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1 Feb 2018

Art News: Ode To Nature By Shirley Mathew

Ode To Nature - A Solo Exhibition By Shirley Mathew

Art News: Ode To Nature - Shirley Mathew

Conceived while sitting in front of a Buddhist temple in Bylekoppe, Coorg, Shirley Mathew's latest suite of works delve deep into the interconnectedness between nature and spirituality and translate them onto canvas. The outcome is a beautiful series that is a celebration in brilliant colours.

Shirley Mathew, a graduate in Psychology (Hons), Jesus and Mary College, Delhi, was initially interested in the nuances of drama and theatre in school and college. She has acted in plays and directed skits from a young age. All along she dabbled in art and later enrolled for intensive study in art at the Corcoran College of Art and Design in the US. She further trained in Barcelona, Spain at the Escola Llotja, the institution where Picasso studied in his early years and his father had taught. This was followed by a short residency at the Garhi Studios of Lalit Kala Akademi, Delhi that was enriching as an artist. She later trained in Tuscany, Italy and learned new techniques to hone her talent that has led to another dimension in her creativity.

Shirley has represented Karnataka at the Art Fusion Show, Mumbai, to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Statehood of Maharastra. A finalist in a National Art Competition, she has participated in more than 50 shows that include several solo shows in prestigious galleries of Bengaluru. She has made a presence in the genre of Abstract Expressionism and has displayed her works in 10 cities of India. Her interest to learn other art forms led to completing courses in Madhubani Painting and Basic paper making conducted by well known artists in the respective fields.

Working mostly with mixed medium, Shirley allows the subject to rule the choice of palette and techniques. Her philosophy is to touch as many lives positively with her creativity and has been conducting art awareness shows for many years in her studio. Shirley has conducted workshops for underprivileged children to raise funds and with professionals in the corporate world to introduce art as therapy.

Her works are in the collection of private homes and Corporate Houses in India, Bahrain, Singapore, USA, Australia, UK and France. She lives and works in Bengaluru.

Exhibition continues till 28th Feb, 2018 at Sublime Galleria, Bangalore

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23 Jan 2018

Art News: OPEN CALL: apexart International Open Call 2018-19

OPEN CALL: apexart International Open Call 2018-19

From February 1 - March 1, 2018 apexart is accepting proposals for its International Open Call for exhibitions. Three winning proposals will be presented as part of apexart’s 2018-19 exhibition season, and can take place anywhere in the world, except for New York City. Curators, artists, writers, and creative individuals, regardless of experience level or location, are invited to submit proposals online.

• The Submission Process: Proposals should describe focused, idea-driven, original group exhibitions. No biographical information, CVs, links, or images may be included within the application - just describe the exhibition you want to create and why. Submissions cannot exceed 500 words and must be submitted in English, and submitters must have visited the proposed exhibition location previously. This year’s submission form also requires the listing of three potential artists, though this list will not be reviewed by the jury. Proposals are judged only by their content and the organizer’s ability to communicate, rather than by familiar names or past accomplishments.

Illegal Kosmonavtika (Installation view), an apexart Open Call exhibition organized by Magda Guruli and Mariam Natroshvili in Tbilisi, Georgia in 2017.

• The Selection Process: An international jury, composed of more than 150 individuals from a wide variety of professional backgrounds, rates the proposals. Rather than convene a small panel to review hundreds of ideas, apexart’s crowd-sourced voting system allows many jurors to individually review a subset of proposals. Submissions are made anonymous and randomized for juror review, and apexart does not influence the results of the jury. The organizers of the three highest-ranked proposals each receive an honorarium and funding for the selected exhibition proposal, and work closely with the apexart team to turn their idea into an apexart exhibition.

To submit an exhibition proposal, visit apexart.org/opencalls.php by March 1, 2018.

Proposals will be accepted from February 1 - March 1, 2018.

To learn more about how to submit your 500-word exhibition proposal, visit apexart.org/opencalls.php

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13 Dec 2017

Art News: Noted painter Nilima Sheikh becomes first artist to be selected for Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2018

Noted painter Nilima Sheikh becomes first artist to be selected for Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2018

Kochi, Dec 12: Versatile and provocative painter Nilima Sheikh, whose illustrious body of

Nilima Sheikh, the first artist who got the curator's nod for the fourth edition of Kochi-Muziris Biennale which begins on December 12, 2018, Art Scene India

works is a scorching portrayal of the turmoil in Kashmir valley and a mystical depiction of women-centric issues, has become the first artist to get the curator’s nod for the fourth edition of Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB), which begins exactly a year later -- December 12, 2018.

Anita Dube, the curator of the upcoming KMB that is hosted by the Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF), announced Sheikh’s name today, formally setting in motion the process of selection of her artists for the high-profile contemporary art event that has redefined the cultural landscape in Kerala and India.

During her over five-decade career, the 72-year-old Vadodara-based painter has produced an incredibly magnificent oeuvre, wielding her brush to make an intense depiction of subjects, with particular emphasis on Kashmir, Partition and displacement. Her strength also lies in the portrayal of grimness of contemporary life like oppressive patriarchy and the silent suffering of women that crack social fabric and she does it through use of traditional idioms and motifs.

A historian by training before she focused her attention on the canvas, Sheikh delved into the history of Kashmir, and believes that the valley’s turmoil “is owing to our lack of understanding (of the place and people there) as Indians…The artist’s role is to bear witness - to both the past and present.”

“The tender compassion in the paintings of Nilima Sheikh, in their quiet grandeur, aligns the feminine with the mystic and subversive strains in our tradition. She is a voice we must listen to, especially in these violent troubled times,” said Anita Dube.

Hailing the selection of Sheikh, KBF President Bose Krishnamanchari said, “The Kochi Biennale Foundation is thrilled that we are able to make this announcement on 12/12/17, exactly a year to the day the next edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale will start. Curator Anita Dube's intentions and ideas for KMB 2018 are reflected in Nilima Sheikh, the first artist she's presenting of the lineup. I can see in her choice reflections of the socially and politically sensitive aesthetics that Anita would bring to KMB-2018.”

Heavily inspired by the literary works of Rabindranath Tagore, Sheikh became interested at an early age in the connection between stories and images, between murals and ancient manuscripts. Beyond appropriating traditional techniques in her paintings, she works with figure and narration in her practice, which has famously translated into theatre sets such as Umrao as well as children’s books.

Her works are rooted in Eastern painting traditions such as miniature painting and oral traditions of vernacular folk songs. For her paintings, she drew inspiration from artists like Abanindranath Tagore, Nandalal Bose and K G Subramanyan. Through her own life experiences, Sheikh continues to create bodies of work that evoke mystical imaginary landscapes that address feminine experiences.

Her most recent work, titled Terrain: Carrying Across, Leaving Behind, was produced for Documenta 14, a leading global exhibition held in Kassel (Germany) every five years.

The artist also includes song and poetry as a performative mode of public address, echoing the 14^th century female mystic Lal Dĕd of Kashmir (translated by Ranjit Hoskote), along with references to texts from several writers who have written about Kashmir such as Aga Shahid Ali and Salman Rushdie.

About Kochi Biennale Foundation

The Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF), founded in 2010 by prominent artists Bose Krishnamachari and Riyas Komu, hosts the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB), which made its debut in 2012. A non-profit charitable trust engaged in promoting art and culture and educational activities in India, it works round the year to strengthen contemporary art infrastructure and to broaden public access to art across the country. These programmes include talks, conferences, performances, educational initiatives, workshops and other forms of wide public engagement.

The KBF is also engaged in the conservation of heritage properties and monuments and the upliftment of traditional forms of art and culture.

A biennial exhibition on the best of contemporary international art, the KMB has shaped up as a seminal event in the realm of art and culture. The 108-day-long third edition of the biennale (12 December 2016-29 March 2017), held at 12 sites, showcased installations of 97 artists from 31 countries and drew over six lakh visitors.

Prominent artist Anita Dube is the curator for the fourth edition of the KMB, beginning December 12, 2018. Her selection by the KBF was in keeping with the Biennale’s long-standing tradition of being an artist-led exhibition. Based out of the National Capital Region, she is renowned for her conceptually rich, politically charged works. An art historian and critic by training and a visual artist in practice, she has been widely exhibited across the Americas, Europe and Asia, including at the first edition of the KMB in 2012.

*press release

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Art News: Anita Dube declared curator of Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2018

21 Nov 2017

Art News: Re-presentation of Reality in Contemporary Art

Re-presentation of Reality in Contemporary Art

22nd Nov at 5.30 pm at Reves Art Gallery, Bangalore

Introduction: All works of art are representations of reality, whether that reality is made up of sensory perceptions, an inner world or a fictitious account. The various styles or forms of art making suggest different ways of looking at reality. In today's context, mediums such as television and film, and technology such as virtual reality offer transformative experiences with varied representations of the reality and of imaginary realms.

New media and technologies have opened up possibilities, breaking barriers of time and space in two dimensional media, making it possible to simulate experiences involved in viewing and engaging with art. It also allows an amalgamation of the personal and the popular in novel ways.
The all pervasive nature of the Internet and wide use of technology have impacted art production and consumption, allowing multiple ways of creating and engaging with contemporary art.

About the Panelists

Murali Cheeroth

Murali Cheeroth has exhibited in over 100 significant shows across the globe in the last two decades. His visual works refer to a wide variety of sources in the cultural sphere and contain within them a deep conversation with the history of representation in visual media, fine art, cinema, music and architecture. Within the context of the history of visual representation, his current explorations include the architecture of the city, urbanization and urban cultures. He looks closely at the ideas of re-construction, infrastructure, technology, speed and change, intersections of local and the global, multiple layers of urban identities and so on.

Some of his major exhibitions include ‘Passage to India’ – the New Indian Art from the Frank Cohen collection in UK (2009); Indian Art summit in New Delhi, SH contemporary Art Fair, Shanghai, Chicago Art Fair and London Art Fair in 2010, Colombo Beinnale, 2012, Chalo India – A group show of Contemporary Indian Artists at Basel Art Centre, 2014. Hotel Maria Kapel Korte Achterstraat 2a1621 GA Hoorn NL-2015, Art fair in Torino, Italy2015, The 2nd international art exhibition of the Silk Road, Shanxi Art Museum, China-2015. His art education includes a BFA and MFA from Shantiniketan, West Bengal and advanced computer diploma in digital media.

Ravikumar Kashi

Ravikumar Kashi is an artist who works in different mediums such as painting, sculpture, photography and installation. His works combine or cut across defined expectations from these mediums. His idea / concept driven works are layered and connect with the viewer in multiple ways. Desire, decay and death are a major concern in his works along with introspection.

Kashi was born in Bangalore in 1968. He completed his B.F.A. from College of Fine Arts, Bangalore in 1988; M.F.A. from Faculty of Fine Arts, M.S. University, Baroda in 1990; and M.A. in English from Mysore University, in 1995. He learnt handmade papermaking from Glasgow School of Art, U.K. He also learnt Hanji, traditional Korean papermaking, from Jang Ji Bang, Korea. He has shown his works in solo shows and curated shows across the world in galleries, art fairs, biennales and museums. He has received National award from Lalit Kala Akademi, Delhi and two awards from Karnataka Lalit Kala Academy and one from Karnataka Shilpa Kala Academy for his works. He writes on art in Kannada and English. Two of his books, 'Anukta' and 'Kannele' have been published from AkshsraPrakashana, Hegggodu. His book 'Kannele' has received Karnataka Sahitya Academy award. He teaches at RV School of Architecture and Acharya School of Design as adjunct visiting faculty.

Shanthamani. M

Shanthamani. M has done a Papermaking Course from Glasgow, Scotland after finishing her Master of Arts (Fine) in Painting from the M.S. University, Baroda. Her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting is from CAVA, Mysore University. Her solo exhibitions abroad were “Neither Tree nor Ash” at Suzanne Tarasieve Gallery, Paris, France in 2016 and “Carbon Myths” at Gallery, Helene Lamarque, curated by Anne Maniglier, Miami, Florida, the USA in 2010.

Her participation in the Kochi Muziris Biennale, India 2014, in Art Brussels, represented by Suzanne Tarasieve Gallery, Brussels, in India Art Fair, New Delhi 2012, in “Critical Mass” Tel Aviv Museum, curated by Tami Katz-Freiman, Rotem Ruff, Tel Aviv, Israel, in “River, Body & Legends” a corpus multimedia presentation with two Women artists at Matighar, Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, New Delhi 2003, in the two person show held at Galerie Muller & Plate, Munich 2001 and the 10th Triennale-India underline her credentials as a contemporary artist.

In 2017 she was Artist in Residence at Cité Des Arts, Paris and in 2013 she participated in the International Bamboo workshop with the students of Ensad, Paris, in Saline Royale.

Nalini S Malaviya

She is a Bangalore based art critic and consultant. She has been writing for the media since 2003, and has been an art columnist for Financial Times (Delhi and Bangalore) and Bangalore Mirror. She has contributed to Times of India, Sunday Herald, Art and Deal, Art Etc., Art Journal, Art Fair and Lalit Kala Contemporary.

Her curatorial projects include Reimagining: (Un)Reality and Space, Irreverent Gene, Polynomials of Relevance and the ongoing Parallax of Visual Memories. She has published papers on Art, Artists and Society – Catalysing Social Change, and Linear Progressions: Tracing the Line in Karnataka for the Karnataka Lalithkala Academy Journal.

Some of her prefatory essays for art catalogues include 'Feeling Absence' a photography show by Shibu Arakkal, ‘Icons in our Midst’, New Delhi, essays for Yusuf Arakkal's catalogues and books and for artists Gurudas Shenoy, Milind Nayak and Suresh K Nair among others. She was on the Jury for the Lalit Kala Akademi National Exhibition 2017.

An occasional fiction writer, Nalini has published short stories as part of various anthologies, The Shrinking Woman, The Curse of the Bird and Bhelpuri. She publishes www.artsceneindia.com, a popular blog cum Ezine featuring art news, events and articles. She can be reached on nalini.indianart@gmail.com

Venue
Reves Art Gallery
Address;#32,Yedla's 3rd Floor,
100 ft Maranahalli Road,
Sangam Circle,8th Block Jayanagar
Bangalore -560082
Tel -080 48663224
Mob +91 9901931314

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13 Oct 2017

Art in Interiors: Buying Art for the Festive Season

Fresh artworks can infuse a new life in your surroundings and add a creative flair to the décor

The festive season is a great time to renovate and redesign interiors and add finishing touches to the décor. A beautifully designed space is incomplete without good art. Paintings on the wall, sculptures and installations in open spaces, murals painted directly on wall surfaces, assemblages and tabletop sculptures among a host of other options offer multiple ways to individualize interiors and add that creative flair to the décor. The festive season is therefore a great time to buy art for display in your home and also as a gift for loved ones.

Buying Art for the Festive Season, Art in Interiors, Art Scene India, Image courtesy pixabay.com

When buying art, it is best to buy original art by well-known artists, which is not only a great investment but also adds class and personality to the décor. Buying fresh artworks can infuse a new life in your surroundings. Colours from the painting can be repeated or coordinated in the furnishings and even wall colours. And, one can actually decide on furniture, architectural details, for instance create wall niches to display art, flooring, drapes and other furnishing and accessories based on the art.

Also, art can be purchased as a basis for decorating interiors or selected according to the existing décor. For instance, when renovating, select an artwork which can provide a theme for the décor and can even help in choosing the décor style, for instance, ethnic, modern or eclectic, for that particular space or the entire home according to one’s preferences. Look for artworks which appeal to you and then evaluate the purchase based on the available space, wall surface, size and budget.

Commission an artist to do an artwork which is exactly to your specifications in terms of space, size, colours and subject. Discuss the concept and your requirements with the artist to chalk out a blueprint that matches perfectly. Paint an entire wall around a festive theme or paint a piece of furniture in multi coloured hues. It could be an abstract rendition or a work in pop art. There are immense possibilities when you work with an artist directly.

Folk art in vibrant hues is also a good option during the festive season; these are priced affordably and also explore traditional celebratory themes. Buy from galleries which promote folk art where you can purchase exclusive pieces, rather than mass produced images.

Display

To ensure the focus remains on the art piece, the space should be clutter free and the painting well lit. When putting up large paintings it is best to space them out. Save oversized paintings for large areas. Small paintings that reflect a theme or a colour scheme can be grouped on a wall; an odd number is visually more pleasing to the eye.

The wall surface and its size can also be used as a guide to select a set of paintings, for instance, paintings can be grouped vertically on a narrow strip of wall. In passages, more than one painting can be hung on the wall to create a visual diversion in a functional space that is unexciting by itself. Similarly, a set of small paintings in the kitchen is better than having a single large one.

Paintings are typically hung on walls, however, they can also be displayed on a floor easel, which is a great way to fill up spaces; it is especially useful when you don’t want to put nails in the wall. Smaller paintings can be displayed on tabletops with the help of small easels or can be rested against books.

Art can be accentuated with the help of ceiling-mounted spotlights or recessed lights as direct light can damage the paintings.

Published in Times of India, Bangalore
Images courtesy pixabay

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30 Sept 2017

Art News: apexart Open Call for Group Exhibitions 2018-19

apexart Open Call for Group Exhibitions 2018-19

apexart has been making people think for more than 20 years with innovative and unique approaches to programming. Fewer politics and more transparency resulting in more meritocratic and provocative exhibitions in NYC and around the world.

apexart exhibitions are selected from hundreds of anonymous proposals by an international jury of more than 200 people. Who you know doesn’t matter, the quality of your idea and how well you communicate it does. When an exhibition proposal is selected for apexart’s program season, it means that the idea is seen as compelling and worth developing by a large diverse jury that wants to see it transformed from a proposal into an exhibition.

apexart exhibitions feature works about everything, from anywhere, by anyone. If you follow what we do, you might discover something new or end up contributing to our programming.

In 2017, Animal Intent explored creature creativity, Promises to Keep presented performance art by women Pakistani artists, and Fellow Travelers explored the intersections of science fiction and migration narratives. apexart has also held exhibitions in places like Tarrafal, Cape Verde – examining histories of post-colonial prisons in Glimmer of Freedom – and Tbilisi, Georgia – probing the legacy of Soviet Cosmonautics in Illegal Kosmonavtika.

apexart awards a budget of $10,000 to each selected exhibition and its related programming, and organizers receive a $2,000 honorarium for coordinating the project and writing the exhibition essay.

Proposals for group exhibitions in our NYC exhibition space will be accepted from October 1-31, 2017.

To learn more about how to submit your 500-word exhibition proposal, visit apexart.org/opencalls.php.

Art News: apexart Open Call for Group Exhibitions 2018-19, apexart.opencall.nyc18, https://apexart.org/images/rochester/press/cantor.jpg

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