"Creative Cascades" Art Exhibition @ Kamalnayan Bajaj Art Gallery

 

Apeejay Education nurtures and manifests its social commitment through the more than 50 year old Apeejay Education which runs 26 quality Educational Institutions across India. Apeejay Education envisions to usher in value-based holistic education and excellence in education, leading to man-making and nation-building. Apeejay Stya institutions are guided by the vision of the Founder Chairman, Dr. Stya Paul – eminent industrialist, educationist, freedom-fighter, philanthropist and the inspiration behind all Apeejay Education Institutions. Dr. Stya Paul’s glorious legacy is being carried forward very passionately by Mrs. Sushma Paul Berlia, illustrious daughter of Dr. Stya Paul and Chairman, Apeejay Stya & Svran Group, Chairman, Apeejay Education and Chancellor, Apeejay Stya University, Gurugram. Madam Chairman Mrs. Sushma Paul Berlia would Inaugurate the Exhibition on 2^nd December, 2024 at 6:00 pm.

Promotion of arts has always been a constant and continuous endeavour of Apeejay Education which it realises through its institutions primarily those which are specially dedicated to this noble cause viz Apeejay Stya University (ASU), Sohna, Gurugram, Haryana, Apeejay College of Fine Arts (ACFA), Jalandhar, Punjab and Apeejay Institute of Design (AID), New Delhi.

 

Apeejay Stya Art Festival 2024: Creative Cascades showcasing the creative works of the faculty and students of these Institutions is being organized at Kamalnayan Bajaj Art Gallery, Mumbai from 2^nd December to 7^th December 2024. The first of its kind Art Exhibition celebrates a vibrant galaxy of art forms ranging from Paintings, Drawings, Sculptures, Tapestries, Terracottas, Mixed Media to Photography.

The rich variety of media used by the artists to unleash their Imaginative flights add multi-hued dimensions to the Exhibition providing an enhanced and enriching experience to the onlookers. Marked with lnnovations and Originality of Expressions, the works on display would provide a peep into the variegated messages conveyed by the artists in a subtle and creative Manner.

The Exhibition would remain open from 2^nd to 7^th December from 11.00 am to 7:00 pm. The Exhibition would be attended by prominent Apeejay alumni well settled in Mumbai having a name in the TV & Film Industry besides many visual artists, art lovers and elite from the City.

 

Press Release

From: 2^nd to 7^th December 2024

Apeejay Stya Art Festival 2024

Creative Cascades

A Vibrant Display of Paintings, Sculptures, Photographs, Digital Art, Tapestries, Terracottas and Drawings

 

VENUE:

Kamalnayan Bajaj Art Gallery

Bajaj Bhavan, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400 021

Timing: 11am to 7pm

Ana’s....... Spring Forth" Paintings & Sculptures Exhibition by artist Mahua Ray in Nehru Centre Art Gallery

Artist: Mahua Ray

Mumbai, India – From December 3rd to 9th, the Nehru Centre Art Gallery will bloom with the evocative artistry of Mahua Ray in her solo exhibition Ana’s Spring Forth. This unique art walk invites visitors to immerse themselves in a world where memory, emotion, and imagination entwine in vivid harmony through her mesmerizing paintings and sculptures.

 

Mahua’s artistic journey began under the open skies, where as a child, she traced faces in clouds with her ‘Maa,’ her first muse. Guided by the wisdom of legendary artists such as Devi Prasad Roychowdhury, Mahua's creative path blossomed, earning her accolades from a young age. This exhibition is a testament to her growth, passion, and unwavering dedication to storytelling through art.

 

Step into a soulful sanctuary where art whispers the unspoken. Through fluid strokes and vibrant hues, Mahua breathes life into moments, memories, and emotions, blending logic with profound emotional depth. Her latest series of oil paintings and bronze sculptures transcends time, offering a poetic exploration of human emotions and their fleeting yet eternal essence.

 

A celebrated artist with prestigious national and international awards.

 

Her works have graced galleries across Bangalore, Mumbai, New York, Canada, Dubai, Goa, Delhi, Paris, London, Ahmedabad, and beyond, earning widespread acclaim.

 

Cherished by prominent collectors in India and abroad, her art is a blend of impressionist elegance and philosophical depth.

 

In Ana’s Spring Forth, Mahua transforms innocent clouds and their hidden stories into vibrant narratives. Her graceful curves and dynamic expressions capture the vitality of feminine forms and the power of human emotions. Each piece in this collection invites the audience to experience life’s beauty through her imaginative lens. This exhibition is more than an art showcase—it is an emotional journey, a beacon of inspiration, and a celebration of creativity that promises to leave you spellbound. Mahua Ray's work is an invitation to see the world anew, to find beauty in life’s fleeting moments, and to connect with the emotions that bind us all.

 

Don’t miss this extraordinary experience.

"Art whispers where words cannot " in Mahua Ray 's

Ana’s....... Spring Forth, these whispers become a symphony of the soul of yours and her.

 

An Art Walk by Mahua Ray 

 

December 3rd to 9th, 2024

Nehru Center Art Gallery, Worli, Mumbai

Open daily: 11 AM to 7 PM | Free Entry

SHAKTI- Bansi Khatri Solo Exhibition of Painting Show 3 - 12 / 2024 Tuesday - 5.30 to 7 pm

 SHAKTI- Bansi Khatri

Solo Exhibition of Painting 

Show: 3 - 12 / 2024 ,Tuesday - 5.30 to 7 pm

4 - 5 - 6 - 7 ,Wed. to Sat. - 3 pm to 7 pm

Bansi Khatri( Artist) M +91 98980 30864

at

NIPPON Art Gallery 30/32, Deval Chambers, 

2nd Floor,Flora Fountain, Nanabhai Lane, Fort, MUMBAI 400 001.

“SAFARNAMA” Solo Show of Paintings by well-known artist Manish Sutaar

 SAFARNAMA 

        Recent work of a well-known artist – Manish Sutaar will be displayed in a solo art exhibition at Jehangir Art Gallery, M.G. Road, Kala Ghoda, Mumbai 400 001 from 26^th Nov. to 2^nd Dec. 2024 between 11 am to 7 pm. This series in Water colours on Archies paper. It will highlight the relevance of his artistic perceptions in various expressive perspectives of visual arts. 

Artist: Manish Sutaar

        Manish Sutaar hails from Mumbai. He had his art education at L.S. School of Arts, Bandra Mumbai upto BFA. Then he displayed his thematic works in numerous leading art galleries in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune, New Delhi, New York Biennale, Taipei-Taiwan, etc. He also actively participated in art camps at Hyderabad and Pune. He is a proud recipient of several prizes and awards as well as recognitions from leading art promotional institution of national and international reputations. His works are in collection of many reputed art collectors such as Reserve Bank of India- Mumbai, - New Delhi, Bangalore, Kenya, England, Germany, USA, Paris, New York, Italy etc.

The present series in Water colours on art paper lays emphasis on his journey through life’s canvas as a tapestry of life. It is a chronicle of the ever-shifting landscapes of human existence.  He has encountered a Kaleidoscope of emotions such as joy, sorrow, anger, excitement, enthusiasm, satisfaction in his life. These emphasize profound turmoil and fragile beauty which define the human condition so as to highlight diverse complexity of life in a metropolitan city bustling with hustle & bustle resulting into a pulsating lifeline in urban areas,  Safar transcends more transits leading to a profound metaphor of human aspirations, struggles and fleeting moments. Aptly moved by these moments, his artistic mind has found expressions in colours and forms so as to render unique parameter and dimension to his symbolic exploration of existence via various human postures, moods and unusual characters through flowing forms, textured washes and abstract nuances etc. His quest to unveil and articulate the unseen has resulted into a visual harmony of the intricate complexities of human life.  His canvas has become a refuge where chaos transforms into beauty and despair gives way to hope thereby rendering a happy and positive dimension to his thematic work.

From: 26^th November to 2^nd December 2024

“SAFARNAMA”

Solo Show of Paintings by well-known artist Manish Sutaar

 

VENUE:

Jehangir Art Gallery

161-B, M.G. Road

Kala Ghoda, Mumbai 400 001

Timing: 11am to 7pm

OBLIVION PAGES” Solo Show of Paintings by well-known artist Paul Dmello in Jehangir

 

Artist: Paul Dmello

OBLIVION PAGES

            Recent work of a well-known artist Paul Dmello will be displayed in a solo art exhibition at Hirji Jehangir Art Gallery, M.G. Road, Kala Ghoda, Mumbai 400001 from 25^th Nov. to 1^st Dec. 2024. It will be open there for free public viewing daily between 11 am. to 7 pm. This series in Acrylic colours on canvas and water colours on paper will reveal the subtle nuances of the memories of the simplicity of life and peculiarities of beauty of nature and their wonders in the picturesque environment of Vasai and its surroundings.

            This show will be inaugurated on 25^th November 2024 at 5 pm in Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai by the Chief Guests – Sameer Sata – Project Director – Reliance Industries Ltd., Mumbai, Fr. Joe Almeida – Principal, St. Joseph High School & Jr. College, Virar, Vijayraj Bodhankar – Eminent Artist, Journalist & Mentor and Dattatraya Thombre – Principal, Vasai Vikasini Art College, Vasai in presence of art lovers, collectors, promoters etc.

            Paul D’mello had his art education upto B.F.A. (Applied Art) from Sir J.J. Institute of Applied Art, Mumbai. Prior to this, he completed a diploma in A.T.C. (Photography) from the same institute. He displayed his work in many solo and group art shows in reputed art galleries in Mumbai like Nehru Centre Art Gallery, Gallerie Leela, Jehangir Art Gallery, Art Plaza, Art Entrance Gallery, Army & Navy Building, Kalaspandan Art fair in Nehru Centre, Worli, Sahayog Centre, Vasai, etc. He also took part in International Water Colour Society, Biennale 2022 show, New Delhi, National Painting Competition Contest & Workshop at Mount Abu, Watercolour workshop at Bundi, Rajasthan, 1^st Olympi art 2019 organised by Watercolour Society of India, New Delhi.  He was awarded 1^st prize for poster designing on International Women’s Day at Reliance Foundation Hospital in 20-15.  His works have been applauded by art fraternity and are in collection of reputed art collectors in Mumbai, Delhi, Calcutta, London (U.K.) U.S.A. etc.  He has a profesioesional experience as an artist / projectionist at Shramik Vidyapeeth, Dharavi. He is at present working at Reliance Industry Ltd. as “visualiser / animator. 

            His present series is a visual narrative of societal life capturing the essence of everyday existence in rural areas around Vasai from attire to festivities to agricultural practices to the architecture of yesterday. He has been raised since yesteryears amidst the verdant landscapes of Vasai. Blessed with abundant natural beauty, Vasai has instilled in him a deep rooted admiration for nature since young age.  He grew up in a family of farmers there and has happy good old memories of simplicity of life there. He was mesmerised by the traditional peculiarities in rural life such as flowers, lanterns, grinding wheels, rhythmic sound of rahata – old farming implement charm of ancestral homes with their simple yet intricate carvings with mangalore tiles on the top etc.  Through his series, he has endeavoured to immortalize this heritage ensuring that it remains accessible to future generation. This series serves as a visual narrative of the simplicity of life in that picturesque area as a legacy of Vasai.

           

   R.S. Pande,

Art Lover / Critic

From: 25^th November to 1^st December 2024

“OBLIVION PAGES”

Solo Show of Paintings by well-known artist Paul Dmello

 

VENUE:

Jehangir Art Gallery

Hirji Gallery

M.G. Road, Kala Ghoda, Mumbai  400 001

Timing: 11am to 7pm.

Duct-taped banana sold for Rs 52.7 crore at auction in New York. No, seriously

 

Justin Sun 

When Maurizio Cattelan, an Italian visual artist, duct-taped a banana to a wall in 2019, the art world went bananas — quite literally.

Now, that very concept, titled Comedian, has made headlines again when it was sold for a staggering $6.24 million (Rs 52.7 crores approximately) at an auction in New York on Wednesday. by Jen Hua

The auctioneer, Oliver Barker, couldn't resist the absurdity of the moment, calling the work "iconic" and "disruptive," while joking about auctioning a banana, as reported by CNN. 

The winner bidder, Chinese entrepreneur Justin Sun, praised the artwork as a bridge between art, memes, and cryptocurrency, dubbing it a "cultural phenomenon." 

"This is not just an artwork," Sun said, as reported by CNN, adding, "It represents a cultural phenomenon that bridges the worlds of art, memes, and the cryptocurrency community. I believe this piece will inspire more thought and discussion in the future and will become a part of history."

For the eye-watering price tag, Sun didn't just get a banana and tape. He also received a certificate of authenticity, installation instructions, and, presumably, bragging rights, as per the report by CNN. 

This isn't Comedian's first brush with fame – or controversy. At its 2019 debut at Art Basel Miami, the $120,00 price tag had split opinions. Critics debated whether it was a masterpiece or a practical joke, while performance artist David Datuna had once peeled the banana off the wall and ate it in what he described as his own "artistic performance." 

Since then, the piece has travelled, been eaten, and replaced repeatedly. Its latest outing was in South Korea, where an art student snacked on the installation, taping the peel back onto the wall.

Love it or loathe it, Comedian has firmly cemented itself in art history as a cheeky commentary on value, culture, and what we consider art – proving that sometimes, a banana isn't just a banana. 

Jen Hua

• SVP | Deputy Chairman, Asia & Chairman, China

Hong Kong

source: https://www.sothebys.com/ 

SANJAY BHATI SOLO SHOW PREVIEW: 26th / 11 / 2024

SANJAY BHATI 

SOLO SHOW

PREVIEW: 26th  / 11 / 2024

THE LIAR SHOW 

DATE: 26th  TO 01 / 12/ 2024

Time: 3pm to 7pm 

Ask for PDF sale catalogue 

@surrealismpopart.01

www.nippongallery.com

30/32, 2nd Floor,Deval Chambers,Nanabhai Lane, Flora Fountain Fort, Mumbai -400001 

Closed on Public Holidays

#sanjaybhati #soloshow #nipponsolo #artgallerymumbai

#artshow #art #artgallery #artist #contemporaryart #artwork #painting #artcollector #artexhibition #artoftheday #gallery #artistsoninstagram #fineart #arte #exhibition #drawing #artforsale #abstractart #artlovers #instaart #arts #artsy #artlife #modernart #artcurator #photography #artcollection #illustration #artfair #artlover

Art Mumbai 2024 Bigger, Brighter and More Inventive. The City's One of a Kind Art Fair Is Back from 14th - 17th November at Mahalaxmi Racecourse

Art Mumbai was held in November 2023 at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse, featuring a meticulously curated array of modern and contemporary art from both India and South Asia as well as a robust roster of galleries and participation from foundations and distinguished art institutions.

Founders, Minal and Dinesh Vazirani, Conor Macklin and Nakul Dev Chawla are proud to announce the dates of the second edition of Art Mumbai, presented by Birla Opus. From 14 to 17 November 2024, occupying a larger area of the Mahalaxmi Racecourse, this year Art Mumbai is being presented in a format that will blend the timeless allure of its iconic venue with a vast and even more diverse display of original and fine art from South Asia and around the world. In addition, there will be curated experiences, a speaker series and installations at the bigger and brighter Art Mumbai 2024.

A Large Contingent of Global and Indian Galleries

Art Mumbai ‘24 is delighted to have expanded with 71 prominent galleries from India and abroad, as well as three foundations participating. The Indian galleries include Vadehra Art Gallery (New Delhi), Nature Morte (New Delhi, Mumbai), Experimenter (Kolkata, Mumbai), Galerie Isa (Mumbai), Tarq (Mumbai), DAG (Mumbai, New Delhi), Gallery Espace (New Delhi), Gallery Sumukha (Bengaluru) and Emami Art (Kolkata). The nine international galleries present will be Galleria Continua (San Gimignano, Rome, Les Moulins, Paris, Beijing, Havana, Dubai, São Paulo), Ben Brown Fine Arts (London, Hong Kong, Florida), Rossi & Rossi (Hong Kong, London), Grosvenor Gallery (London), Aicon Gallery (New York), Aicon Contemporary (New York), 1x1 (Dubai), Volte Masters (Dubai), and Galerie Geek Art (Tokyo). The foundations at Art Mumbai ’24 are Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, Saffronart Foundation and RMZ Foundation.

Speaker Series

The much-appreciated Speaker Series at Art Mumbai has been designed to build upon the conversations and thought starters that were presented in the previous year. Supported by the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, the series will give patrons an opportunity to better understand collecting patterns of the past and how they are changing today, the different urgencies that informed the Indian modern art movement, Mumbai's role as a melting pot of artistic practice, the technological advancements of AI in art, the expansiveness of the term South Asia with regard to art, and many more timely and thought-provoking sessions.

 

Sculpture Walk

A highlight of Art Mumbai 2024 is an expanded sculpture walk comprising of several large scale outdoor sculptures as well as some interactive installations which will weave through the fair venue. The sculpture walk will be supported by RMZ Foundation.

Art Mumbai Gateway

Inspired by the Mumbai city's iconic landmark, the Gateway of India, Art Mumbai presents Art Mumbai Gateway, year-round programming that includes exciting conversations, exhibitions, workshops, performances, events and more, across India and around the world. The aim of this series of art walks and talks is to keep conversations surrounding the Indian, South Asian and global art world alive all year round. Earlier this year Art Mumbai Gateway curated experiences in London, Delhi and Mumbai.

Art, Mumbai and Art Mumbai

Mumbai has an indelible and historic connection with the arts. From being home to some of the country’s earliest and key arts institutions to present day UNESCO World Heritage Sites and state-of-the-art cultural centres, the city has always created spaces where it can welcome artists, writers, performers and creators alike.

Art Mumbai acknowledges Mumbai’s legacy as an artistic hub and pioneer of creative innovation and exchange. Over the past few years, the city's cultural scene has thrived, witnessing increased artistic collaboration, gallery engagements, major exhibitions and cultural events that enhance public participation in the arts. Art Mumbai aims to contribute to the growing ecosystem by being a platform that brings together artists, galleries, institutions, curators, collectors, architects, designers, art professionals, enthusiasts, and those seeking to be initiated in the arts.

“We received a tremendous response to Art Mumbai last year and were proud to see the fair emerge as a genuine celebration of community. The participation of international galleries significantly enriched the event, providing a valuable blend of diversity, exposure, networking possibilities, and a global outlook. With the second edition we hope to infuse a greater spirit of community and commerce that will elevate the overall cultural and economic influence of the fair in a global context,” says Dinesh Vazirani, Co-founder, Art Mumbai. 

 

Art Mumbai: The Team

Dinesh Vazirani: CEO, Saffronart, Mumbai and Co-founder, Art Mumbai Dinesh Vazirani is the CEO of Saffronart, a leading international auction house specialising in Indian art, that was established in 2000. A Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Master's in Industrial Engineering from Stanford University, and an MBA with honours from Harvard Business School, Dinesh is also on the board of several companies and a frequent speaker at various events. He is actively engaged in the Young Presidents' Organisation.

 

Minal Vazirani: President & Co-founder, Saffronart, Mumbai and Co-founder, Art Mumbai

Minal Vazirani is the President & Co-founder of Saffronart. She has led the founding of the business, developed the online auction technology and established the company's presence in Mumbai, New York and London. Her strategic planning and pioneering concepts have driven the company's foray into new businesses. Minal is also a co-founder of the Saffronart Foundation, which uses art to raise awareness about key social issues, support community outreach, and contribute to the development of South Asian visual art. She chairs the India Committee for Women to Watch, 2024, an exhibition developed by the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA), Washington, D.C. She is on the acquisitions committee at the Tate Modern, UK and on the advisory board for the Mumbai Urban Art Festival. Minal has an MBA from INSEAD, France, and B.S. in Chemical Engineering with an additional focus on Art History and Indian History from the University of California, Los Angeles.

 

Nakul Dev Chawla: Director, Chawla Art Gallery, New Delhi and Co-founder, Art Mumbai

Nakul Dev Chawla, director of Chawla Art Gallery, is a third-generation gallerist. Nakul has grown up around the dynamic landscape of South Asian art, which gives him a unique insight into the market. The gallery continues to be a pioneer in promoting and securing South Asian culture, with its primary focus being modern Indian artists.

Conor Macklin: Grosvenor Gallery, London and Co-founder, Art Mumbai Run by Conor Macklin and Charles Moore, Grosvenor Gallery has continually exhibited modern and contemporary South Asian art, predominantly the works of mid-20th century Indian modernists such as the Bombay Progressives, as well as Chughtai, Gulgee and Sadequain from Pakistan.

 Source: Business Wire India. PTI 

"VOY-AGE" Solo Show of Paintings By Well-known artist Swati Roy in Nehru Centre Art Gallery

Recent work of a luminary from Govt College of Art and Craft and a renowned contemporary artist Swati Roy will be showcased in a solo art exhibition at Nehru Centre Art Gallery, Dr. Annie BesantRoad, Worli, Mumbai 400 018 from 19^th to 25^th November 2024. It will be open there for free public viewing daily between 11am to 7pm. This series made in watercolours on art paper using Gouche technique will exemplify subtle nuances of her skillful application of apt colours in thoughtful pragmatic thematic perceptions.

Artist: Swati Roy

Swati Roy had her art education upto diploma in fine arts followed by diploma in Indian style drawing and painting from Govt. College of Art and craft, Kolkata. Then she displayed her thematic work in solo and group art exhibitions at renowned galleries all over India such as Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata, Lalit Kala Academy New Delhi etc.

The present series VOY-AGE highlights subtle nuances of the thematic conceptualizations based on fundamental concepts and their skillful application via apt colour tones to suit thematic peculiarities. Her works have a magical sensibility via essence of both Indian and Western arts. Perfections in her style command over the medium and techniques   adopted and expertise in presenting non figurative abstraction compositions are commendable. Her work is in the genre of classic modernism and expressionism which are bold pictorials of her deepest thought. Her thoughts & Inspiration received from nature find a prominent place in the creative endeavors.

Her faith in phenomenal nature as the ultimate source of forms and configuration, duly reflects in the creation by selection of the recollected memories of the observed contents as configuration of colour-masses with shapes defined by contour lines on dimensional pictorial surface divided into flat colour areas. These shapes and spaces being the residues of images of the phenomenal terrains, sky, land, roads, plants etc become expressive. The various contour lines with which she encloses the shapely colour masses endow the shapes with a strange kind of organic rhythm thereby rendering expressionism to the work. In a way her works are at a junction between representationalism, formalism and expressionism. She has adopted suggestive colours and common symbols upheld by plastic rhythm and inventive shapes. The insistent flowing vegetative rhythms of semi-abstract and abstract combinations find a significant place in her creations which are both eloquent and lucid as well as thematically relevant.

VOY-AGE

Solo Show of Paintings

By

Renowned artist Swati Roy

From: 19^th to 25^th November 2024

VENUE:

Nehru Centre Art Gallery

Dr. Annie Besant Road,

Worli, Mumbai 400 018

Timining: 11am to 7pm

Contact: +91 8910812801

Blue city’s -‘The Poetic Soul’ Recent Works by contemporary well-known artist Madan Pawar in Jehangir

Madan Pawar does not abstract human settlements but rather renders them in shapes and hues that celebrate the ingenuity of those who build them despite the challenge of poverty and space. Skylines are not always tall towers - flat roofs or Chaths as they are called in India are communal places. The hues of the walls of the city of Jodhpur even though they are coloured convivial blue  to protect from the sun they also serve as caste markers. Behind the immense beauty of Rajasthan there are deep divisions of caste and its continuous celebration.

Artist: Madan Pawar

 

An art school research trip to Rajasthan is when Madan Pawar discovered Jodhpur.  Jodhpur is a city on the edge of the Thar desert from where wades of sand extend across  the districts of Barmer and Jaisalmer  into Pakistan until the fort towns of Umerkot in Tharparkar and Derawar in Bahawalpur.  This is the region of the Marwar and the Dhatki, a community with a distinct language,  ways of society,  cuisine, music and clothing all attuned to the desert.  A distinct frugality is seen in the way of life and thus are the ways of living.  Homes are mud houses built of red stone created to insulate against the hot summers and cold winds of the winters.  

Recent painting by  Madan Pawar

On the slopes of the Mehrangarh Fort of Jodhpur just above the grid like  modern city built by the Maharajas in the 20th century is the old city.  Here different castes inhabit different quarters called Mohallas.  Each one of them is adjacent to a gate or a Pol.  We have people working with bamboo,  the dyers making the distinct multic-oloured bandhani turbans and sarees,  the sonars or goldsmiths gather on many thoroughfares and the Brahmins who hold pockets across these places give name to the city -  the Blue City.  Fortunately in the Republic of India people are free to not use colour as a social class or caste marker and the colour blue is the hue for social reform.  The homes across Jodhpur are made of a lime mortar called 'Surkhi Choona',  the blue glaze comes from the copper sulphate used in the lime mortar to protect it from termites.  This use of indigo forms the colours of the walls giving the panorama from the fort a distinct azure tint as we see the homes gather around the slopes.

 

Madan Pawar is a trained painter and printmaker from the Sir JJ School of Arts,  Mumbai and is an artist drawn to forms that allow him to explore colour using the prisms of grids.  His aerial studies are formed through grids of architecture that allow him to fill in colour that form patterns which are magical to the eye.  Landscape painting holding realism in perspective was introduced through the colonial schools of art in the 18th century. In Rajasthan miniature painting across the Rajput schools, have a surreal magical rendition to represent divinity, myth and fantasy.  Madan Pawar to paint Jodhpur takes cues from Paul Cezanne's fauvist landscapes of Mediterranean towns in the south of France.  Towns around Avignon,  Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Les Baux dès Provence and Aix-Marseille hold similar planning in terms of inhabitants and architectural structures - saving the inhabitants from the many days of the sun.  Jodhpur has the most number of bright days in India and one look at the old city from the vantage point of the Mehrangarh fort we see the number of solar panels air-conditioning tourist homestays that most old city houses today serve as in the 21str century. 

Recent painting by  Madan Pawar

Madan is not a painter defined by fauvism,  in fact his images have sharp edges and boxes that justle each other on geometric angles.  The effect almost is a prism Vasarely would have been envious of but it is one that arrives after a lengthy three month use of technique,  precision and a personal colour theory.  The juxtaposition with   colour to form scapes that hold a very pleasing sight to the city by forming  a spectrum of patterns  is very unique.  I have known Madan over the last 15 years as an artist and it has surprised me how he has grown as a painter.  He has worked with architects to closer align his practice to them by helping them reimagine folk architecture.  They often commission him to work on projects where they are re-interpreting Indian architecture and its resonances with materiality.  Paul Cezanne's renditions  of Mont Sainte-Victoire (1904 - 06) the mountain that overlooks Aix en Provence and separates it from Marseille is where the Cezanne finds himself in his painting practice.  Madan Pawar's renditions of 'Jodhpore en Azur Bleue'  in many hues, shapes and colour holds the light an artist seeks in his painting.  

  

 

Sumesh-Manoj-Sharma

writer and curator, Bombay.

Press Release

From: 19^th to 25^th November 2024

Blue city’s -‘The Poetic Soul’

Recent Works by contemporary well-known artist

Madan Pawar 

 

VENUE:

Jehangir Art Gallery

161-B, M. G. Road

Kala Ghoda, Mumbai 400 001

Timing: 11am to 7pm

Contact: +91 9765504620