeta says “The Pandemic has changed the way I look at my art, I have taken a fresh approach to my subjects, treatment and medium". While the forms and expression may be different, what remains constant through her work is clarity and a meticulous eye for detail.

Artist: Sangeeta Kumar 

In Sangeeta's latest series, ‘Life Witthin’, she has chosen the medium of pen and ink on paper and vibrant acrylic hues on canvas to create a visually appealing series of artworks. A noteworthy element of the series ‘Life Witthin’ is the beautiful depiction of fabrics. One can almost feel the texture and flow.Each of her works in the series retains a cohesive link to the central theme which is fluid curves and fine lines that balance each other. The artist's paintings demonstrate her mastery over this genre which is a new addition to her already extensive portfolio.

 

The 'Life Witthin' series has multiple branches – Soul, Germination, Samanvay and Efflorescence. The ‘Soul’ series looks within, to find depth and the meaning of existence. ‘Germination’ demonstrates the evolution of thoughts, ideas and concepts, slowly awakening to the world around. ‘Samanvay', progresses from exploring growth and life to seeking the equilibrium that creates harmony in the entire universe, be it between the masculine and feminine, yin & yang or between man and his maker. ‘Efflorescence’ pays tribute to the incredible spirit of mankind and its ability to emerge stronger while adapting to the ‘new normal’.

Artist: Sangeeta Kumar Murthy, Title - Life witthin -16, Medium - Ink on Paper

 

Another key element in this series, along with ‘environment’ is ‘women’ and they can be seen in various avatars. Interestingly, Sangeeta has painted women that don sinuous kimonos, flowery gowns and sharp jackets, in modern cosmopolitan forms, a reflection of the women of today, each balancing different roles in our society. The artist depicts the importance of manifesting hope and optimism in myriad forms and expressions while retaining a strong social context. The eye-catching spiritual undertones in these works highlight the regeneration of new thoughts and ideas in different elements of our interlinked world. Thus, we can see that the series portrays a wide range of elements and features, all nourished by the internal energy that is indeed the life-giving force.

The detailing of motifs and patterns compels attention. In several paintings, one can see the artist’s newly introduced colour palette consisting of grey and gentle tints of sepia, adding greater depth and nuances to her signature fine detailing. Almost print-like strokes and the purity of lines and forms that are a distinctive hallmark of Sangeeta Kumar Murthy's paintings can also be observed.

From: 16^th to 22^nd August 2022

“Life Witthin”

Artworks by Renowned artist Sangeeta Kumar Murthy

 

VENUE:

Jehangir Art Gallery

161 - B, M.G. Road,

Kala Ghoda, Mumbai 400 001

Timing: 11am to 7pm

Contact: 98990 42116

Email : sangeeta.murthy@gmail.com

Insta : sangeetakumarmurthy_

FB : sangeeta.murthy, sangeetakumarmurthy16

Lines by DIBAKAR DAS - solo show - NIPPON

 

Lines by 

DIBAKAR DAS

- solo show -

Preview Date: 

12 / 08 / 2022       

Time: 5.30 pm to 8.30pm ( Open to all @RSVP)  

Date: 

13 to 18 / 08/ 2022       

Time - 3 to 8pm (Appointment only)

Sale & More details: Tel: 022 66333997. M: 9820510599 

R.S.V.P  "Please respond." M:9820510599, E: info@nippongallery.com 

NIPPON

30/32, 2nd Floor, Deval Chambers,

Nanabhai Lane, Flora Fountain, Fort,

Mumbai – 400 001, India Tel: 022 66333997.

Shri D.V. Halbhavi started an Art school in Dharwad in 1935, which was the first Art school in Karnataka.

The work of a veteran artist of the past era from Dharwad, Karnataka, Late D.V. Halbhavi has been showcased in a solo art exhibition at Jehangir Art Gallery, M. G. Road, Kala Ghoda, Mumbai 400 001 from 9^th to 15^th August 2022 between 11 am to 7pm. 

This show has been organized by his son Suresh Halbhavi.

This work mostly in oil on canvas, water colours on paper, stumping powder on paper and pen & Ink on paper will exemplify subtle nuances of the varieties of artwork made by him during his art journey.

This show was inaugurated at Jehangir Art Gallery, on 9^th August 2022 by Chief Guest – Prof. Vishwanath Sable,   Director (I/C) Directorate of Art, Mumbai in the Presence of Honorable Guests Shri. Suhas Bahulkar – Eminent Artist and Writer, Shri.Chandrakant G. Bellad – Chitrakala Shilpi Shri D.V. Halbhavi Rashtriya Smaraka Trust, Dharwad and Shri Suresh D. Halbhavi – Eminent Artist.

Water colour on paper

D.V. Halbhavi hailed from Dharwad, Karnataka. He had a strong desire to study and propagate visual fine arts and drawings in future from his young age. Coming from a well-known family of Dharwad, he had his art education at sir J.J. School of Arts Mumbai. Then he participated in many professional activities related to arts in contemporary field and displayed his art works in solo art exhibitions at Hubli, Dharwad, Honawar, Bijapur, Karwar, Dandeli etc. He worked as Judge for many drawing grade examinations and art exhibitions at State and National Levels. He wrote 2 books on arts and was a proud recipient of several awards and appreciation from the recognized institutions of good reputation. A proud recipient of honours from Rashtrapati Bhavan for his work on dome there, he was a judge for several exhibitions of State level and Lalit Kala Akademi. Shri D.V. Halbhavi started an Art school in Dharwad in 1935, which was the first Art school in Karnataka, which was considered to be a model for other Art schools started in other places much later. He established School of Art in 1935 and impacted training and art education to several aspirants till this day. He has worked on the advisory board of Federation of Art Institutions Mumbai, Davangere School of Arts & Crafts and many more. His works are in proud collection of many art collectors of national and international reputation all of globe.

(Oil colour on canvas)

The present exhibition has displayed several works made by him in his art career. The most significant amongst his presentations in this show include landscapes, portraits, life studies in realistic style, Antique studies, religious works etc. The portraits are noteworthy for their anatomical studies and textural finesses and relevant details. Other works like landscapes and life studies showcase the relevant details and seasonal particulars. Antique studies and religious works illustrate the historical and spiritual fervours and nuances of the traditional heritage and other details. One can clearly notice the command of the artist over the medium and techniques used for the aesthetic and artistic adornment of the work with the apt hues in the relevant perspectives of visual arts. 

From: 9^th to 15^th August 2022

Solo Exhibition of Paintings & Drawings

By

Veteran artist Late D.V. Halbhavi

 

VENUE:

Jehangir Art Gallery

161-B, M.G. Road.

Kala Ghoda, Mumbai 400 001

Timing: 11am to 7pm

Contact: 99016 45744

Creating Spaces

My art practice revolves around drawing and exhibiting in different ways.  I continuously seek to adopt new techniques and learn new skills to enhance my art-making process. The foundation of my drawings, audio-video, collages, and paintings is on the psychogeographical concept. Psychogeography is deeply rooted in illustrations and other subordinate mediums in mixed-media installations. During my Erasmus period at ABK, Stuttgart (September 2019 - March 2020).  I wished to have an exhibition, to make this opportunity worthwhile. Prof. Holger Bunk, a reputed German artist, suggested space in corridor walls, near the classroom, for the show. Using this space, I was permitted to curate an entire exhibition titled ‘Pop-Up Ausstellung’ which translates as ‘Pop-up Exhibition’. Transforming the empty corridor space was an enlightening process where I had a hands-on experience learning the nuances of curation and exhibition design. 

The Erasmus period at ABK, Stuttgart was an excellent chance to be a part of an exhibition which made my Erasmus period more substantial. ‘Pop-Up Ausstellung’ gave me the opportunity to execute the new challenges which provided imperative learnings and experiences. I tried something new and made it successful with the help of my colleagues, technicians and Prof. Bunk. In the ‘Pop-Up Ausstellung’ exhibition, I decided to draw on the wall, which was approximately 18ft high and 13ft wide. I pushed myself to draw something on a vast scale. The size of the wall gave me the freedom to execute as much detail as possible within that particular time. 

The ideology of psychogeography was deeply rooted in the drawings done on the wall of the corridor. The flatness and physicality of the maps are emphasised in the illustrative drawing done in black acrylic paint on the white wall. There existed a sense of uniformity in the application of monochrome and the usage of man-made structures for mark-making on a monumental scale. The city has a relation to my physical and mental behaviour. The act of walking, wandering and observing the city’s details, are automatically implemented in those acts in drawings. It’s representing a visual diary to the viewer. This work gave contingency to be more detailed precisely. 

 

Lefebvre’s texts from the ‘The Production of Space’ explain space from multi-dimensional perspectives. The space's physicality serves a purpose in diverse aspects. It depends on the human’s psychology and other external factors. In the lecture, Darling explains, “…we need to get rid of a bad habit thinking about the space is a per-exiting an unchanging container which people fill up and move in. For Lefebvre, space is produced by people, consequently, it is fundamentally social. How people built these spaces is highly contingent upon when they are producing it. Lefebvre was Marxist, and as you might guess, the term ‘production’ is not accidental!” (Lecture 2: The Production of Space, 2017). The space serves purposeful relationships in a multidisciplinary way with every aspect of the society’s collective element.

(The ‘transformation’ of the space)

The space has flexibility which can be achieved by having a sole purpose or the intention which leads to the production of the space. And as per our desire related to the space, that can be adaptative. According to Lefebvre in, The Production of Space, “(Social) space is a (social) product...Many people will find it hard to endorse the notion that space has taken on, within the present mode of production, within society as it is, a sort of reality of its own, a reality distinct from, yet much like...Many people, finding this claim paradoxical, will want proof. The more so because of the further claim that the space thus produced also serves as a tool of thought and action; that in addition to being a means of production it is also a means of control, and hence of dominance, of power.” (1991, p.26). The ‘Social’ constituent of the space is the essential aspect. Thus, the ‘Social’ constituent leads to producing space as a ‘production’ of space. The text concludes with the words ‘dominance of power’, which has assisted in defining the purpose and leading to the implementation of dominance over space.

As per the ideology of Lefebvre, there are conflicts in multifarious perspectives for understanding space and its sole objectives for an individual’s adoption. For me, the Lefebvre text explains that every desolate expanse and every mode of production produces a space which is its own space; it is probably not too difficult to imagine how societies do this in a materialistic format.

 

It is onerous to study space in one particular dimension for me. The creation of drawing in the common corridor of ABK, Stuttgart was a new interpretation of that particular space. There is a change in the psychology for understanding that particular space in the exhibition for a week, as can be noticed in the images. It was a production of space in my perspective and interpretations shared by the other artists and audience, who were also participating in that space, transformed into an exhibition corridor.

 

(For ‘Pop-Up Ausstellung, the common corridor space turns out to be an exhibition space for the period of time-based on the ideology of Lefebvre.)

The vision of producing space in a visual format from my experience of the urban environment, where I travelled. I read urban spaces as knowledge, and action as a theory and analysis. Based on that I applied a methodological process of immersion and detachment for the creation of a bird’s eye view drawing of Stuttgart on the wall. There is an intersection of the different spaces for producing unitary space in the visual format for the audience. It was a representation in form my experience and observation. The viewer also similarly experiences travelling and commuting via space which I have created in the wall drawings.

The Lefebvre text also explains their vivid modes for production of space spatialization, from natural space to absolute space which plays a more complex role. It also has significance in community aspects and expanse produced as a social space. Every communal space has a historical note known by its dialectical use in everyday practices and perceptions of consumerism or urbanism.  In my case, there is a process of metamorphosis regarding the common corridor space into an exhibition space.  This change of space is temporary and also creates a moment in the history of transformation in terms of capacity.  The wall drawing and corridor space have a playful engagement in particular, which can be accidental because of the abstract quality of the drawing. Similarly, there is an engagement between the corridor space’s elements, the wall drawing and the viewer. This playfulness is creating a critical aspect to establishing a relationship between the viewer and the wall drawing. This metamorphosis gives an ability to think creatively about the transformed things in the minds of the audiences. 

The transformation of the corridor into an exhibition area was fundamentally an exercise in how people perceived the space. It shows that the space is highly contingent upon how they are producing the space by their physical participation. Therefore, Lefebvre says that every space, hence every mode of production delivers space as per the people's perception as they participated in that space. 

 (Title: Untiled / Medium: Acrylic on Wall / Physical Dimension: 18ft x 13ft) [Right side of the work.]

The space is not the passive locus of social relationships. It is embedded in three vital fundamentals: physical, mental and social relations. All three fundamentals are inseparable. Understanding the space by physically analysing and implementing our ideology. The mental construct of the space drives us to be present in the physicality of the space.  The social relation is excited in the space. It was my sincere efforts to change that space’s physicality into an exhibition space for a short period and established the mental and social relations of the audience associated with it.

In the transformation of the corridor into an exhibition area; I perceived the whole process as the ‘Creating Space’.  Establish the relationship between the space and participating audience in the space.  Excerpt from the ‘PARTICIPATION SPACES’ by Taylor-Smith E., “Invented spaces are bottom-up in origin, while invited spaces are top-down: citizens are invited to participate in a space opened by an authority or institution. This often-cited conceptualisation encompasses issues around the initiation and control of participation. Further, participants’ perceptions of the space may form or inhibit their behaviour: [...]” (online, 2012) The text from the ‘PARTICIPATION SPACES’ justifies my situation. The corridor space was invented. As the citizens are invited to participate in a space; Similarly, I invited the art liking audience in the space, participated audience-initiated perception of the space as per my perseverance of the space; inhibit the behaviour and control the space. 

Artist: Rohit S Kale

Coverley M., 2018, Psychogeography. Harpenden, Harts, Oldcastle Books, pp. 120-121.

Debord G., 1983, Society of the Spectacle. Detroit, USA, Black and Red.

Emma Office Site, 2020, Celebrate Power of Ten 10/10/10 [online]. Available at: https://www.eamesoffice.com/blog/celebrate-powers-of-ten-day-101010-video/. [Accessed on 20th July 2020].

Farr I., 2012, Memory, London, Co-published by Whitechapel Gallery and The MIT Press 

Fs Blog, 2013. fs.blog.com, Thought and Opinion The Art Of Observation: The Two Types Of Observations [online].Available at: https://fs.blog/2013/04/the-art-of-observation/. [Accessed on 17th July 2020].

Lefebvre H; 2018, Frogcast, Philosophy: Atheist philosophers Philosophy: Continental philosophers, Philosophy: Marxist humanists, Philosophy: Social philosophers, [YouTube]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-jp2Hr2d1M&t=63s. [Accessed on: 25th June 2020]

Lefebvre H., 1991, The Production of Space. Victoria, Australia, Blackwell Publishing.

Lecture 1: The Urban Revolutions, 2017, Darling E. J., [YouTube]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Aph_ThRVfU. [Accessed on: 25th June 2020]

Lecture 2: The Production of Space, 2017, Darling E. J., [YouTube]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WnQYqtETKw, [Accessed on: 25th June 2020]

Taylor-Smith E; 2012, PARTICIPATION SPACES, Participation Space Studies, The 7th 2016 International Conference, Fourth international conference on eParticipation (ePart 2012). Kristiansand, Norway, September 2012, [online], Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/304918858_Non-public_eParticipation_in_Social_Media_Spaces, [Accessed on: 8th Aug  2022]

The Production od Space: Henri Lefebvre| Ani Meryl Paul | Department of Sociology, 2020, Paul M. A., [YouTube]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BH-p9H43AiA, [Accessed on: 24 July 2022]

Rohit S. Kale

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@ARTBLOGAZINE._2022

Art blogazine_Team _Delhi

The exhibition curated by senior art critic and curator Uma Nair presents 30 artworks of indigenous art of the Gonds.

 Press Release

1^st August – 20^th August, 2022

11am – 7 pm

 

AAKRITI ART GALLERY PRESENTS VAN KATHA

PADMA SHRI BHAJJU SHYAM 

Curator Uma Nair 

 

Aakriti Art Gallery presents a solo show Van Katha, of prolific Gond artist, Padma Shri Bhajju Shyam who initially worked as a watchman before becoming an apprentice to his uncle, the artist Jangarh Singh Shyam. Shyam nurtured his artistic talents by filling in the figures and patterns on his uncle’s canvases until he was ready to create his own works. These works have been created exclusively for this show at Aakriti Art Gallery in Kolkata.

Ref No. C1068  - Kaaga - Arylic on paper - 30 x 22 in  - 2017

The exhibition curated by senior art critic and curator Uma Nair presents 30 artworks of  indigenous art of the Gonds. Bhajju is an artist with an exceptional talent for unique narrative experimentation with forms and creates a definite statement of installing  traditional Gond art into a contemporary platform. The exhibition also features Gond art, in a series of stories that throb within the creatures of the forest. The 20 paintings on canvas and 10 works on paper displayed are unique expressions of Bhajju's mind and imagination and encapsulate the history and contemporary times of the regions. The artworks are significant for their historic and academic relevance as well as for their aesthetic value.

 

Curator Uma Nair says: "Bhajju's world of forest tales stems from traditionally-inspired narratives that have been passed through the ages, transforming simple subjects into sacred beings. Themes of tradition and simple beliefs… are clearly comprehended in all the works and sketches displayed. But through it all we glimpse a love of trees and nature. Bhajju is important for the many stories he tells as well as his finesse with creating Darwinian dialogues in Indian indigenous intuition. The birds, the horses, the swine, the elephant all throb in the rhythms of the forest. The show in many ways extols the truth of the great Hermann Hesse when he said: ' Trees are sanctuaries.'

 

The genre in this suite goes back to century old traditional knowledge which has been passed down generations. Requiring a distinct approach and understanding, often varying from the modern sensibility, indigenous art speaks a language that invites exploration and discovery in the simplicity of beliefs of the life cycle. The visual representation presents a refreshing lexicon of motifs, compositions and styles. The show opens on 30th July 2022 and runs till August 20th 2022.

Award winning artist Shyam’s work has been exhibited at galleries and museums around the world, including the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, Galleria Arteutopia, Milan and the Museum of London, London. Shyam has also published several books including the award winning book The London Jungle Book which was published in 2004 and translated into Italian, Dutch, French, Korean and Portuguese. Shyam was the first Gond artist to work with the St+art India Foundation, painting a mural in the Lodhi Art District, New Delhi. In 2018, Shyam was awarded the Padma Shri for his contributions to art.

 

Curator Uma Nair

 

An art critic for 32 years and a curator for two decades, Uma Nair has a special connection with artists from the Bengal School. She discovered Paresh Maity, Sanjay Bhattacharya and Sudip Roy in the 1990s. She wrote the first book Paresh Maity at 25 years in 2005.She has curated a number of solo exhibitions of these artists.

Her major work with Bengal School artists has been select retrospectives of Gopal Ghose (2015 Kumar Gallery), Jamini Roy (2016 Dhoomimal Gallery), Prodosh Dasgupta ( 2020 Akar Prakar ). She curates solo show after following an artist for at least ten years. Her next show is Muzaffar Ali's 50 year retrospective at Bikaner house in Delhi January 2023.

 

For more details about the show, please get in touch with Komal Jaiswal at artshop@aakritiartgallery.com / +91 9830411116. The show can also be viewed at www.aakritiartgallery.com

Aakriti Art Gallery

Orbit Enclave, 1st Floor

12/3A, Hungerford Street

Kolkata – 700 017

Phone: +91 33 22893027/5041

( Sunday Closed )