My Paintings gain life after their sale; else they lie dead in my studio- Tathi Premchand

6AM Drawings display at Flag March show- Art gate gallery-Mumbai 2013

My Paintings gain life after their sale; else they lie dead in my studio.

My paintings are not showpieces. You cannot decorate your drawing room to make it look beautiful, but you can decorate your mind with it to make your body beautiful.

Most of my time is spent in traveling by local trains in Mumbai. I prefer it to any other mode of traveling. It is the institute for me. Thousands of minds brush with each other every single moment. People have their own news, views, opinions, reactions, sometimes resulting in mass appeal. I can view the emotional and practical reaction of the fellow citizens by interacting with them and I think they are all creative minds and provide lot of essence to my creation. I see a person trading in vegetables or scraps has more perfect knowledge of economics and politics of the world. He doesn't need a degree or big fat books to update his knowledge; the everyday struggle is guide for him. That's something different which you find only in local trains. It also represents mini India with its clashes and unity projected from time to time. People converse and argue as if discussing the issue in the world conference.

6 AM Drawing recent work by Tathi Premchand 2013

Variation is but natural in my paintings. Just as Heraclitus had rightly said, ‘It is not possible to step twice in the same river.’ My paintings too are most spontaneous expressions rather than well planned process so you will always find variety in the work. Every work has different appeal and presentation method, setting different moods with use of topic relevant colors, forms and style. Painting is not just passion for me; it is a part of my life. I paint when I get stimulated to do so. There are times when for days together I do not paint at all.

I gradually was introduced to Galileo, Heraclitus, Osho, Mirza Galib, Kabir, and Lao Tuz and their lives. Their philosophies have greater impact on my work and my self being. Pablo Picasso is great artist; I worked as a volunteer for one month in NGMA, Mumbai because of passion for Pablo Picasso, during his paintings exhibition, just to be close to his art work. Though his work has good impact on my life, but it does not influence my work. I cannot even follow foot step of my own work. I am going to be a part of 2008 BNHS Greenscape-2 Art Auction by Pheroza Godrej. I am also part of the group show by Harmony Art Foundation 2008 and many things more. Life is full of works!

The artist lives and works in Mumbai  (write up first time published 2005 online)

Raw, real and absolutely overt. The mere sight of his work is like an experience of the real city that is Mumbai

His art reflects the inner soul of Mumbai. The city is his greatest inspiration, he says. And it is truly remarkable how artist Raj More captures the details of every element of both, crude and sophisticated Mumbai in his works. An interesting thing about his art is that anyone could relate to it. His work speaks the parlance of diversity. He builds connects with people from all walks of life and translates them on to the canvas.

His love affair with the city began after he moved to Mumbai a few years ago. He says he loves to explore the city  and this reflects in his work. ‘Every urban city in the world has a soul of its own and talks to you,that’s why I always express this as the language of my work, ‘Raj says

Artist: Raj More

Raj More live and  work in Mumbai. After his graduating from Sir J. J School of  Arts, Mumbai. He started working in the field of visual art.he have been doing only painting and dedicated his life solely to Visual Art. He  have exhibited his  work international in India, Korea and Europe.

He win  the National Academy Award for 54^th National Exhibition of Art  organized by Lalit kala   Academy, New Delhi 2012 and also he is a winner of 2010 Asia Art Award & Excellence prize Present by EM Art Gallery, Seoul, Korea 2010.His work is displayed in all international Art fair, UAF Fair (India), Korean Art Fair ( Seoul,Korea), Bussan Art Fair (Korea) and Dubai art Fair ( Dubai).

His ’Dimensions in time & space ‘solo show curated by Mr. Ebrahim Alkazi at Art Heritage Gallery, New Delhi 2010.Renowned Curator & galleries Peter Nagy( Natur  Morte)  display his work on his curated  United Art Fair 2th edition in Delhi,2013.His work also present by Palette Art gallery ,New Delhi. International  Curator Michal Matej presents a solo show at Fine Art Gallery,Bratislava.Slovak Republic,EU-2010.The city of Mumbai has kept him alive with its fascinating sights & sounds in his work..

The award-winning artist talks about how he likes metaphorical depictions. His protagonist, the crow, represents the common man.The city and its many elements, mainly vehicles and animals, determine his work. He also talks about how the ‘’Bull’’in his works represents the power of the city, creating a vast gap between the rich and the poor. The animals in his works are not just seen as they are,but have a deep-rooted connection that goes beyond just the painted picture. They equate to humans with powerful emotions. ‘I belong to middle class family and my connection arises from there. The concept keeps me going with its fascinating sights and sounds’’, he adds.

His latest series quest is all about Mumbai beings the melting pot of dreams and the crow being symbolic of a commoner with high aspirations, establishing his identity in the never-ending chaos of Mumbai City


Report courtesy Nitalia Pagare( Good Home -Time of India) 2013-14

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पाहून रंगवण्याऐवजी रंगवून पाहिलं!

खरं म्हणजे, दृश्य प्रवासात पुढे, मागे, वर, खाली असं काही नसतंच. असतो फक्त स्वानुभव, प्रवाशाला समृद्ध करणारा आणि तो मला अनुभवता आला, पळशीकरसरांच्या सान्निध्यात असताना, जीवनात आलेल्या वळणामुळे!.. आयुष्यातल्या वळणाला उजाळा देत आहेत, प्रसिद्ध चित्रकार प्रभाकर कोलते...

वळणं तर आयुष्यात अनेक आली, काही मी स्वत:च घेतली. त्यातल्या काहींनी जीवनाला वळण लावलं तर, काही वळणांना मी माझ्या मनाप्रमाणे आळवलं, वळवलं. काही वळणांनी आकार दिला, अर्थ दिला. परंतु एका अकस्मात वळणाने मला माझ्यातच गुंतवलं. मला माझी ओळख करून दिली. माझीच माझ्याशी भेट घालून दिली, कायमची. 'वळणावर आंब्याचे झाड एक रसाळले' असं म्हणण्यासारखा दृक- रसज्ञतेचा दृष्टांत ह्या संबंधित वळणाने मला दिला, जो उत्तरोत्तर गुणावत गेला आणि मला समाधान देणारा ठरला.

................

जे. जे. कलाशाळेतील अंतिम वर्षातले झपाट्याने सरत जाणारे दिवस. एक पाऊल शाळेत, तर दुसरं बाहेर अशी दुभंगलेली मन:स्थिती. अंतिम परीक्षेपूर्वीची परीक्षा म्हणजे वार्षिक प्रदर्शन, ते तोंडावर आलेले. प्रत्येकाच्या देहबोलीतून बोलणारा आंतरिक तणाव. सगळे गुप्तपणे आपापल्या कला-कर्मात रत. आपल्याच उजव्या हाताचे डाव्या हाताला कळू न देण्याचे प्रत्येकाचे धोरण, मग इतर कोण काय करतो हे कळणे म्हणजे चक्रव्यूह भेदण्यासारखेच!

कोणाला गोल्ड-मेडल मिळणार याचे अंदाज दही-हंडीच्या थरासारखे बांधले जात आणि झपाट्याने कोसळत. माझेही नाव त्या थरात असल्याचं कानावर येई आणि मनात दिवसा उजेडी कारंजी फुटत. मग म्हणता म्हणता वार्षिकोत्सवाचा पहिला दिवस उजाडला.

काशिनाथ साळवेला गोल्ड, मला सिल्वर घोषित झालं. गोल्ड नंतरच्या दु:खापेक्षा ब्राँझ आधीचा आनंद गो(ल)ड मानून घेतला. दिवस उलटत गेले तसतसा आनंदही अस्ताला गेला आणि अस्मादिक पुन्हा सत्यसृष्टीत आले.

मनात विचार आला, काय झालं असतं गोल्ड मिळालं असतं तर आणि काय होणार आहे सिल्वर मिळालं म्हणून! आतून उत्तर येण्याइतकं शहाणपण तेव्हा आलं नव्हतं, म्हणून मग गप्प राहून जे समोर येईल ते स्वीकारण्याशिवाय गत्यंतर नव्हतं. मला न शोभणारा संयम माझ्यात कुठून आला कोण जाणे? कुठून का होईना, पण तो आला. मी चक्क निर्ढावलो आणि शांत झालो.

( Work on display. Images for illustrative purposes only)

साळवे आणि मी घनिष्ट मित्र होतो. त्यामुळे एकमेकाला हसत-खेळत सामोरे जात पदरी पडलेलं यश आम्ही पचवलं.

...आणि ते, आयुष्याला सुखाने उल्हसित करणारं, दु:खाने गुदमरवून टाकणारं, भविष्यातल्या आव्हानांनी चेतवणारं आणि भूतकाळातल्या वेदनांनी चित्कारायला लावणारं वळण अंगावर आलं. कसलीही आगाऊ सूचना न देता.

ज्या दिवशी मी शाळेत गेलो नव्हतो, त्याच दिवशी केमोल्ड गॅलरीचे केकू गांधी प्रदर्शन पाहायला आले. त्यांनी माझं पेंटिग विकत घेतलं. वार्षिक प्रदर्शनातून चित्र विकलं जाण्याची ही पहिलीच घटना असं म्हटलं गेलं. तशी ती असो-नसो, माझ्या खिशात पैसे पडणार होते; हे तेव्हाच्या परिस्थितीत फार महत्वाचं होतं माझ्यासाठी. परंतु ह्या घटनेचा मला मागमूसही नव्हता. दुसऱ्या दिवशी शाळेत गेलो. मित्रांनी कल्लोळ केला, 'पार्टी दे, तुझं चित्र विकलं गेलं.' मला खरंच वाटेना. वाटलं मित्र थट्टा करताहेत. तर म्हणाले- 'पळशीकरसरांना विचार.' गेलो सरांकडे. त्यांनीही तेच सांगितलं. तरीही खरं वाटेना. मनात आलं, सरही ह्या थट्टेत सामील झाले असावेत. म्हणाले- 'अरे केकुने तुला गॅलरीत बोलावलं आहे, जा, जाऊन ये.' गंभीर प्रकृतीचे सर अशी थट्टा करणं अशक्य अशी मनाची समजूत काढत केकूना भेटायला त्यांच्या गॅलरीत गेलो.

फेब्रुवारी, सन १९६८. दुपारचे तीन वाजले होते. केकू त्यांच्या खुर्चीत, मी त्यांच्यासमोर उभा. माझी ओळख दिली. त्यांनी लगेच २५० रुपयांचा चेक माझ्या हातात देताच मी दिवास्वप्नात विरघळत गेलो. सिल्वर मेडलचं विष अमृत होऊन अंगभर पसरलं. मी ढगात होतो. खाली उतरायची बिलकूल इच्छा नव्हती. तेवढ्यात केकूंचा आवाज कानी पडला- 'कोलते, वुई वुड लाइक टू शो युवर वर्क इन अवर गॅलरी, इन कमिंग मंथ ऑफ मे, विल यू बी इंटरेस्टेड?'

चित्रकार मागतो एक डोळा, गॅलरी देते दोन. चेक, वर एक्झिबिशन! अशी माझी गत झाली. काय उत्तर द्यावं कळेना. म्हटलं, विचार करून सांगतो आणि तिथून बाहेर पडलो. तडक सरांकडे निघालो.

वर्षभरापूर्वी नाटकात काम करण्याच्या, तसंच इतर कलांमध्ये भाग घेण्याच्या माझ्या अतिउत्साहावर कठोर शब्दांत टीका करत सरांनी मला केवळ पेंटिंगच्या दिशेने वळवलं होतं. त्यावेळच्या त्यांच्या निखळ स्पष्टवक्तेपणाचा अनुभव स्मरणात कायम ताजा राहील असाच होता. आणि आता त्यांना अपेक्षित असलेल्या दिशेनेच इतक्या वेगाने व्यावसायिक यश, न मागता, कुठलेही प्रयत्न न करता हाताशी आल्याने मी त्यांच्या दूरदृष्टीचं मनात मनसोक्त कौतुक करत, परत पाऊली शाळेच्या दिशेने निघालो.

सर स्टाफ-रूममध्ये पुस्तक वाचत बसले होते. त्यांना पाहताच माझ्या उत्साहाला निराशेपूर्वीचं उधाण आलं असावं. मी आयुष्यात पहिल्यांदा त्यांच्या पायांना स्पर्श करून त्यांना नमस्कार केला आणि एका दमात केकू-भेटीचा वृतांत कथन करून त्यांच्या प्रतिक्रियेची वाट पाहू लागलो. माझ्या डोळ्यांतून आतुरता भरभरून ओसंडत होती आणि सरही तितक्याच तीव्रतेने गंभीर होत चाललेले दिसत होते. ते काहीच बोलण्याच्या मन:स्थितीत नव्हते आणि मीही त्यांच्याकडून काहीच न ऐकण्याच्या मन:स्थितीत नव्हतो. मला जाणवलं की हीच माझ्या आयुष्यातली आणीबाणीची आणि महत्वाची वेळ आहे आणि सरांच्या सल्ल्याशिवाय ती निसटून जाऊ द्यायची नाही. अशा स्थितीत किती वेळ गेला कळलंच नाही आणि अचानक मी सराना म्हटलं, 'सर तुमच्या सल्ल्याशिवाय मी कोणताही निर्णय घेणार नाही, तेव्हा प्लीज, मला सांगा मी काय उत्तर देऊ केकूना.' तरीही सर गप्पच. सरांच्या ह्या अकल्पित पॉजमुळे माझ्या मनात शंका-कुशंकांचं मोहोळ उठलं. सराना आनंद झाला नाही का?, की सरांचा माझ्यावरचा राग अजूनही शिल्लक आहे? की केमोल्डसारख्या गॅलराने मला शोची ऑफर दिली, हे सरांना आवडलं नाही? विद्यार्थी दशेत असतानाच कुणाला मिळाली आहे अशी संधी? कुठून अवदसा आठवली आणि सरांना सल्ला विचारायला आलो... असे बरेचसे अरबट चरबट कल्पनांचे खेळ डोक्यात सुरु असतानाच सर जागेवरून उठले आण‌ि म्हणाले- 'प्रभाकर, प्रदर्शन म्हणजे आपल्या प्रतिभेचं दर्शन आणि त्यातही ते पहिलंच असेल तर, ते धाडसापेक्षा जबाबदारीचं काम आहे. 'फस्ट इम्प्रेशन इज द लास्ट इम्प्रेशन.' तेंव्हा मी काय म्हणतो ते लक्ष देऊन ऐक आणि मग तुझा तू निर्णय घे.'

ते पुढे म्हणाले 'सांग बरं, तुझं चित्र सापडलंय तुला? तुझ्या चित्रांतून तू थोडासा आणि इतरच अधिक दिसतात- सामंत, हुसेन, रझा, पळशीकर, गायतोंडे, पॉल क्ले. तुझ्या चित्रात तू कुठे आणि किती आहेस हे आधी तू जोखावंस आणि मग ठरवावंस. जा, विचार करून निर्णय घे. घाई करू नकोस. चुकीच्या पायावर उभी राहिलेली इमारत कोसळायला वेळ लागत नाही.'

म्हणजे जबाबदारीचं काम थोडंसं हलकं करण्याऐवजी माझा माझ्यातच कडेलोट करून सर निघून गेले, मला एकटं सोडून. मी निराश झालो खरा, पण सरांनी मला विचार करायला भाग पाडलं. माझा पुरता गोंधळ उडाला.

नंतरचे मोजून आठ दिवस शाळेतच गेलो नाही. दररोज माझी सगळी चित्र पोर्टफोलियोतून काढून जमिनीवर मांडायचो. कधी ती उलटी-सुलटी ठेवून, तर कधी एक एक करून पाहायचो. त्यावरल्या प्रभावांचं मनाशी विश्लेषण करायचो. हे असं सातत्याने केल्यामुळे सरांचं म्हणणं हळूहळू मनात रिघायला लागलं. खरंच, चित्र आहेत, पण मी कुठे आहे त्यात, शिवाय किती आहे. कसं ओळखायचं स्वत:ला. काही कळायचं नाही. काय आहेत या शोधाचे निकष, ज्यांचे प्रभाव जाणवतात त्या चित्रकारांची चित्रे त्यांचीच वाटतात, ती कशामुळे इ.इ. प्रश्न मनात यायचे. त्या अथक प्रयासात डोकं, मन, बुद्धी, त्या अलीकडचे आणि पलीकडचे सारे दिगंत बधीर झाले. अत्यंत निराश झालो. हाती काही आलं नसलं तरी आपण चुकीचा मार्ग निवडला आहे, असं चुकूनही वाटलं नाही, ही त्या शोधातली जमेची बाजू. दरम्यान, जे मनापासून आवडतं तेच तू करतो आहेस, असं माझं मन मला सांगत राहिलं. मग त्या आवडीवरच लक्ष केंद्रित करून चिंतन करू लागलो आणि मनात प्रत्यन्तराची वीज चमकून गेली. वाटलं जे माझं होतं, ते माझ्यातच हरवलं होतं आणि मी ते बाहेर शोधत होतो. अभ्यास आणि व्यासंग यांमधील नातं आणि परस्परविरोधी दिशा लक्षात आल्या.

......

बरेच दिवस चित्रासंबंधी काहीच केलं नाही. त्याऐवजी गोनीदांची 'कुणा एकाची भ्रमणगाथा', पु. शि. रेगे यांची 'सावित्री', 'पुष्कळा' ही पुस्तकं वाचली. सिनेमे पाहिले. सोबत संगीत होतंच. मनावर कुठलंही ओझं न घेता मुंबईतच भरपूर प्रवास केला. थोडक्यात चित्र सोडून इतर सर्व काही केलं. आम्ही एक लॉन्ड्री चालवायला घेतली होती. तिथे बसू लागलो. त्यामुळे लोकांशी, कपड्यांशी संपर्क घडला, जो माझ्यासाठी नवा होता. त्यातून माझ्या चित्रात काय येणार होतं, माहीत नव्हतं. सगळं जगणं निश्चित-अनिश्चित नि विक्षिप्त होत चाललं होतं, परंतु मी स्वत:च्या आणि माझ्या चित्राच्या जवळ येत असल्याची आंतरिक जाणीव स्पष्ट होत होती.

ही आनंद व्यक्त करण्याची नव्हे, तर स्वत:ची परीक्षा घेण्याची वेळ होती हे लक्षात आलं आणि मी परीक्षेला बसलो. मीच परीक्षार्थी आणि मीच परीक्षक. शाळेत जे-जे शिकलो त्याचं मर्म लक्षात ठेऊन बाकीचं सर्व स्मृतीतून पुसून टाकण्याचा प्रयत्न चित्रातून जारी ठेवला, कारण तो निव्वळ अभ्यास होता. दिसणं, पाहणं, निरखणं आणि दृष्टीपटलावर बिम्बवणं ह्यातला मुलभूत भेद स्पष्ट करणारा. चित्राचे घटक आणि त्यांचं सृष्टीतल्या अनेकविध रूपांशी असणारं अंतस्थ, अदृश्य नातं सांगणारा. केवळ वरवरची वस्तुनिष्ठ यंत्रवत्, तांत्रिक कारागिरी आणखी सुधारून मला चित्रांतून मांडायची नव्हती. तर त्या अभ्यासाच्या जोरावर मनातल्या दृश्याविषयीच्या अदृश्य विचाराला त्यातल्या निखळ अनुबंधाला उत्स्फूर्तपणे आणि सहजपणे व्यक्त करायचं होतं. आशयाला रूप द्यायचं होतं. अनोळखी अनुभवांना ओळख देण्याची दुर्दम्य इच्छा होती. दृष्टीआड लपलेल्या सृष्टीला साकारणं हाच माझ्या सृजन-क्रियेचा केंद्रबिंदू आहे, हे तीव्रतेनं जाणवत होतं आणि म्हणूनच 'पाहून रंगवण्या ऐवजी, रंगवून पाहण्याची' जिगीषा मी अनुभवू इच्छित होतो. ह्या तीव्र इच्छेनेच मला एका अद्भुत वळणावर आणून उभं केलं होतं.

मला माझं चित्र सापडलं होतं, कारण मला मी सापडलो होतो. १९६८ साली शो-ची ऑफर देणाऱ्या केकूनी मला पुन्हा १९७८ साली विचारलं, त्यावेळीही मी त्यांना नकार दिला. कारण मी माझ्या 'फस्ट इम्प्रेशन' बद्दल अधिक जागरूक आणि जबाबदार झालो होतो. १९८३ साली मात्र मी माझं पहिलंवहिलं प्रदर्शन त्यांच्याच गॅलरीमध्ये भरवलं आणि कलाजगताने त्याचं स्वागत केलं. मला घडविणाऱ्या पळशीकरसरांनीच प्रदर्शनाचं उद्घाटन केलं. खरंच माझ्या सरांनी त्या वेळी परखड उपदेश केला नसता, तर मी आज कुठे असतो? त्यांनी दाखवलेल्या मार्गावरून चाललो नसतो, तर माझ्या वैचारिक प्रवासाचं काय झालं असतं? मला माहीत आहे, मी असूनही नसतोच.

असं हे मूलभूत वळण घेऊन मी आता खूप पुढे निघून आलो आहे. खरं म्हणजे, दृश्य प्रवासात पुढे, मागे, वर, खाली असं काही नसतं. असतो फक्त स्वानुभव, प्रवाशाला समृद्ध करणारा. तो मला अनुभवता आला, सरांच्या सान्निध्यात, जीवनात आलेल्या वळणामुळे! 
(Report courtesy महाराष्ट्र टाइम्स) Feb 2, 2014, 12.00AM

THE TARA TRUST ART AUCTION 2014

PREVIEW SHOW:

Inauguration: 28th February – Friday – 5:00 PM IST

Preview Show Venue: Kala Academy, Campal, Panjim, Goa

Preview Show Dates: 28th February to 3rd March – 10:00 AM IST to 7:00 PM IST

AUCTION:

Inauguration: 8th March 2014 by the Governor of Goa, H.E. Shri Bharat Vir Wanchoo

Auction Venue: Goa Marriott Resort & Spa, Miramar, Goa

Auction Date: 8th March 2014 – Saturday – 6:30 PM IST to 10:30 PM IST

The Tara Trust Art Auction is planned and conceived as a Charity Fundraiser to enable Tara Trust raise funds for their free weekly art workshops for underprivileged Children in Goa and various other parts of India.

ART HEALS

With this motto in mind and through this event, Tara Trust wants to raise awareness amongst the Art Community, Artist Groups and Philanthropists in order to garner support for their work.

Around 60 artists from Goa and other parts of India have donated their works to the trust, either as a 100% donation or on a 50%-50% share, to help the trust collect funds for their free art workshops.

Subodh Kerkar, one of Goa’s famous artists, along with Dr. Katharina Poggendorf-Kakar, Founder-Director of Tara Trust, who is an artist, activist, writer herself, shall be curating the show. Mr. Angira Arya, one of India’s best auctioneers is conducting the show, and also bringing rare works of art from famous artists like Francis Newton Souza, S. H. Raza, Jamini Roy, M.F. Husain for the auction. Some of the works that shall be put on auction have never been seen in Goa before, as it is their endeavor to also promote the arts and artists through this charity event.

This initiative is being conceptualized with its sponsors and partners, to make it into an annual event engaging India's artist community to the overall mission of the organization.

Their main event sponsor; Goa Marriott Resort & Spa, is hosting and sponsoring the complete event, along with the beverage partner, ABSOLUT. Tara Trust, Opposite Holy Trinity Church, San Joao Holiday Homes, Mazilwaddo, Benaulim, - 403716, Goa, India +91 8322770233 Icontact@taratrustindia.com  www.taratrustindia.com

Kala Academy Goa has sponsored the preview Exhibition of the works at their gallery space for 4 (four) days prior to the main auction event, for public viewing.

Pragati Offset, Hyderabad, has sponsored the printing of the catalogues for distribution to the buyers.

The work of fundraising post the main event will be continued by our partners Start Up Goa, which is a fantastic Goa based platform, working with us to create our online-catalogue and platform to highlight the works of the contributing artists, long after the auction itself.

(Francis Newton Souza)

NAMES OF ARTISTS WHO HAVE DONATED THEIR WORK

Alka Kalra, Amit Lodh, Archana Mishra, Balu Sadalge, Chailati Morajkar, Francis Desouza, Jagesh Ekkad, Kalidas Mhamal, Kanika Shah, Kedar Dhondu, Kunal Naik, Loretti Pinto, Megha Joshi, Nirali Lal, Pradeep Naik, Praveen Naik, Rahul Chauhan, Raj More, Raj Bhandare, Rajesh Salgaonkar, Rakesh Bani, Ramdas Gadekar, Ranit Datta, Ritu Kamath, Rosy Da Silva, Sachin Naik, Sanjay Sawant, Santosh Morajkar, SC Ahuja, Seby Akkara, Seema Kohli, Shilpa Nasnolkar, Siddharth Goswami, Subodh Kerkar, Subrata Ghosh, Suhas Shilker, Sweety Joshi, Tathi Premchand, Vijay Bhandare, Vitesh Naik, and many more to come.

(Akbar Padamsee)

ABOUT TARA TRUST 

Tara Trust is a Goa based non-profit organization working in the area of education and empowerment of underprivileged children. Established in 2008, the main objective of the organization is to leverage the healing power of beauty and art by bringing art based activities to underprivileged children.

Conceived of by anthropologist Dr. Katharina Poggendorf-Kakar, Tara Trust's activities are overseen by a board of directors including psychoanalyst Sudhir Kakar, psychologist Amrita Narayanan, businessman Vikram Lal, writer Siddharth Dube and philanthropist Shefali Malhoutra. The management and work is conducted by a team of very well qualified employees and volunteers.

Today, they reach out to 320 children on a weekly basis in Goa, conducting 15 weekly workshops across Goa all of which are offered free of cost. They reach out to another 1000 children annually through special workshops and programs. At the end of 2013, through their weekly workshops, special programs and the art camps, they successfully conducted 1,055 workshops having spent nearly 4,220 man-hours behind these workshops with a four-member-team and periodic volunteers, since the beginning of Tara Trust. Tara Trust, Opposite Holy Trinity Church, San Joao Holiday Homes, Mazilwaddo, Benaulim, - 403716, Goa, India +91 8322770233  contact@taratrustindia.com www.taratrustindia.com

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J J : TODAY AND TOMORROW

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Vinita Dasgupta, 30

A large figurative portrait of a frail, distraught-looking lady set against the backdrop of Pattachitra paintings from Raghurajpur in Odisha adorns the wall at artist Vinita Dasgupta’s first solo show titled Storytellers. Although all her works on display were sold out, this is one piece that Dasgupta says she will never sell. “This is a portrait of my dida (grandmother) and she is my storyteller,” says the 30-year-old artist.

The series of paintings depicts a new pictorial style and artistic practice that she developed three years ago after visiting Raghurajpur. Although the village is known for its heritage of Pattachitra paintings that date back to 5 BC, to the artist, it is a cradle of early childhood memories and stories that her grandmother used to tell her. Much like the Pattachitra paintings that depict tales from Hindu mythology in a pictorial form, her grandmother too would narrate mythological stories and folk tales. As Dasgupta grew up and graduated from Delhi College of Arts, the memories of Raghurajpur faded, but not the influence of her grandmother, who continues to be an inspiration for her work.

“The biggest strength of a woman is her power to love,” says the artist. “And it starts with the ability to love oneself.” That’s one of the lessons that her mother and her grandmother taught her. No wonder Dasgupta’s early works have a deeply autobiographical touch. She used self-portraits to create metaphors of herself and her realisation of womanhood. These early works are characterised by broad, free-flowing brush strokes. “Here was a woman who painted like a man and that is what drew me to her work,” says curator Rahul Bhattacharya. “But that style comes naturally to her.” And she never changes her style until she gets bored of it.

Although a personal connect with Raghurajpur drew her to the village at first, the craftsmanship, detailing and precision of the folk painters inspired her to incorporate elements of their work into hers. “It was these artists who helped me realise that something ‘popular’ could also be deeply rooted in discipline and have a strong cultural dialogue,” she says. Since then, Dasgupta has adopted a more controlled technique and introduced new compositional elements in her work.

Artist : Vinita Dasgupta         Photo: Vijay Pandey

Although initially she transposed motifs from the village onto the borders of paintings depicting popular personalities, they are now deeply entrenched in her artwork. For her latest series, the artist has painted Pattachitrakathas on small pieces of canvas, rolled them to create small scrolls and used them to create an intricate detailing in her latest series of portraits. “I have seen Vinita sitting in the corner making canvas rolls for hours together,” says Bhattacharya, who feels that Dasgupta’s drive to create art combined with her fidgetiness converts her art into a meditative practice. “What makes her work unique is that it is contemporary, yet embodies our heritage in the form of scrolls,” says artist Niladri Paul.

Although Dasgupta has never had trouble selling her work, the detailing in her work is time-consuming; a single piece of work can take her up to three months to complete. Her works can be bought for Rs 1-5 lakh. Though there are times when she has to struggle to make ends meet, that is about to change with her first solo show being a runaway hit. Perhaps she can now put her energies into refining her work.

(Report courtesy Published in Tehelka Magazine, Volume 11 Issue 7, Dated 15 February 2014)

Re telling a story teller:

The early works of the artist reveal a deep love for expressing an autobiographical narrative.  Often using portraits; she created metaphors of herself and her realization of womanhood. Even at that point one can locate an attraction towards popular culture. Thus it was not surprising that her work has focused on fashion, cinema and popular icons. However, over a period one could notice many changes in terms of medium, style and technique. Her natural flair is towards a modernist gestural approach to figuration, but possibly the artist felt that that style came too easily for her. In an effort to challenge herself  ,Dasgupta began ajourney into a more controlled technique, and began to introduce various compositional elements in her works. As the artist was going through a re-visitation of her personal understanding of style and technique, she also became more interested in telling stories about the world and her social empathies and engagements…

Yet the search continued, she discovered that to work with popular imagery she needed to re-present them with greater conceptual layering.  The gestural modernist within her can only be deconstructed through a practice connected with tradition and discipline. Her (re) discovery of Raghurajpur folk painting tradition finally leadsto this search finding a resting place from where she can explore future directions. How do craft, storytelling and meditative practice become carriers of contemporary concepts?  This body of work ‘The Story Tellers’ marks an  important turning point in her journey, specially reflecting a sustained engagement with technique, inspiration and concept.

Odishahas been a part of the artist’s childhood, and that nostalgia has played an important role in Dasgupta being able to culturally respond to it’s artistic tradition. The Raghurajpur folk painting tradition also offered her adifferent access to the ‘popular’, a ‘popular’ that was deeplyentrenched in a disciplined and controlled approach to art. This art making is robust, colorful and yet deeply in dialogue with the culture of contemporaneity. The philosophy of craftsmanship attracted her deeply along with its notions of detailing, precision and the ‘handmade’. Moreover, Raghurajpur offered her an escape from the noise of mainstream popular culture as well as an alternative understanding of the narrative possibilities of art making. Since her (re) visit to Raghurajpur about three years ago, newer pictorial style and artistic practice slowly began to find space in her works. Initially it was just motifs coming into the borders of her paintings depicting Bollywood and popular personalities...and slowly it entered deep, deep into the artwork itself. 

The encounter with Raghurajpur did not lead her throw away her personal love for the urban popular traditions, instead what resulted is a complex layering of both. Taking photographs of the Raghurajpur paintings,the artist painstakinglymakesnumerous canvas rolls and usesthem to make portraits of painters, performers and story tellersto make her world. Paint is given at a final layer of detailing that helps the artist to develop a language that challenges the boundaries of painting. This merging of boundaries makes her a child of postmodern eclecticism and also gives her meditative therapy of craftmanship that her soul has been looking for.

Apart from the artist’s natural flair for figuration and an ability to strike a chord with portraiture, what makes her current body of works significant is the possibilities of enquiries that they open and the complex layering of folk and urban they embody. This layering of folk and urban also mirrors the zone between art and craft that mark the physicality of her works. The inspiration behind these rolls has been earrings she discovered where in Coke and Fanta cans were cut and rolled. This dismembering and creation of a new identity opened up the possibilities for Dasgupta to assimilate the Raghurajpur paintings into her works and yet mask them. Over the last two years apart from the painters and performers of Raghurajpur, other prominent personalities have come in her artworks...almost as a continuation of her earlier subject matter. However even though sometimes these popular mainstream icons enter her work, their representation has completely changed. There is a fragmentation and realignment that happens, this breaks their iconicity and positions them within the vulnerability of popular storytelling.

As she moves deeper into understanding and practicing this direction in her practice, she is also beginning to realize that within this idiom there is a great possibility of conceptual fine-tuning and experimentation. These works have captured the imagination of viewers, yet the artist is looking for more, eager to walk a tightrope between making her practice more deeply personal, and universal. The journey is to entrench her works deep into the dialog of contemporary, yet go deeper into her love for craft and the handmade. The Storytellers is standing on the edge, rooted and yet ready to take off.

Rahul Bhattacharya

Curator and Writer

(From the solo exhibition : Story teller- stories told and retold… )