Ashtkala, an ode to liberated expression and imaginative vitality, showcased artworks with vivid hues.
India Habitat Centre in Delhi recently organized an art exhibition called Ashtkala at the Open Palm Gallery. The show commenced on February 10 and concluded on February 14. As they say, creativity paints the sky pink in the world of colours and art ignites the imagination and transfers the beholder in a different world altogether. This was true for the eight artists coming from different cities like Mumbai, Jabalpur and Delhi successfully expressed this spirit of joy in their artworks.
The exhibition was inaugurated by Sajal Patra and Ajay Kumar Samir both known for their celebrated art works. The artists who exhibited their works were Akanksha Thakur, Nilangee Prabhukeluskar, Sharmila Sharma, Sheetal Bawkar, Sunita Chauhan, Sunil Vinekar, Ushita Jain and Vivek Prabhukeluskar.
Here, we highlight the artists and their works:
Akanksha Thakur: Coming from Jabalpur, MP, Akanksha presented a series of 14 paintings revolving around the theme of nature and its five elements. An amalgamation of canvas and paper, texture and shapes in her depiction was inspiring.
Nilangee Prabhukeluskar: Using her idiosyncratic graphic style, she conveyed a strong message and reflected her thoughts in her abstract paintings. She depicted a positive approach towards life which was evident from her painting called ‘Swa (Self)’ which essentially meant that one can easily drift towards positivity and break chains from negativity. Bright colors and bold graphics simply conveyed that it is all about one’s life choices and perception.
Sharmila Sharma: Sharmila revealed a very enthralling puppet series where each puppet narrates its own unique story. Using both watercolours and acrylics, she created vibrant and aesthetically pleasing colours. While some puppets were crafted on paper; others were on canvas.
Sheetal Bawkar: Mumbai-based artist Sheetal worked on a very interesting theme ‘Behind the fence’. The idea behind the thought was “Fences protect you and sometimes bind you. Free from bondage is sometimes happiness and sometimes it brings happiness to be bound.” This resonates with complex human nature. She tried to convey her message by constantly experimenting and enriching the surface of the canvas with different shapes and colours.
Sunita Chauhan: A sculptor since 1995, Sunita focuses on bronze as her preferred medium. Sunita’s works portrayed women with robust bodies balancing strength and softness at the same time. Her artworks served the purpose of challenging social norms and promoting positive perceptions of women in the society.
Sunil Vinekar: Sunil has explored geometric symbolism and likes to work in a non-representational method. Symbolic artists convey the underlying essence of the subject rather than just their outward appearance. He has been working on neo-tantra which is a modernized version of the ancient tantric texts.
Ushita Jain: Her work on equality towards men, women and children sent out a strong message to the society and was much appreciated. One of her works also depicted Mumbai in a clock which speaks about what the city does by every passing hour. A masters in printmaking, her artworks have been featured in more than 45 national and international exhibitions which also include solo shows.
Vivek Prabhukeluskar: Vijay portrayed babies in various angles showcasing different expressions in the exhibition. The objective was to depict the strong young generation. He is also famous for his baby Ganesha paintings. Some of his Ganesha work were displayed at the show. “I love Ganesha as a naughty baby and I depict friendly relation between Ganesha and mushak,” Vivek said.
