With nature as the core subject, 33 artists come together to create magic on canvas with their expressionist works and faith in spirituality
TEXT: TEAM ART SOUL LIFE
Panchmahabhoot refers to the five fundamental elements – Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Space- that are responsible for the creation of the Universe, including humans. These elements have different characteristics and also account for different faculties of human experience. Keeping in mind the importance of these elements in sustaining the world, an art show was curated by Neeraj Sharma, in which art stalwarts from across the country, including National Award winners, gathered under one roof to showcase their best works. The show was inaugurated by octogenarian visual artist Roop Chand at the Visual Arts Gallery, IHC, New Delhi. Eminent artist G. R. Iranna and author Taslima Nasrin were among the many dignitaries to take a closer look at the artworks. Talking about the show, the curator said, “Last year we planned an art camp in the holy town of Varanasi on the theme Panchmahabhoot, but the pandemic sabotaged all our plans and we postponed the camp. When things went back to normal, we finally decided to put the show together at the prestigious Visual Arts Gallery, in which 33 artists including seniors, emerging and young talent took part with their thoughtful works numbering 77.”
During all the five days, the show received a volume of art lovers which included surgeons, physicians, techies, well-known poets and writers, celebrity artists, talented actors and directors, which in itself tells the grand success of the exhibition. “With nature as the core subject, most paintings in the exhibition represented expressionism and the artists’ faith in spirituality and some of the artists’ works are done in a centrifugal manner. The bold and vibrant use of colours on canvas was nothing less than a breath of fresh air for art admirers,” Sharma said. The exhibition was very well received in the art community, added Sharma, who is also the founder of Speaking Art Foundation (SAF) – an organisation that works to bridge the gap between art admirers and artists and educate people about art. Thanking all the people who helped him achieve his goal, he said, “My sincere gratitude to the living legends of art, who unconditionally supported me and became a part of this dream venture. As a non-profit organisation, my effort has always been to serve art humbly, and I believe, together we can do it,” he remarked.
The participating artists were: Amit Dutt, Anil Kohli, Arup K. Biswas, Ashok Bhowmick, Banee Singh, Chanchal Ganguly, Dr Chhaya Kumari, Dr Deepti Jain, Dr Doyel Sinha, Dr Neerja Chandna Peters, Dr Nishit Jain, Dr Suryasnata Mohanty, Geetu Thakur, Gursimran Kaur, Harsh Inder Loomba, Jatin Chaudhary, K. Vishwanathan, Madhu Dhir, Mamta Dahiya, Manomoy Das, Meenakshi Jha Banerjee, Meha Khanna, Nawal Kishore, Padam Chand, Prem Singh, Rajshree Verma, Ramchandra Pokale, Sanjay Bhola ‘Dheer’, Sapna Gupta, Sharyu Amoda, Shilpa Miridul, Sukhmani Kaur and Swati Goyal. SAF works throughout the year to provide opportunities to artists at different levels by organising exhibitions, workshops, camps, demonstrations, art talks, art competitions and performances. It creates a platform where promising and established artists can interact, learn and grow together, exhibit their talent and express themselves freely without any boundaries.
