Category: Art Achievers

It is the art of interpreting and enhancing a written or spoken narrative through visual means. Illustration goes beyond mere depiction.

Illustration has been an integral part of the fine arts for centuries, captivating audiences with its unique ability to convey narratives, emotions, and ideas through visual representation. With a rich history spanning various cultures and styles, illustration in fine arts has evolved and adapted to embrace new techniques, technologies, and artistic expressions. This form of visual storytelling has the power to captivate viewers, evoke emotions, and transport them into imaginative realms.

At its core, illustration is the art of interpreting and enhancing a written or spoken narrative through visual means. It goes beyond mere depiction and aims to communicate the essence of a story, concept, or idea. Through carefully crafted compositions, skilled use of color and form, and attention to detail, illustrators breathe life into words, enabling viewers to connect with the subject matter on a deeper level.

One of the most fascinating aspects of illustration in fine arts is its versatility. Artists employ a wide range of mediums and techniques to bring their visions to life. From traditional media such as pencil, ink, and paint to digital tools and mixed media approaches, illustrators push the boundaries of their craft, experimenting with different materials and styles to achieve their desired effects.

Throughout history, illustration has served various purposes and found its place in different contexts. In the world of literature, book illustrations have adorned the pages of countless stories, enhancing the reader’s experience by providing visual cues and interpretations of the text. Illustrations in children’s books, in particular, are cherished for their ability to capture the whimsy and wonder of childhood, fostering imagination and a love for reading.

Beyond the realm of literature, illustration has found its way into editorial publications, advertising, packaging design, and even fashion. Magazine illustrations, for instance, add visual interest and depth to articles, helping to convey complex concepts or evoke a specific mood. In the field of advertising, illustrations can be used to create memorable brand identities, communicate product features, or convey the desired lifestyle associated with a particular brand.

With the advent of digital technology, illustration has undergone a revolution, expanding its horizons and embracing new possibilities. Digital tools and software have enabled artists to create intricate and detailed works with greater precision and flexibility. Illustrators can now experiment with various brushes, textures, and layers, seamlessly merging traditional techniques with digital enhancements. This fusion of traditional and digital approaches has opened up new avenues for artistic expression, allowing artists to push boundaries and explore uncharted territories.

In recent years, the field of concept art has gained prominence, with illustrators playing a vital role in the development of films, video games, and animations. Concept artists work closely with directors, designers, and production teams, visualizing characters, environments, and key moments in the narrative. Through their illustrations, they set the tone, establish the visual style, and help shape the overall aesthetic of the project, making illustration an essential component of the creative process.

Illustration in fine arts continues to evolve and adapt to the ever-changing artistic landscape. Artists today draw inspiration from diverse sources, blending traditional techniques with contemporary influences, resulting in a rich tapestry of styles and approaches. Illustration has the power to transcend language barriers, cultures, and generations, speaking to our universal desire for visual storytelling and capturing the imagination of audiences worldwide.

In conclusion, illustration in fine arts is a captivating and dynamic form of visual storytelling. It merges the realms of imagination and reality, employing various techniques and mediums to bring narratives, concepts, and ideas to life. Whether through traditional or digital means, illustrations have the power to captivate, inspire, and transport viewers to extraordinary worlds. As this art form continues to evolve, it will undoubtedly leave an indelible mark on the creative landscape, reminding us of the beauty and magic that can be found in the art.

One of the most eagerly awaited events

The Kala Ghoda Art Festival is an annual cultural extravaganza that takes place in Mumbai, India. It is one of the most eagerly anticipated events on the city’s cultural calendar, attracting thousands of art enthusiasts, performers, and visitors from around the world. The festival celebrates various forms of art, including visual arts, dance, music, theater, and literature, and showcases the vibrant and diverse artistic talent in India.

The festival gets its name from the iconic black stone statue of King Edward VII, which stands at the center of the Kala Ghoda (Black Horse) square in South Mumbai. The festival takes over the entire Kala Ghoda precinct and transforms it into a lively and vibrant hub of creativity. The festival lasts for nine days and is a celebration of art and culture in all its forms.

One of the highlights of the Kala Ghoda Art Festival is the art installations that dot the streets and open spaces of the area. Renowned artists from across the country and abroad create stunning and thought-provoking installations that explore various social, political, and environmental issues. These installations not only beautify the surroundings but also serve as a means to raise awareness and spark conversations.

In addition to the art installations, the festival hosts a plethora of art exhibitions featuring works by established and emerging artists. Art galleries and cultural institutions collaborate to curate exhibitions that showcase diverse art forms, including paintings, sculptures, photography, and mixed media. This provides a platform for artists to showcase their creativity and for art enthusiasts to appreciate and purchase artworks.

The Kala Ghoda Art Festival is also known for its vibrant and energetic performances. Throughout the nine days, the festival hosts a range of dance and music performances that showcase the rich heritage of Indian classical and folk arts as well as contemporary forms. From classical dance recitals to fusion music concerts, the festival caters to a wide range of artistic tastes and preferences.

The festival also features theater performances, where renowned theater groups stage plays that touch upon social issues and evoke meaningful discussions. These performances provide a platform for theater enthusiasts to experience the magic of live theater and engage with thought-provoking narratives.

Literature is another integral part of the Kala Ghoda Art Festival. The festival organizes author interactions, book readings, and panel discussions that bring together writers, poets, and literary enthusiasts. These sessions provide a space for intellectual discourse and appreciation of literature.

Apart from the art exhibitions and performances, the Kala Ghoda Art Festival also hosts workshops and interactive sessions. These sessions allow attendees to actively engage with various art forms, learn new skills, and explore their own creativity. From painting workshops to dance masterclasses, these interactive sessions cater to people of all ages and skill levels.

The Kala Ghoda Art Festival has become a cultural landmark in Mumbai, drawing art enthusiasts, tourists, and locals alike. It has played a significant role in promoting and nurturing the arts in the city, providing a platform for artists to showcase their talent and for the public to engage with diverse art forms. The festival’s inclusive and welcoming atmosphere fosters a sense of community and appreciation for art and culture.

In conclusion, the Kala Ghoda Art Festival is a celebration of art, culture, and creativity. Through its art installations, exhibitions, performances, workshops, and interactive sessions, it showcases the richness and diversity of artistic expression in India. The festival has firmly established itself as a must-visit event, attracting thousands of visitors each year and leaving a lasting impact on the cultural fabric of Mumbai.

Van Gogh’s paintings often feature expressive brushwork and a distinctive technique known as impasto, where thick layers of paint are applied to the canvas

Vincent van Gogh was a Dutch post-impressionist painter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential artists in Western history. Born on March 30, 1853, in the Netherlands, van Gogh’s artistic journey was marked by intense passion, emotional turmoil, and a unique artistic vision that would later resonate with generations of artists and art enthusiasts.

Van Gogh’s early life was filled with various struggles and setbacks. He initially worked in an art dealership and suffered from bouts of mental illness. However, his passion for art remained unwavering, and he eventually decided to pursue a career as an artist. Van Gogh’s artistic journey took him to various locations, including the Netherlands, Belgium, and France.

One of the defining characteristics of van Gogh’s art is his bold and vibrant use of color. His paintings often feature expressive brushwork and a distinctive technique known as impasto, where thick layers of paint are applied to the canvas. Van Gogh’s color choices were often symbolic, reflecting his emotional state and inner turmoil. His works are filled with intense yellows, fiery oranges, and deep blues, creating a sense of movement and emotion.

Van Gogh’s subject matter encompassed a wide range of themes, including landscapes, still life, portraits, and self-portraits. He had a deep appreciation for nature and often depicted rural scenes, sunflowers, and wheat fields. His famous works include “Starry Night,” “Sunflowers,” and “The Potato Eaters.” Despite facing financial difficulties and limited recognition during his lifetime, van Gogh produced over 2,100 artworks, including around 860 oil paintings, before his untimely death at the age of 37.

Van Gogh’s mental health struggles are well-documented and have become an integral part of his artistic legacy. He battled severe depression, anxiety, and eventually psychosis, which led to his admission to psychiatric hospitals. During these challenging times, van Gogh’s art became a means of self-expression and solace. His emotional state often influenced the mood and atmosphere of his paintings, resulting in highly emotive and evocative works.

Although van Gogh’s art was not widely recognized during his lifetime, his posthumous reputation skyrocketed in the years following his death. His unique artistic style and profound emotional depth resonated with subsequent generations of artists and art enthusiasts. Today, his works are celebrated and revered worldwide, with his paintings fetching astronomical prices at auctions and his name becoming synonymous with artistic genius.

Beyond his artistic achievements, van Gogh’s personal story has captured the imagination of countless individuals. His tragic life, including his infamous episode of cutting off his own ear, has become the stuff of legend. In recent years, van Gogh’s life has been portrayed in popular culture, including films such as “Loving Vincent” and exhibitions that aim to bring his art to new audiences.

Vincent van Gogh’s legacy continues to inspire and captivate art lovers and scholars alike. His distinctive style, emotional intensity, and enduring popularity have solidified his place as one of the most celebrated artists in history. Through his art, van Gogh left an indelible mark on the world, reminding us of the power of artistic expression and the complex depths of the human experience.

The Louvre also boasts an extensive collection of French paintings, including the iconic Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix

The Louvre Museum, located in Paris, France, is one of the most renowned and iconic cultural institutions in the world. With its rich history, extensive collection, and stunning architecture, the Louvre stands as a testament to human creativity and artistic achievement. Spanning over 500 words, this article will explore the captivating essence of the Louvre Museum.

The Louvre’s origin dates back to the late 12th century when it was initially established as a fortress during the reign of Philip II. Over the centuries, it evolved from a defensive structure to a royal residence and eventually became a public museum in 1793. Today, the Louvre houses approximately 38,000 objects, ranging from antiquities and sculptures to paintings and decorative arts, spanning from prehistory to the 21st century.

As visitors approach the Louvre, they are greeted by the iconic glass pyramid, designed by architect I.M. Pei and completed in 1989. This modern addition to the historic palace complex creates a striking juxtaposition, symbolizing the intersection of the old and the new. The pyramid serves as the main entrance to the museum, leading visitors into the vast and captivating world of art.

Stepping inside the Louvre, visitors are instantly transported into a realm of awe-inspiring beauty. The museum’s collection is organized into eight departments, each dedicated to specific artistic periods and cultural regions. One of the Louvre’s most renowned treasures is Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece, the Mona Lisa. This enigmatic portrait, with its enigmatic smile, attracts countless visitors who stand in awe of its artistry and mystique.

Beyond the Mona Lisa, the Louvre holds countless other masterpieces that continue to captivate art enthusiasts. Visitors can admire ancient artifacts such as the Code of Hammurabi, the Winged Victory of Samothrace, and the Venus de Milo. Moving through the museum, they can explore the artistic marvels of the Renaissance, with works by artists like Raphael, Michelangelo, and Titian. The Louvre also boasts an extensive collection of French paintings, including the iconic Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix.

While the Louvre is renowned for its historical and artistic significance, its architectural grandeur is equally remarkable. The museum is housed within the Palais du Louvre, a former royal palace. The sprawling complex encompasses multiple wings and galleries, including the Richelieu Wing, the Denon Wing, and the Sully Wing. The architecture reflects a blend of styles, from medieval fortress elements to classical and Renaissance influences. As visitors explore the museum, they are immersed in a breathtaking architectural journey through time.

The Louvre Museum is not just a repository of art and history; it also serves as a center for research and education. Scholars and researchers from around the world have access to the museum’s extensive library and archives, enabling them to delve deeper into various artistic disciplines. Additionally, the Louvre offers educational programs and workshops for all ages, allowing visitors to engage with art and learn about its significance in a dynamic and interactive manner.

Beyond its walls, the Louvre’s impact extends to the global art community. The museum collaborates with institutions worldwide, lending its treasures for exhibitions and fostering cultural exchange. Through these initiatives, the Louvre shares its wealth of knowledge and artistry, enriching the lives of people far beyond the borders of France.

The Louvre Museum in France stands as a testament to human ingenuity and artistic expression. Its extensive collection, breathtaking architecture, and educational endeavors make it a beacon of cultural enlightenment. From ancient artifacts to timeless masterpieces, the Louvre continues to inspire and enchant visitors, ensuring that art and history remain vibrant and accessible to all who enter its hallowed halls.

Art is a Pleasure for Anindya Roy. He narrates his journey of art and how it is a balm for his sou

Since childhood drawing was a means of enjoying a good mood. It would help me pass quality time with myself. My grandmother’s stories from epics and various legendary artists’ paintings and sculptures also made me fall in love with art. That’s why, in the early days of my life, I enrolled in a local art school.

I gained experience with mixed media and charcoal medium, basically drawing cities and surrounding objects. During those time, being influenced by middle class life, dreams etc., I nurtured the idea of making compositions.

I developed a deep interest in art after graduation and set my goal to become an artist. I used to go to nearby villages and suburban areas for practicing sketching and studying nature. I felt nature is our all-time teacher. But when I joined the Sketches Club at the Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata and simultaneously got associated with my favourite artist, Sri Shyamal Dutta Roy, my voyage of serious art started. As a self-taught independent artist, living away from the urban life, I acquired maturity and a unique style. I tried for an individual vision with the fantasy of images around the nostalgic, melancholic Calcutta – my city. Here, my emotions, braveness of mind and experience evoked my concept. In my art, nature is the main source of idea and environment, and figures and daily experience have always been parts of the composition. We know nature has a universal approach so the objects within my surrounding nurture my imagination. With emotion and spirit, my art is ultimately born out of the experience of imaginative wonderings of my creative mind. The composition with a claustrophobic cityscape or mindscape, where no other formal technique or ‘ism’ is involved, except my very own feelings and process of thinking.

It is important to mention here that my first participation in an exhibition was at Lalit Kala Academy’s national exhibition of 1992. This participation inspired me so much that I completely devoted myself to the visual art field. My mentor continued his guidance, and I feel honoured to be able to work with him in his studio till his death in 2005. Some other famous artists of our time also gave me guidance from their experience. Except mixed media and black & white, I have achieved skills in both water colour and acrylic on paper, board and canvas. My works in early days got selected for many national and regional exhibitions as well as prestigious collections. I also got the chance to teach art in some famous schools and express my thoughts in short stories that got published in magazines & books.

In my young days, I used to visit almost all exhibitions taking place in and around my city. This had a great impact on me. My eyes got trained to catch the inner feelings, and thus, I could understand the difference between academic skill and creative work and the purpose of my art study. I was influenced by rich traditional, miniatures of my country besides folk form but from the beginning, I have a habit of expressing my inner feelings, dreams, and what I experience in my daily life.

The natural way of artistic journey, the experiment of mindscape gradually transferred into my favourite acrylic and acrylic based mixed medium mostly on canvas in multiple sizes as basis of composition and subjects. My thinking process for paintings and a disciplined mind have helped me build a unique language and style. I have captured my total body of work by the title “conceptual scape” and have been continuing the series till today in my own studio. These paintings have received a high level of praise from critics and connoisseurs all over the world. Leading newspapers have also talked about these and they have got seasoned gallery support shows.

Regarding the concept, I would like to share some important points about my paintings. The idea actually originated from conceptualizing the environment of my time, the living and non-living objects of the surroundings, captured in a fraction of time with consciousness and necessary experience to visually culminate and illuminate.

As a travel and history lover, taking excerpts from monuments, historical structures, and nature and using them within my formation and creating a dramatic fantasy is an important feature of my work. There is no influence of surrealism or contemporary art of India. Space and horizontal structural forms are balanced like other colours and drawings, and some areas are subdued and some are highlighted. This creates a smooth part, comparing the elaboration, which I enjoy during painting.

This process happens like a basic rule of Physics. Painting is also a science. My composition links the ancient period with the modern period. Figures are also part of it because we are living in a densely populated society. Sometimes they are symbolic, for instance, the struggling animal’s figure, sometimes spiritual, it all depends on the circumstance. I enjoy my efforts at every step. In the same way, I enjoy my practice of literature.

Whatever maybe my process, if it soothes the soul and comforts the eyes of the viewers that should be a success of my creativity.

Chitra Ganesh is back in Delhi with her solo show that reflects on the delicate bloom of orchid flowers and explores the tension between predictability and disruption that grounds the seasonal cycles of our daily lives

Her work is in numerous prestigious public and private collections, but you don’t get to see Brooklyn-based artist Chitra Ganesh in India very often. Last time she exhibited at Gallery Espace in 2013, and thankfully, starting January 28, she’s back with her new solo show ‘Orchid Meditations.’ It will feature new works on paper, large-scale comic prints and animation, reflecting her diverse image making practice that spans across media.

“Ganesh will be showing her latest animation, ‘Before the War’, created with the support of Ford Foundation Just Films and Studio NYC. An experimental animation featuring music by American artist-musician—poet Saul Williams, ‘Before the War’ explores an open-ended narrative of memory, love and loss, animated by the social and political shifts catalysed by the current pandemic environment and the politically polarising years preceding COVID-19,” informs the gallery statement. The exhibition will also include large-scale comic images that Ganesh is known for, which meld the mythic and futuristic in a contemplative landscape. The works on paper will draw upon the contemplative layered world presented in ‘Before the War’. Ganesh has developed an expansive body of work rooted in drawing and painting, which has evolved to encompass animations, wall drawings, collages, computer generated imagery, video, and sculpture. Her oeuvre is informed by her studies in literature and semiotic theory, and regular travels to India, with particular interest in Indian film and music. Combined with her upbringing in New York City’s far reaching urban and cultural landscape, these influences taken together yield a distinct perspective.

Born in 1975 in Brooklyn, she received a BA in Art- Semiotics and Comparative Literature from Brown University, Providence, RI in 1996. She attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in 2001 and received her MFA in Visual Arts from Columbia University, NY, in 2002. Beth Citron, New York based art historian, critic and curator, writes in her essay on the exhibition, “With Orchid Meditations, Brooklyn based artist Chitra Ganesh returns to Gallery Espace and New Delhi after a decade (her work has been shown in India in the interim at the 4th Kochi-Muziris Biennale in 2018), bridging a long-standing engagement with experimental and non-linear narrative modes, long temporal arcs, and the language of comics with newer mediums and approaches, including animation. Reflecting on the delicate and precarious bloom of orchid flowers, Orchid Meditations is anchored in the tension between predictability and disruption that grounds the seasonal cycles of our daily lives. Seasons mark growth and loss, and historically correlate to weather, though this is now grimly unstable.”

The New York-based art historian goes on to add, “While Ganesh’s work has long moved between the deep past and far future as well as the mythic and every day, this body of work reflects a more recent turn towards first person experiences and lived time. Beyond her long-standing practice of looking to a wide range of global and Indian visual sources from high art and popular culture, Ganesh’s inquiries in Orchid Meditations refer obliquely to the Barahmasa, a poetic genre of Indian folklore that reflects on the rhythms of the year; it is also the genre of Rajput painting that reveals insights into the sensibilities of love and life apart from the main of Hindu mythologies.” Works including ‘Pink Forest Tiger Girl’ foreground a lush landscape with trees and other elements drawn from  Rajput painting traditions and a tree-headed girl atop a tiger at the top; this represents an inversion of traditional works with figures at the horizon of their compositions and a departure from how narrative is constructed in most of Ganesh’s figural work, including ‘Tree Dance’, framed around the portrait of a woman whose head is supplanted by a bird in front of a billowing cloud. In detailed works, Ganesh combines a vast array of influences including South Asian iconography, science fiction and queer theory, with the visual languages of vintage comics, Bollywood posters, and video games. Ganesh’s explorations of mythologies and narrative traditions bring important historical conversations to the contemporary moment. In nonlinear narratives and richly layered visual worlds, Ganesh subverts traditional storytelling to create women and queer-centric narratives of the future.

Arpan Bhowmik’s paintings are poems on romance, realism, and serenity, but his loudest declaration is his romance with the city space, says Dr Satarupa Bhattacharya

Realism and romance have had an interesting engagement for centuries now and given the propensity of the arts today, we are, yet again, at the throes of the ushering rage of revisits to realism that combines with romance. Arpan Bhowmik (b. 1977) is one such particular case in point who has always been in love with both areas since the time he has been five years of age. The gorgeous hints of shadows carved around trees arranged side by side till they reach an arch of old architecture standing behind a deliciously yellow taxi has become a Bhowmik special that no one can miss in the busiest of walls nailed with different artworks from different artists. This speciality is so particular that one can spot it immediately and keep it in memory easily. One may see this as a remarkable feat to be so easily memorised, or as an act combining the popularist interception with the realist genre: in either case, Bhowmik remains poignant as a language interspersed with several possible meanings.

Bhowmik says that he began his artistic career sincerely after he joined the Government College of Arts under Calcutta University for a BA degree. It took him six months to prepare for the entrance exam when he was pursuing a programme at the Indian Art College under Rabindra Bharati at Dumdum. Even though he cracked the exam, he still got a seat in the applied arts department and not in the fine arts department: something he remembers fondly as he remembers the toughness of clearing the entrance exam. It became an important moment for him and it helped him realise his art career and practice.

He won several awards and accolades during his stay in college for his elaborate watercolours on paper. In those days, paper was only available in the standard size of 21×29.7 cm sheets. So, he decided to join four to eight of them with (Fevicol) adhesive and create a large sheet to give the feel and look of a canvas and created large works, which, at the time, seemed like very big feats. The annual show of his college had so many beautiful works that it was important for him to make a mark along with his peers who were also very powerful artists. Their efforts were very inspiring and Bhowmik felt elated every time he won an award for his work. He found it challenging to keep up with his fellow students, but he was always very piqued by those challenges. As soon as he passed out of college, Bhowmik began to look for platforms to showcase his works and he did. Then he felt that a lot of his works, at the time, were not being included in galleries because of his medium. His favourite medium had to change and he found his famous medium of acrylic on canvas.

Despite this change, Bhowmik wanted to keep his skills intact. He didn’t want to lose the bold to faint effects of colours on paper that he loved so much and so he began to paint in various shades of the same colour in acrylic. So much so that his canvas today doesn’t really explore more than three to four colours and each colour is muted or to create light and shadow effects of watercolour on paper. A striking yellow or a muddy red or a brisk shade of blue definitely takes a central seat in the narrative and becomes important to his paintings. During college, he had drawn realistic images to compliment his surroundings from his village – Janai, Dankuni in Serampore. Here, he learnt to visually recreate the hubbubs of the locale, such as the railway station and the thatched roofed homes. After his college, he felt the need to capture the essence of Kolkata. Nostalgia and the public commute systems began to intrigue him. The very best way to portray his thoughts on city life was captured through technique mostly while his paintings did portray architecture as landmarks and the pace of a city through technology simultaneously. The yellow taxis, the bright trams, the hand-pulled rickshaws, and similar other vehicles represented his idea of speed and commuting that is so essential to city living. It also signified the ease in movement and quality of life that is so present in cities as opposed to other places. The landmark architecture placed around these moving vehicles stands for the monumental history of the city that has aided in the politics of the space and adds to the telling of the enormous significance of its temporal function. Eventually, he travelled to other cities and his works captured those city spaces as well while keeping his subjects and romance in place. Bhowmik’s paintings have a tranquil quality which is hard to miss in his portrayals of a misty morning or a rainy day in the city. The darkness of the night or the pungency of the afternoon sun are also important features that help him in his cause to explore the city through his art. The weather and the time of day are all very visible subjects in his works. They evoke the sense of romance of an old city with its past set-in stones. Interestingly, this romance is evocative of the Durga Puja season, too, when foggy mornings warn Bengal of the deity’s yearly visits, or just the winter season laying emphasis on the fertility of the season and land.

When asked about his inspirations then, Bhowmik says that he had always enjoyed looking at Atul Bose’s oil paintings, Bikash Bhattacharya’s enormous body of works, and Abanindranath Tagore’s brilliant renditions of the Mughal arts. He finds Tagore’s miniatures so fascinating that he still remains transfixed by the artist’s skills. To him, such skills are celestial inspirations and he can witness the miracles of art in his predecessors.

Interestingly, Bhowmik does echo the Bengal renaissance in his artworks and his school is imbued in the depiction of cities as a reflection on Bengal’s progress as an artistic language and subject. The same city, often, picturised in its festivities and its rush is now being visualised in the most tranquil manner when a certain season sets in or a moment of the day becomes important.

Bhowmik’s portrayals are a reminder for art watchers to look at the simplicities of the cities too, when in its most serene moments, the city becomes less cruel in its pace or less complex in its means. Since, in a painting, Bhowmik is caught depicting this perfect moment, this image becomes quite close to a photograph. The realist genre – as ascribed to the likes of Rembrandt – has always dabbled at depicting reality in the most innate manner while engaging with the miracles of forms, shadows, and lights. Bhowmik builds on it while he brings elements of the miniature styles and the watercolour skills together on the acrylic on canvas medium. To him, his skill is not just about depicting, but about feeling the inebriant qualities of an artist’s journey. Of course, not to forget that Bhowmik’s paintings are a poem on romance, realism, and serenity, but his loudest declaration is his romance with the city space.

The artist is represented by Easel Stories Art Gallery, Noida

Not one to love labels, Shyam Sharma’s art withstands any and all boundaries. However, his fascination with life and its correlation with nature is consistent in all his pieces, says Neelam Gupta

From being a student of painting to later becoming a reputed teacher of printmaking, Padma Shri Shyam Sundar Sharma’s journey as an artist is inspiring and commendable. As one of the finest and pioneering printmakers in India, the 81-year-old who lives and practices art in Patna, has been known within printmaking and educational circles for decades, but his extraordinary output still awaits discovery by the wider public. Considered both an experimenter and a perfectionist, the octogenarian, who is a very active artist, writer and art thinker, got his first experience in the art of printmaking from his father’s printing press during his childhood. Impressions of words and colours on the printed page made him aware of the mesmerising medium of printing as a form of expression. Born at Goverdhan in Mathura district of UP, Sharma joined Lucknow College of Arts and Crafts to get an education in fine Art magazine Delhi. During this period, he produced fine woodcut prints.

From there he went on to innovate in other forms of printmaking. He then took to teaching and became the principal of the Patna College of Arts and Craft. Not one to love labels, his art withstands any and all boundaries. However, Sharma’s fascination with life and its correlation with nature is consistent in all his piece . They also deal with various moods of mankind. He brilliantly renders a cinematic quality in his artwork and it takes the viewer on a ride of interpretations, retrospections, and emotions. He works in various mediums such as glass and canvas, however, he gained huge appreciation for his prints, especially his woodcuts. He innovates in different forms of woodcut prints, in clay blocks and in mixed media. He has even modified the traditional technique into contemporary form with the use of paper pulp. Unlike artists who use printmaking to reproduce images of their paintings, Sharma treats the medium independently, and his creative experiments pushes printmaking into new directions. He travelled to China and Japan and studied their culture and graphic art in detail.

Spending decades in Patna, he has seen the development of art in Bihar for a long time. He has received many awards such as the International Print Biennial- Netherlands and National Award (Lalit Kala Academy) to name a few. He is a committee member of the National Museum. He spoke to Art Soul Life about growing up in Govardhan, learning from the masters and teaching art to some of India’s best-known artists. Excerpts:

What are the memories of your early childhood?

My memories influence my art. I was born in 1941 at Govardhan in Mathura district of UP. My grandfather was a school teacher there, but my father had a printing press in Bareilly. As we all know, Govardhan is a naturally beautiful and very religious place. If I remember correctly, there used to be a temple named Daan Ghati on my way to school. It didn’t have any idols in it, but people used to worship a boulder kept there. Every morning that boulder was bathed with milk and worshipped. In the evening, it was given the form of Shrinathji lifting the Govardhan mountain – the formless form of the morning blossoming into bright colours in the evening. I found it very magical. Like the artists of Nathdwara in Udaipur making pictures of Krishna Leela on the temple walls…the memories of those scenes are still alive inside me. There was Yusuf Chacha’s sign board printing shop and he used to make colourful sign boards. He often used stencil and even made borders with stencil. If I could even make a border with a stencil, that too would have seemed very magical to me. Similarly, before worshiping Goddess Durga during Navratri at home, my mother used to put five hands on the wall with turmeric and roli. Maa Durga is worshiped there. I used to keep looking at those hand prints. Yellow and red colour prints looked very beautiful. If she applied cow dung on the wall, she would imprint her handprints on it too. That impression has stayed with me.

When and how did you get interested in art?

Growing up with colours and pictures, I soon realised that I was attracted to creating and drawing. I must have been in the sixth grade when I felt that my inclination towards colours was increasing. After passing Class 8, I came to Bareilly and got first-hand experience of the art of printmaking. Impressions of words and colours on the printed page made me aware of the mesmerising medium of printing as a form of expression. I started studying art and passed my intermediate with art as a subject. Later, I took admission in the degree college there, but they didn’t have art and I was not interested in other subjects. I failed and decided to go to Lucknow College of Arts and Crafts and graduated with a diploma in art with specialisation in printmaking.

My guru, Jai Kishan Agarwal, who received the International Print Biennale Florence Italy award in 1974, taught me different techniques in printmaking and I made a lot of prints. At our Bareilly house, I would have got all the printing material from my father. But even there I would make wooden blocks with my own hands. After completing the final year, I moved to Patna in 1966 and joined as a teacher at the College of Arts and Crafts. I became an Assistant Professor and started the department of printmaking, which was the first college in Bihar where printmaking was taught.

Who were your art teachers at college?

I’m very grateful to my teachers who taught me the finer points of art. At Lucknow, Padma Shri Sudhir Ranjan Khastgir was our principal. I was fortunate that I had teachers like Nagar ji, Yogi ji, Shrikhande ji, Jai Kishan Agarwal, B. N. Arya, Nityanand Mohapatra etc., who not only taught me art, but also loved me like their son. R. S. Bisht and Avtar Singh Panwar were also my teachers, who taught me landscape drawing and composition. They were masters in drawing and their artworks were so inspiring. The old city of Lucknow with its streets and by lanes was full of Mughal architecture. I was interested in dramatics, so I took part in plays also. Jai Kishan Agarwal ji taught graphic arts, but I was more interested in printing. I used to work a lot at my father’s printing press during holidays.

What are your favourite topics of interest?

In 1965, I won an all-India competition where my print was awarded. I was very excited and made up my mind to become a printmaker. I was very lucky when I got this offer to become an art teacher in Patna. Besides teaching, I used to work also. Yet in my free time, I made my own blocks and prints. I travelled during my off-days checking out works of other artists. I would always think about doing something new. I’d make prints and go to Shantiniketan, or go to Lucknow to Jai Kishan Agarwal ji. I’d go to Bhopal to meet J. Swaminathan, or Delhi to see art exhibitions. It benefitted me a lot as I learned new techniques.

When you were appointed as a teacher at the College of Art and Craft in Patna, how was the art atmosphere in Bihar?

In 1966, Patna was like the Bengal School and art grammar was considered Art magazine Delhi. Most of the students in Patna Art College came from Bengal. The teachers in the college were also mostly from Bengal, but after my appointment, the influence of Delhi and Mumbai started increasing. A few like Bateshwar Babu and Vireshwar Bhattacharya wanted to do something new. I started having art talks with them. The students started getting inspired by me. The graphics department started getting ready in 1966 and lithography work also took off. Later, we started experimenting in printmaking. We started sending students to see national and international art exhibitions followed by talks. Gradually, the thinking started changing leading to new experiments in art. Bihar started connecting to the national art network.

How did printmaking start in Bihar?

In the Buddhist period, Buddhist monks in Magadha used to take photographs on clothes. The beginning of making printing art with modern technology started in the 19th century. During the British period, an officer named Sir Charles D’Oyly, an avid and accomplished amateur artist, was in Patna. In 1824, he set up a lithographic press that he operated between 1828 and 1831 with the help of Indian assistants. He also founded the Bihar School of Athens Society and Jairam Das was appointed as his assistant. Both Indian and British artists adopted this printing style. Later that press was closed. Nowadays many printing presses are working. In this way, since the 19th century, the printing art style has been working in Bihar with modern technology.

Do you go out of your way to promote Bihar artists?

Today, my students in the country and abroad are making a mark in their art. Initially, most of the students worked only on the printing machine. But slowly I inspired them to work on the blocks and on Indian techniques. Those who wanted to try, they went ahead. Many of those who were in a hurry, later left printing and went into painting. Naveen, Prabhakar, Rakhi, Archana Sinha and Alok Prabhakar are meritorious students of Bihar and well-known artists today. Similarly, Subodh Gupta, Narendra Pal Singh, Vipin Kumar and Sanjay Kumar, all of them were once my students, but today they are the signature names of the art world. It was my endeavour to make my students as practical as possible. I introduced them to the right form of art by developing indigenous technologies. Earth and Space, which later won me the National Award, was the result of that. The Emergency in 1975 had a great impact on me. I made two series named Vegetarian Lion and Innocent Snake, which were full of humour, satyr and satire. The JP Movement also influenced me a lot. I listened to the poems of writers like Nagarjuna, Satyanarayan and Alok Dhanva and talked for hours to the famous writer of Bihar, Phanishwar Renu. It was from him that I developed an attachment to indigenous. I started using local material in my prints, like clay blocks and colours which I procured from the local market and they cost cheaper. In 2000, I retired from college and went to the US with my daughter for six months. They live in wooden houses and store old wood from those houses. I made big installations out of that wood. I also made scrolls on silk cloth. Till that time, I was working on subjects, concepts, and figures. But thereon, I worked in abstract form for the first time. After returning from the US, I did a show at the Lalit Kala Academy in Delhi. Here instead of wood, I made a slab of clay. In 2013 again, I went to Auckland. There I had a show in which I printed on paper. The Art magazine Delhi bought the entire work, and in 2018, I received Padma Shri award and in 2022, Lalit Kala Academy awarded me a fellowship.

How did Corona and the pandemic affect your work?

Corona has had a deep impact on my feelings and turned me into something of an introvert. I have started working with form and space and my prints show birds and animals. But my bird isn’t a typical bird. It’s unborn and creative. I fit him into space, like trees. It is kind of a new experiment; my colours have changed, too. Earlier, I used a variety of colours in prints, but now I work only with black and white. Black colour creates a mystery. Now my forms are getting simpler. The decoration is also disappearing. Now seeing my art magazine, a feeling of Indianness arises. You can say that my art journey is developing with experience and age. But I have never worked as a technician.

What is your view on the international art fairs, like Venice Biennale and Indian artists’ participation in these fairs?

The international biennale should continue. This makes the artist’s international identity. They also find it very good to learn. Today, I have my own identity or the international identity of many of my student artists from the biennale or Triennale. The biggest thing is that by participating in these, there is always a spirit of competition and constant in the artist, which gives momentum to the concept and size of his medium.

What is your take on our art colleges and the students that come in?

As far as art colleges in India are concerned, except for Shantiniketan, Baroda and Delhi Art College, the studies in other regional art colleges are not satisfactory. A big reason for this is also that preference has been given to those who study in UGC norms. Those who think about work and art are concerned with thinking. Therefore, the condition of regional colleges can be said to be good. Organisers should focus on regional colleges. Indian art has always moved with the times, but today its pace seems to have stopped. To break this stagnation, it is necessary that they take such steps which will bring ideological wealth to the students.

What is your opinion on Bihar artists seeking pension from the Lalit Kala?

It is wrong to say that they are seeking a pension from Lalit Kala Academy. They are demanding their rights, the Academy has opened Regional Art Centres in Delhi, Lucknow, Calcutta, and Bhubaneswar, but facilities were not given to them to work. They are demanding those facilities. In these four centres, five states come under each centre. There is a branch office in Patna, in which displaced artists come and work. They should get more facilities. Both the number and quantity of their scholarship should be increased. Raw material and latest equipment should be available. The number of experts should be increased. Art activities should be expanded in backward states. The artist spends his whole life with minimum means. He does not have much money at the end of his age, so he must get social security from the government.

What is the future of art considering the fact that NFT is taking off in a big way?

Today, when everything is being sold online, art will also be sold. Can’t stop it, it only benefits the artist, not harm. He can sell his art work sitting at home. He doesn’t need to take all his stuff to the exhibitions. By participating in online exhibitions, he is taking his works to the people. I don’t think it will do any harm to the Art magazine Delhi. Talking about duplication, it has happened in the past and will happen in the future. The original workmen will not be affected by this.

Delhi-based contemporary artist Priyanka Sinha creates images of our core containing no noise, but a deep silence that joins us to sink into our inmost soul, says Jyotish Joshi

Priyanka Sinha is a well-known proficient artist working in abstraction. She has accorded captivating visibility to her paintings by depicting figurative forms in abstraction. Her colour use is fine, in which she reveals the unmanifest with the aid of lines. This unmanifest or invisible becomes visible when she gives it a form by expressing the relationship between the wall, the surface and the sky. When looked at with considerable attention,it seems as if it is not a figurative or shape creation. The figures emerging from rectangles, planes and slant lines emerge in the form of small houses, in which somewhere there is an open door, somewhere there is a peek-a-window, somewhere there are figures springing up on the wall, and somewhere there are objects in the shape of a coil like divine feminine energy, whose colouration amazes us with the coordination of its combinations and configurations. These include the unnamed and formless fragments of our inner world; those whom we feel consciously or unconsciously, or from whose imagination the reality of our inner self arises, there is an attempt to judge them very carefully.

The distinction between fantasy and reality is absent here. What is present is beyond the manifest and the unmanifest lying in that solitude in which we find ourselves in a world created by us or passed down to us. All this is only possible when we try to escape the outside world and descend within ourselves. These images of our core, composed by Sinha contain no noise, but a deep silence that joins the observer to sink into his inmost soul where many unfamiliar, seemingly insignificant figures, seem to float on the easel.

These works contain a music-like melodious voice, which is felt within us. It is not without reason that the German philosopher, Schopen Hauer said: “All arts tend towards music.” Art progresses to music only when it finds its own rhythm, in which the artist’s self dissolves and gets absorbed in art. Then it vibrates. Sinha’s art seems to find that music, no doubt about it. In these works, the artist’s own world is apparent, which we perceive or feel to be non-apparent or invisible, being lost in some inexplicable world, for a long time. Wassily Kandinsky writes in his book, Concerning the Spiritual in Art: “When the artist expresses his subject in abstraction, he realises his inner self in his art.” That is, the artist’s feeling or understanding of his own core is in fact the merge with the inner of the viewer and thus the invisible becomes the visible and the visible becomes invisible.

Says the artist: “There are few ephemeral intimations that exist in our direct and indirect peripheries of seeing. These indirect and inert intimations play a central role in my works. The armature of these imperceptible intimations here obviates the skeleton of manifested confirmations. The strong armature of my painting depicts the colour of the blood throbbing through My Veins, and working as the oxygen for my artwork.The hope which gives me the support to stand and look forward to a better time is invisible even for me.” As such, these works of Sinha record her strong presence in contemporary Indian abstract art and also assure us of her future.

Tat Tvan Asi – you exist in everything, and the universe exists within you, forms the core of multi-disciplinary artist, poet and dreamer, Seema Kohli’s solo London show comprising a unique selection of paintings, drawings, sculptures, etchings, and serigraphs.

Throughout art history, the beauty of the female form has been one of the oldest and most commonly depicted motifs in visual arts. For Delhi-based Seema Kohli, one of our most versatile and hugely talented artists, her work is primarily a celebration of the female form and energy, the source of the twin forces of creation and destruction. Shakti, the divine cosmic energy manifest through female embodiment, has been extensively explored, engaged with, and retold through the 62-yearold artist’s exhaustive practice that spans over three decades embracing a variety of mediums, including paintings, sculpture, installations and performance. So for someone who narrates a multitude of stories through her canvases, interweaving the spiritual and mythical as well as the personal and universal into her work, what does a solo showing, and that too, at the prestigious Royal Academy of Arts mean? Kohli says for so many years, she had been visiting the great institution. “Now, I was there myself at that very space presenting my experiential video Parikrama and my narrative performance Circle of Our Own as an extension of my show,” says the artist, who had her first solo show in London from October 26, 2022, to November 6, 2022. “My performance was followed by a talk about my work with Dr Sangeeta Datta (Baithak), Priya Singh from Bonhams, and moderated by Manmeet Kaur,” she informs. Kohli says she was overwhelmed by the response of her friends and collectors whose homes she was already a part of as artworks. but meeting for the first time. “Art lovers from different nationalities, faiths and identities were pouring in and connecting with the inner sentiment of love and consciousness. And even expressing either in their poetry, music or movement responding to the images. We even had the honour of having the Indian High Commissioner to the U.K, H.E. Mr. Vikram K. Doraiswami, and his wife, Sangeeta at the special preview on October 27,” she adds. “The exhibition, which Sangeeta Ahuja of the London-based SA Fine Arts Gallery. and I had started planning in 2017 over a phone call, introduced by mutual friends, finally came into being in 2022. It has a collection of around 50 artworks, especially curated for London and worldwide audiences,” she informs. The solo exhibition titled Tat Tvam Asi – you exist in everything, and the universe exists within you, forms the core of this unique selection of paintings, drawings, sculptures, etchings, and serigraphs, including hand-painted archival prints based on Kohli’s video and performance art. Each work has a narrative and an insight into Kohli’s oeuvre, which is predominantly based on the theme of ‘Shakti’ – the energy. Through her works, Kohli brings to light the intricate connections of divine energies in our body and in the universe. “Using the body as an instrument to unshackle the confines of the body, flesh, and blood, the intellect becomes subservient to consciousness, readily supplying the mantras and slokas latent in the subconscious,” she explains. “Engaging with a wide circuit of references, like religious iconography, world mythology, philosophy, and

literature, I weave together a story to recover the lost feminine narrative in cultural history,” she adds. Kohli’s harmonious compositions and intricate detailing with an exceptional use of gold leaf and blue render a fantastical world of stories, myths and legends. Deeply meditative and calm, Kohli’s semianthropomorphic divinities surround themselves with trees, birds and animals in the lap of nature. The exhibition is also available on a virtual gallery platform on the website of S.A. Fine Arts – www.safinearts.com. For those who came in late, Circle of Our Own, a live narrative performance by the artist, is another step in her journey exploring the divine feminine energy, Hiranyagarbha, or the “Golden Womb” – space where Prakriti (nature) emerges, where everything is in a constant flow of renewal and rejuvenation. As for Parikrama, the Sanskrit word translates literally as the “path around something”; in a Hindu (and Buddhist) context it means the circumambulation of sacred spaces. It is about her personal parikrama of three such spaces: the Saptamatrika caves at Ellora, the Chausath Yogini Temple, Bhedaghat, also called the Golaki Math (“circular lodge”), and Mahadev Pani, a Shiva cave temple in Madhya Pradesh.

London-based art historian Sona Datta, who curated Kohli’s show, appreciates the uniquely Indian, yet universal appeal of her art. Having served as the Head of South Asian Art at the Peabody Essex Museum in Massachusetts and curated the Bengal Collective at the British Museum among others, Datta has a long history of introducing works of historic significance from the Indian subcontinent to a discerning audience abroad. Little wonder that Kohli caught her eye. “She is interesting because her art is different from the flat global contemporary art, which tends to look the same. The elements of Shakti and Tantra are palpable, in a brave and unselfconscious way. I believe her appeal lies in her contemporary way of addressing timeless and universal themes.” Kohli, who admits that she doesn’t do any sketches at all, says whatever she feels like from within, she lets it just flow. She believes in creating stories that reclaim the lost feminine narrative in cultural history. ‘Tat Tvam Asi’ displays works that are diverse in range, yet collectively portrays the message of the oneness of humanity. There are, of course, the famous Golden Womb pieces, with the overarching theme of regeneration of life. The tapestry here throbs with a life of its own.

Kohli has had over 30 solo shows in Venice, Brussels, New York, Dubai, Singapore, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and many more. She has participated in international biennials (Venice, Shanghai, India), and art fairs (Hong Kong, Basel, Beijing, Madrid, India). Her works are in collections of the National Gallery Of Modern Art, Bengaluru, Melinda Bill Gates Foundation, Rubin’s Museum, MOSA-Brussels, and Kochi Museum of Arts. Working with oils on canvas, inks, mixed mediums, ceramics and printmaking, her work has redefined the basic contours of figurative art in India, finding admirers across the planet. Her work captures in its entirety the perpetual change, order, strength and fragility, colours and rhythm, melody and exuberance of the elemental world. Her work can be seen as public art as murals of 10ft x 100ft at the T3 Delhi International Airport, Mumbai International/Domestic Airport, the Defence Ministry, Tata Residency, Manipal University, ONGC, Tata Center of Excellence, Park Hyatt, Chennai, Leela Hotel-Delhi, Bengaluru etc.