A cultural renaissance of our times

If you happen to be around India Habitat Centre in the National Capital anytime post half-past five in the evening between May 25 and May 28, make sure you visit the Visual Art Gallery (VAG). It is here that you will get to witness artworks by legends and newcomers like Satish Gujral, Jogen Chowdhury, Jangarh Singh Shyam, Thota Vaikuntam, Seema Kohli, Vinita Dasgupta, Vishal Joshi, Ashish Tyagi, Gurudas Shenoy, Laxman Aelay, Paramesh Paul, Rabin Mondal, Ramesh Gorjala, Ratan Saha, Sujata Achrekar, Sunil Das, Vinita Dasgupta, Asit Patnayak and more under one roof.

Aptly titled Manthan, these creative pieces by these creative geniuses have been churned out by the Lexicon Art Gallery at VAG and features a cultural renaissance of our times. On display at the show are early works from Sunil Das’ 60s period when he had created his iconic ‘bulls’ series. Of the sculptures on offer, there is ample variety including a six foot sculpture by Ashish Tyagi titled Hands. Then there are attractive sketches of Gouri Vemula which are a discreet merger of life and its philosophy while a fibre-cast painted cow sculpture by Seema Kohli attracts everyone by its colourful composition. Mingling contemporary and tribal on the platform are works by legendary Gond master, late Jangarh Singh Shyam. And then there is the canvas by Satish Gujral that is bound to keep viewers rivetted for hours on end.

The period of the selected paintings has been consciously restricted to the 60s genre so that viewers are given a chance to review art in terms of its historicity. While the works are not directly related to events and trends of the era under view, their combined effort at artistry exudes a growing originality and individual expressiveness evident through the works.

Besides providing a glimpse of the era under display, the exhibition has handpicked some outstanding creations of the time, that are worth a special mention. The overall context and scale of the exhibition holds special meaning for every visitor. The diversified nature of the art reveals the vibrancy of art practices of the current times, where this platform for its expose acts as a catalyst of those times.

Also on display

Sunil Das: One of India’s important post-modernist painters, Sunil Das rose to prominence with his drawing of horses and bulls. During his travel to Spain, he painted this series of bulls in the 60s.

Ashish Tyagi: Six feet tall sculpted and painted Hands by Ashish Tyagi depicting various scenes from the epics. His Gyan Mudra series materialise all the Indian tales and philosophies in an extremely unique way that fascinates everyone.

Gouri Vemula: Unique sketches on canvas by Gouri Vemula are awesome in any dimension and merges life with philosophy. Her works often unravel surreal landscapes with mythic figures of gods and goddesses, animals and human figures as well as magical objects and motifs from the natural world.

Bhajju Shyam and Jangarh Singh Shyam: Gond art by Padma Shri Awardee Bhajju Shyam and Jangarh Singh Shyam, the tribal art at its best and a must-have in the wall. In their art, they use motifs drawn from nature, from the Gond pantheon, folk tales, and the community’s origin myths that are deeply rooted in Indian culture and traditions.

Seema Kohli: Fibre casted and painted cow sculpture by Seema Kohli, the work has been inspired by the Indian mythological form. It is representation of an amalgamation of pure consciousness and energy.

Thota Vaikuntam: The artist captures simple lifestyle of villagers in a unique way that represents a great sense of strength, a power that emanates from the paint, from his controlled lines, and from the fine strokes that he executes. Bold colours and faces are the USP of his paintings.

Jagannath Paul: The artist uses colours to depict relationships in different moods and emotions. The varied nuances of male and female relationship are manifested into his paintings through the medium of charcoals and colors on paper and canvas.

Swati Pasari: Swati has earned accolades for her work across the globe. The themes of her paintings include immortality, timelessness and finding inner peace. While her art has immense artistic maturity, she has been painting only since 2007.