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20 Dec 2018

Traditional Mysore Paintings by Shobana Udayasankar

An exhibition of exquisite traditional Mysore paintings by Shobana Udayasankar previews today at Chitrakala Parishath

The symbolism-rich, intricate Mysore style is a traditional art form, which once graced the temples and palaces of the centuries-old Wodeyar empire. Bangalore based artist, Shobana Udayasankar is committed to keeping the tradition of Mysore art alive and works not only on recreating the most unique of traditional designs, but also aims to innovate through the use of cultural influences from Asia and Europe, experimenting even with abstracts.

Traditional Mysore Paintings by Shobana Udayasankar, Gowri Ganesha, Indian Art Scene

Having started out as an amateur enthusiast, spurred by her interest in preserving the art form, her journey has been a long and rewarding one. Shobana is now set to showcase her collection of traditional Mysore paintings in Bengaluru for the first time ever. Sixty artworks, ranging in size from 8 x 10 inches to multiple pieces that are 4 x 6 feet, along with many intermediate sizes, will be part of the show. Mysore paintings are characterised by high level of detail and fine intricate work and Shobana’s works stand out for their extraordinary rendering.

The works are based on tales and events occurring in various scriptural and mythological texts, including the Puranas. The ‘Samudra Manthana’ or Churning of the Ocean – a metaphorical depiction of the creation of the manifested world that features over fifty individual figures – and ‘The Wedding of Girija (Parvathi) and Shiva’ and ‘Kama-Kameswari’ are examples of deeper philosophical ruminations on the structure of the cosmos that have been presented and preserved for generations as art.

Traditional Mysore Paintings by Shobana Udayasankar, Krishna, Indian Art Scene

Also featured are depictions of gods and goddesses, following the symbolisms and descriptions set out in ancient treatises, including the famed Samudrika-Lakshana – the science of anatomical proportions. ‘Devi Chamundeswari’ serves an example of a more traditional representation of the patron Goddess of the Wodeyar kings.

Traditional Mysore Paintings by Shobana Udayasankar, Devi Chamudeshwari, Indian Art Scene

Shobana aims to inculcate interest in the art form beyond the small traditional circles and make more people aware of the art and develop an appreciation of it. Her own interest was sparked as she grew up hearing many mythological tales from my mother, and growing up, developed a strong interest in spirituality - particularly the deeper meanings in scripture and philosophy - which gave her an affinity for various representations of the divine. “This deepened my interest in more traditional art forms, of which I found that Mysore art was not only less well-known, but it was also a delicate and intricate form, the practice of which was almost a spiritual experience in itself - not unlike meditation. Once I had caught a glimpse of this depth, there was no turning back,” she explains.

Comprising many stages of painstaking and intricate work, including the preparation of the hardboard, the initial sketching, the ‘gesso’ work that provides a subtle embossing, to the pasting of the extremely fragile pure gold leaf and the final painting itself, pieces made following the authentic Mysore school of art take many months of diligent and dedicated effort. It can even take years to finish a large, intricate piece of work. Shobana elaborates, “My recent large-scale work "Lalitha Durbar" is about 4.5 feet by 5.5 feet, and it took me nearly two years to finish.”

Traditional Mysore Paintings by Shobana Udayasankar, evite Indian Art Scene

Based on the premise that India’s rich mythological heritage has a wider audience, as evidenced from the spread and survival of popular themes such as the Ramayana in art forms native to other Asian countries, including Indonesia and Thailand, Shobana has attempted to stretch the boundaries of this art by presenting new compositions that remain true to the original techniques and methods of this art form alongside traditional representations. ‘Rama and Sita’ (Thai style) is one such example of the artist’s contemporary vision. It is her way to appeal to purists as well as those seeking a more dynamic approach to heritage and tradition, thus bridging the gap between the ancient and the modern.

Shobana’s expertise and proficiency in the field was recognized jointly by the All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society and the Karnataka Lalitakala Akademi and she was conferred the Millennium Artist Award in the year 2000.

The exhibition is on at Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath from 21 - 26 December 2018

Images: Courtesy Shobana Udayasankar

You can connect with the artist on FB, Twitter & Instagram
sponsored post (based on the press release and conversation with the artist)
Updated: Dec 21

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5 Nov 2018

Art Bengaluru 2018 - A Celebration of Contemporary Art

Art Bengaluru 2018 - Ongoing at UB City

The 2018 edition of Art Bengaluru brings together 17 Indian artists across 24 exhibits to UB City, the centrally located mall in Bangalore. This year, one can see photography, mixed media artworks, oil paintings, acrylics, pen and ink drawings, sculptures (from wood, steel and paper) and video projects, all arranged aesthetically adopting a cohesive approach, and there are some very interesting works to be seen at the mall. Since, it's a public space, anyone can walk in to view the art. The exhibition scores high in terms of accessibility, display and lighting. With several outreach programmes the footfall is expected to be high.

Art Bengaluru 2018 at UB City, Public Art, Photograph courtesy Prestige group, Art Scene India

Saju Kunhun

Art Bengaluru 2018 at UB City, Prestige Group, Public Art, Photographs Art Scene India

Balan Nambiar

The display has been put together exceedingly well and it begins at the foyer with Balan Nambiar's large stainless steel sculptures and continues inside the mall with his enamel works and a large painting by Gurudas Shenoy (a 20 ft multipanel work on the ground floor, which forms a stunning focal point). His natural and urban semi-abstract canvases form an extensive collection at Sublime Galleria on the 8th floor as well.

Vipta Kapadia and Kavita Jaiswal are among other artists that are displayed on the ground level and their abstracts - quiet and meditative by the former and heavily textured and layered by the latter are captivating. The large linear hillscapes in pen and ink on paper from 1986 by D Venkatapathy, the senior founder member of the Cholamandal Artist Village are intricately detailed in black and white.

Gurudas Shenoy

Parvathi Nayar

The centrally located exhibits of the 2nd floor showcase works by Parvathi Nayar, Romicon Revola, Ashu Gupta and Saju Kunhan. Parvathi’s graphite drawings explore water in its simultaneous ubiquity and scarcity, portrayed through the entire spectrum of perspective - from bird’s eye to microscopic. Romicon video works offer an interesting narrative, where one invites the viewer to contemplate and meditate on a single drop of water and the other engages with the phenomenon of the urban sprawl. She says, "The urban sprawl is like the mythical hydra: a creature that grows two new heads every time one of its heads is cut off."

Romicon Revola

Bothysathavur , S Ravi Shankar & Ganesh Selvaraj play with symmetry with paper and wood, 'these exhibits are tethered by strict geometrical forms employed by the artists; from the perspective-altering curves and lines of Yuvan’s work on plywood, to Ravi Shankar’s architectural laser-cut paper sculpture that transform in different angles of light, and Ganesh’s intense assemblages of magazine paper on board'.

On the first floor, photography and photo media by Devangana Kumar and Rohaan Sulaiman are exhibited. Devangana recreates postcards from mid-nineteenth century that are based on Indian servants employed by British and which presents them as commodified subjects. The artist's large format digital recreations attempts to reinstate dignity and identity and humanise them. "Rohaan’s documentation of Naga tribes and wildlife explore themes of migration, adaptation to rapidly evolving habitats and preservation of tradition," according to Abhishek Naidu, curator.

Pallon Daruwala

Pallon’s exhibit features a selection of works from the new edition of his Vertical Horizon series, which aptly titled, capture a diverse series of subjects and settings that are as thought provoking and disorienting as they play with the 'normal' and turn around perspectives.

With curated art walks, the festival also aims to contribute to art education among both children and adults. Art Bengaluru 2018 has partnered with several schools (Parikrma Centre of Learning, Srishti Institute of Art, Design & Technology and Dr. Beltran’s Animation School, to name a few) to take their students through curated walks to help them better understand and appreciate the arts.

Curated art walk with exchange students from Garden University, Spain

Ms. Uzma Irfan - Festival Director, Art Bengaluru & Director, Prestige Group

The featured artists include Balan Nambiar, Gurudas Shenoy, Kavita Jaiswal, Vipta Kapadia, Chandan Bhowmick, D Venkatapathy, Yuvan Bothysathavur, S Ravi Shankar, Devangana Kumar, Rohaan Sulaiman, Parvathi Nayar, Romicon Revola, Ashu Gupta, Ashish Dubey and Pallon Daruwala.

Ms. Uzma Irfan is the Festival Director, Art Bengaluru & Director, Prestige Group

More details on Art Bengaluru 2018 here http://www.artbengaluru.in/

Art Bengaluru at UB City, Vittal Mallya Road, 11am onwards is on till November 18

Edit: Updated 02 – 18 November 2018

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2 Nov 2018

Art News: Recounting Memories by Gurudas Shenoy in Bangalore

Recounting Memories by Gurudas Shenoy

at Sublime Art Galleria in Bangalore

Gurudas Shenoy’s urban spaces recount narratives constructed around places, their architecture and history to form visual chronicles. The irregular façades of structural forms conceal stories of life and living. An array of emotions, personal and collective sagas and memories lie embedded within the walls of settlements. Archives of human existence entrenched in every brick and piece of glass, the inanimate captures the living breath within its folds.

The evolution of the current series of cityscapes can be traced to his travels across India and Europe. A significant point in his artistic journey, the European visual and cultural environment opened up entirely new vistas for him. It triggered rigorous experimentations on canvas, and an expansiveness in his imagination and thought, resulting in a fresh vocabulary. Paris, Amsterdam and Prague amongst other cities, contributed to a refined aesthetic in terms of colours, lines, form, light and textures, leading him to explore the city in its vitality, sheer energy and its resplendence. His fascination with buildings, old and new, their historicity, and their silent role as witnesses to time and its transformation, their inhabitants and their lives with all its variations, became a muse.

Apart from the cityscapes, Shenoy’s newer works occupy a transitory space, where the structures from an urban skyline gently dissolve their linearity and are suggestive of memories of land and the surrounding environment. Undulating terrains, open skies and hints of topographical details speckle the surface and the works become calmer and unencumbered in their exploration. Perhaps, meditative too, reflecting Shenoy’s state of mind and a personal sense of serenity that he now embraces. The experimentations with colours and textures intensify, and he continues to gravitate further towards abstraction. He revisits landscapes - from places he has travelled to, and represents them as snapshots in time and space. The colours are vivid with strong and often dramatic brushstrokes that capture the essence of the memory – of land, its contours and colours, the play of light and the prevalent mood.

Nalini S Malaviya

Art Critic, Bangalore

Excerpt from the catalog essay Recounting Memories

All images are courtesy the artist

Recounting Memories by Gurudas Shenoy at Sublime Art Galleria in Bangalore previews on 2nd Nov and continues till 28th Nov, 2018.

5 Sept 2018

Art News: 'Bend' - A solo exhibition of contemporary sculptures by Kalyan S Rathore

'Bend' - The Nature Of Change And The Order Of Repetition

A solo exhibition of contemporary sculptures by Kalyan S Rathore

Curated by Nalini S Malaviya

till September 29 at Gallery Manora, Bangalore

Aesthetics in Distortion

The preciseness of mathematical rules, the natural order in nature and the variants that occur during repetition, lie at the core of Kalyan Rathore’s art making. His sculptural installations derive inspiration from form, structure, space and aesthetics that occur in nature - as an innate incidence. Rathore explores elements of design, formation and spatial arrangement as observed in nature and their underlying patterns of morphology to recreate them in his sculptures.

Rathore has been working as an industrial designer and has conceptualised and created several large scale installations, which have been based on mathematical algorithms, and employ multimedia. Applying principles of progressive distortion, he repeats patterns to create motifs that resemble flora, fauna and naturally occurring elements. The sculptural forms appear to grow organically in a sequential manner, mimicking growth and patterns in nature, yet are reduced to a minimalist form that captures the essentials - the essence of the shape, form and motif in a geometric layout.

Serendipity from 'Bend' - A solo exhibition of contemporary sculpture by Kalyan S Rathore Curated by Nalini S Malaviya

‘Bend’ explores the variant that alters the mathematical code at the fundamental level, albeit from an artistic perspective, while applying mathematical rules such as the Fibonacci sequence and other relevant formulae responsible for the progression. For instance, the fractal defines a form created by repetitive application of a mathematical rule, where the form does not have to be homogenous, but it is precise. In the event of an error or variation introduced in the rule, the precision gives way to a slight distortion of the form, while retaining its essence, which is close to what is found in nature.

In the current suite of works, ‘Bend’ employs stellation to build the polytopes with new figures and forms - the essence of floral and animal figures, and patterns prevailing in nature. The sculptures explore plurality of probable motifs, genesis of natural forms, germination of organic life, and a multitude of possibilities that manifests in nature as an intuitive process.

Nalini S Malaviya

Curator

Bangalore

August, 2018

(excerpt from the curatorial essay)

Artist’s Statement:

Reality is warped. Straight lines are ‘straight’ only under the frame of reference we choose to adhere to. Mass is the summation of energy and Energy is an equally distorted idea too. We are left with no friendly-concepts in science when Quantum-physics walks into the room. The more we explore the more we push the wrinkles of uncertainty around the corner. This is not just a metaphorical position but one that rings true in the scientific communities as well.

‘BEND’ is my ode to the world of distortion. Distortion by design and Design by repetitions. Mutations that are born out of repetition and change.

Plural from 'Bend' - A solo exhibition of contemporary sculpture by Kalyan S Rathore Curated by Nalini S Malaviya

Perhaps the key to chaos is in Order. Can this order be harnessed and explained? The answers may lie in nature. Where nature chooses Geometry as a guiding template to render herself. I seek to find the common elements in every form; from an Atom to the Universe. In flora and fauna this seeming waywardness is apparent. On deeper inspection strict mathematical principles seem to govern the recipe for growth, structure and aesthetics. Geometry it appears is the solution nature turns to in order to negotiate and resolve the need for resources.

The sculptor in me wants to pin down a ‘minimum fundamental form’ that applies itself by replicating and changing at the same time. I present to you my series called BEND; The Nature of change and the order of repetition which is an ongoing exploration of Nature inspired structures.

The exhibition continues till September 29 at Gallery Manora, Indira Nagar, Bangalore

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To contribute articles, please get in touch at nalini.indianart@gmail.com

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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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Also read,

6 Tips On How To Approach An Art Gallery And Find Gallery Representation

Exhibiting Art in Non-Gallery Spaces

Guide To Exhibiting Your Artworks

How to Create an Online Presence

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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