Press Release : "Eclectics" - selecting what appears to be best in various methods and styles from diverse areas.

Carpe Diem is pleased to host a group of very unique artists from across the Indian subcontinent whose work could be aptly be described by the title - "Eclectics" - selecting what appears to be best in various methods and styles from diverse areas. The exhibition will open on 26th November '16 and continue till 8th December '16. With styles varying from photography and print techniques to metal and ceramic art, this exhibition promises to appeal to a wide audience and raise the bar on group art shows in Goa..It is our pleasure to bring to Goa a very “eclectic” group of artists from across the Indian sub-continent onto a single platform through this exhibition.

Tathi Premchand, Gallery Director Daegal Godinho and Raj Bhandare at Carpe Diem Gallery- Goa

Jayant B. Joshi, an acclaimed artist whose musical background, attention to nuances of the abstract and fascination with intellectual minds causes him to challenge, question and constantly recreate his understanding of himself and all around him. His paintings speak of depth, fusion of the sharp and blurred, texture, and bring out in the viewer mixed emotions arising from the muted shades of rust and blue.

Durga Kainthola has the rare ability to scale her artwork from miniatures to grand scales, 2D to 3D, from linear timelines to capturing the sense of an eternal moment where time itself stops. Her keen observation of the popular in today’s world juxtaposes itself with challenging notions of what should be. Her artwork forces the viewer to reconsider their opinions on beliefs created and taken for granted through the subtle and harsh visuals they are subjected to in everyday life. Through her work she challenges our preconceived notions of beauty and the value of women in our society.

Farzana Ahmed Urmi crosses over the international border from Bangladesh to be part of this exhibition. Her work is extremely bold with lines and layers showing off her confidence even when she chooses to portray the human face in manners that common standards of beauty adhere to. With an emphasis on the feel and texture of these forms, Farzana brings in elements of the abstract and plays with multiple hues within a limited choice of colours. Her more abstract works on the other hand have seemingly endless possible forms lurking in the background leaving a lot to the imagination of the viewer.

Tathi Premchand presents us with a series of drawings that highlight an intricate web between the dot and the line. And in some cases the influence of colour on a black and white drawings. With seemingly simple lines he creates patterns and forms that when viewed from afar create visual associations to the familiar and yet forces one to redefine the meaning we give to it. Tathi explores “space” in the broader infinite sense of space itself to the confines of thought processes racing through one’s mind. The intensity of ink in some places contrasts greatly with the emptiness around and as the eye moves from one point to the next, size, space and form and scale take on new meaning.

Raj Bhandare’s statement as an artist speaks of the need to transcend the urge to acquire and enjoy and instead to create and revel in moments of joy and peace. His works therefore aim to uplift the viewer with light visualizations of familiar forms etched on copper plates. Common subjects such as the animals seen as sacred to intimate interactions between two human beings become subject matter for thought, reflection and entertainment.

Monika Bijlani works with layers, textures and patterns. In these, she finds comfort, stability, depth and complexity. Her work almost always has elements of lines layered with detailed patterns and colour. As she aptly describes it, there is an accomplishment in a line which starts at one point and completes itself at another without being interrupted. And with the use of a free less controlled wash of colour, the unpredictability of life is captured on canvas. In the artist’s words… “and when the details become too overwhelming, to lend relief by an unstructured flow of colour or form.. to add rough seemingly hastily done patches to an otherwise well planned finely detailed work. Isn’t this what life is all about …”

Srabani Sarkar brings to the mix a different print form of art – the woodcut. She believes that the choice of medium helps concretise something more fictional into a reality of sorts. With a keen eye and ear on current affairs and on critical social issues, she aims to capture themes of inner strength, justice to women and more. Imagery suggestive of power and toughness take centre stage and the use of wood textures serves to enhance the final visual experience.

Srabani Sarkar at Studio Kolkata

Vijaya Chauhan pushes the visual experience to join hands with the other senses such as touch . With a deliberate effort to allow even the visually impaired to discover, feel and enjoy emotions that art can bring, Vijaya uses multiple media such as terracotta, steel, and wood to create an experience that transcends how most people assimilate information. The influence of communication formats such as Braille can be felt in her art and hence appropriately her work often has titles such as “silent words” and “unread sentences”

Recent work by Vijaya

Pratik Bakshi describes his art emerging out of absolute need. His works are often not focused on a particular subject as he attempts to draw from a state that does not allow him to consciously focus on a concept or emotion and its expression. He creates a narrative by expressing composite forms with animal-human conditioning. Sexuality is a source of inspiration with symbols like the tail and phallus echoing the cyclic mystery of life. Use of charcoal, balanced with little forms and areas of colour allow for the viewer to interpret his art in a more subjective manner.

In our efforts to showcase and promote art at a more national and international level, Carpe Diem Art Gallery - Majorda Goa is therefore extremely proud to be hosting this exhibition and promises to keep and even raise the standard of art events in and around Goa. We hope that you, our esteemed client and viewer will be impressed and support the artist and gallery in this endeavour.

This show is conceptualised by Raj Bhandare and Curated by Carpe Diem with Tathi Premchand

All copyright / Carpe Diem Art Gallery -2016

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In our endeavour to bring you a whole range of programming, Rhapsody in Blue, Laxman Shreshtha and all that Jazz, is a musical evening that seeks to establish the connections between different art forms and how each has enriched the other. The event on the 8th of November 2016, gives us an alternate perspective on the current exhibition at the Nicholson Gallery - Laxman Shreshtha: The Infinite Project. 

As the Curator of the exhibition Ranjit Hoskote puts it, "Musicality plays a fundamental, even formative role in Shreshtha’s idiom. Often, as he paints, Shreshtha weaves the intricate rhythms of the Baroque or of Jazz in his mind’s ear." 

Join us at 6 pm on the 8th of November 2016, as Cyril Coutinho's saxophone picks out the musical notes and the silence in Laxman Shreshtha's work.

Tea will be served at 5.30 pm.

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G.R. Iranna (Iranna Rukumpur)

1970 Born in Sindgi, District Bijapur, Karnataka

Artist lives and works in New Delhi

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H.No. 81/2,

Godinho House,

Gomes Waddo,

Majorda Goa

Tuesday - Sunday, 10 am - 7 pm.

Mondays Closed.

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Museum of Goa

Plot No. 79, Pilerne Industrial Estate,

Pilerne, Bardez,

Goa – 403511

07722089666

mail@museumofgoa.com

www.facebook.com/museumofgoa

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National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai was opened to the public in 1996. It hosts various exhibitions and art collections of famous artists, sculptors and different civilisations. It is located near Regal Cinema in Colaba. Wikipedia

Address: Sir Cowasji Jahangir Public Hall, M G Road, Fort, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400032

Hours: Closed today 

Phone: 022 2288 1969

Nissar Allana's Talk on 8th Oct 2016 at NGMA, Mumbai

One of the most important aspects of Ebrahim Alkazi's work in the theatre, is the emphasis he laid on the setting for his plays. This was an aspect of modern Indian theatre that was in the germinal stage, as there had been practically no training in the field of set design in India post Independence. Set Design for Alkazi was also very important, because he stressed that the importance of set design in theatre as an integration of all the arts, and therefore theatre was not just about the performer. Set design, lighting, costume design and music were as integral to a play as was the actor, and in fact these other elements, drawn from the other arts, facilitated the actor in his expression of the play and in interpreting his role as a character in a play.

Alkazi was greatly influence bu the Swiss Theatre designer and architect Adolphe Appia, whose theories on scenography were to change the course of European theatre at the turn of the 20th century. Alkazi interpreted Appia's concepts of theatre and adapted these ideas to his own work. The theatres Alkazi designed, played an important part of the stage design, because these theatres provided a new possibility for integrating stage design with the action of the plays.

Essentially Alkazi's stage designs could be categorized formally into different styles that he used in his designs, and the talk analyzes these ideas.

For Press Listing

Please find details for the upcoming talk:

Name of the talk: Alkazi Designs The Stage – An Illustrated Talk by Nissar Allana on the Scenography of E. Alkazi

Date: 8^th October, 2016

Time: 6 pm

Venue: National Gallery of Modern Art, Sir Cowasji Jehangir Public Hall, M.G Road, Fort, Mumbai.

Pradeep Nerurkar- RIP

Before I became firm on my advent into Nature and finding ‘Self’, I was not completely convinced of completeness of my paintings. I felt there was still a void in completely being one with nature or Self and that was the realisation that, if I extract my inspiration and themes of painting from nature then why should the medium be artificial? So, it would be the best to use natural medium instead of artificial ones. With this thought I explored the natural mediums for painting and ultimately decided to adopt naturally processed Cotton matt, a pure white and unsullied fiber, as a medium of expression; may be using Cotton matt was nature’s signal to me to dot on it.  

Divine Humanity: Paintings by Sujata Achrekar at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, from Oct 11 2016 to Oct 17 2016.

Divine Humanity- Paintings by Sujata Achrekar.

Hindu culture has always attracted the attention of intellectuals from various fields. It is vast and has various perspectives. Every perspective has an image or a metaphoric representation. Fine art of India is rich due to allegories from our mythology and folk tales. Painting artist Sujata touches upon one of the most complicated theme- the divine descent on earth or in simple words- Manifestation of God on this earth. We, modern Indians find it difficult to believe that God takes birth on earth in mortal form and lives the life full of challenges along with us and at the same time works to rescue us from evil and problems. Is this topic significant to a common man? Can a common man try and attain divinity?

We see in this series every form or Avtāra, right from the very first Matsyavtāra to Shri Krishna the ninth form. She has worked only on incarnation of Lord Vishnu. But in all we have 25 incarnations that are important part Hinduism and Indian culture. Sufism, Buddhist scriptures, Jainism also preaches and states about manifestations. This would make series voluminous. So, as an inspiration a few selected manifestations of God are presented in this series. 

The reason to ponder Avtāra is the grave situation that the world is facing. The tenth Avtāra Kālki is expected to arise in this age (a fierce form of death riding upon a white horse) and is supposed to destroy all evil and save the world. Right from Satjug (Satya-truth, yug-age) till today Kaljug, God has manifested himself in one or the other form, not necessarily in the form of human being alone. Animal forms, like the Matsyavtāra (fish) or Varah (Bore) or Hamsa (Swan) or animal-human Narshinmhā (Lion headed human) are also the manifestation of God in different periods.

The question arises, that if God is so powerful and can alter the world according to his will and can avoid descending on earth, then why does he need to acquire immortal body and make a subtle presence on earth from time to time? Every age has different story, and every avtāra of that particular period has a very interesting reason.

Speaking about the present age, we are the eye-witness to the fearful and dangerous situation cropping up every day, this makes future of the earth dark. No scientific progress or technology will give a correct solution to these critical problems. So, the probable incarnation Kālki cannot be rejected as unreasonable thought. By presenting all nine forms, Sujata also presents her thought on this near-future fact of having such divine presence on this earth, who would rescue world from deluge and evil. Her paintings can be taken as an inspiration to this positive thought.

Her thinking is not based on heard and read philosophy of enlightenment. Sujata herself is a staunch believer and strictly follows all the good practices that would lead to enlightenment. She frankly confesses that it is easy to listen and understand to philosophy preached in Indian culture but it is very difficult to adopt and comprehend. Our life is full of Māyā (delusion) and it is not possible to spend our life purely to help others free from evil and injustice, so the self-love and selfish desires are bound to restrict our actions. This self-love and desires have to be overcome to gain true knowledge and be live Supreme power, attain self-consciousness. The paintings do not only reveal the power of manifested God, but represent the state of consciousness that is possible to attain with practice and dedication.  She is hopeful of this tenth incarnation because she observes that like her there are many people who practice virtuous lifestyle to attain highest spiritual knowledge. Practice makes the man perfect, attaining highest knowledge is also possible.

Viewing this series from purely artistic point of view also becomes an interesting affair. It is very fascinating to view this series as it has all the qualities and techniques of Indian miniature paintings. Sujata loves Indian miniature painting. The theme itself is based on ancient Indian allegories. The pale colours are highlighted by the darker shades. Mostly we find blue, grey or green colour images. Blue is prominent colour supported with grey, black and other basic colours. The background of bold images of human images are filled with Avtāras and the scripts depicting ancient Indian scriptures and it gives a mythological effect to the paintings.

Art lovers and people genuinely interested in Indian mythology and culture should must watch this show for cleansing their own souls and to get inspired to tread the path of divinity.

As told to Pankaja JK. 

Laxman Shreshtha: The Infinite Project, on the 14th of October, 2016 at the Jehangir Nicholson Gallery, CSMVS.

We are delighted to welcome you to the 2nd phase of the exhibition Laxman Shreshtha: The Infinite Project, on the 14th of October, 2016 at the Jehangir Nicholson Gallery, CSMVS.

The Curator, Ranjit Hoskote will walk us through the exhibition that celebrates work by the artist from the 90's and after. This second phase of the retrospective on one of India's most accomplished abstractionists, draws on the substantial range of of Shreshthas in the JNAF collection and features work that the Foundation has recently acquired.     

Please join us on the 14th of October at 6pm. Tea will be served at 5.30 pm.