Showing posts with label Bangalore Art Scene. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bangalore Art Scene. Show all posts

12 Oct 2019

Art News: Ochre and the Iris by Mridul Chandra

A Visual Travelogue


“Nature is so powerful, so strong. Capturing its essence is not easy – your work becomes a dance with light and the weather. It takes you to a place within yourself.” Annie Leibovitz

Art News: Ochre and the Iris by Mridul Chandra
Inspired by nature, artist Mridul Chandra paints the world around her. Vistas of landscapes from her travels are translated on canvas. She says, "Painting from this vast canvas has been the ultimate challenge, expressing what is in front of me in a personalised semi abstract expressionist manner. The eye searches for a way to depict the real in an unreal suggestion, leaving you in a state of being in the ‘here-and-now’."

She explains that this exhibition is a celebratory expression of experiencing the joys of nature and marvelling at its beauty.  The watercolour paintings capture the atmosphere and the soft romantic moods of nature. "Ochre is the first colour on my palette; Iris the vehicle in the eye for seeing the world.", she says.

"My ode in this series is in celebration of well-being. Much like the practice of yoga, or meditation."


Mridul elaborates on how she gravitated towards watercolours,"Transition from oil /acrylic to watercolours came out of sheer curiosity. As time elapsed, I realised how immersive and captivating the medium of watercolours is. Employing a minimal palette, letting the colours flow, creating accidental splurges, enabling the painting to evolve with tonal gradations. Along with light and shadow playing a key role in creating the mood and atmosphere. By attempting small and medium sized works, the show in parts is like a travelogue."

As a result, a deeply meditative world emerges in her landscapes.
Art News: Ochre and the Iris by Mridul Chandra

About Mridul Chandra:

Mridul has studied from ‘Sir JJ school of Art ‘Mumbai. Hailing from Kolkata, she now lives in Bangalore. Having worked with architects for the Asian games of 1982 to dabbling in graphics, she is now full time in painting. Spanning two decades of a creative journey, she has held solo shows in ‘Jehangir Art Galley’ Mumbai. Duo show in ‘Habitat Art Gallery’ Delhi. Besides several Gallery group shows in Bangalore. Participated in an all-Women’s’ Artist Camp in Gulbarga organised by Karnataka Lalit Kala Academy. Her works are with collectors in India and abroad.
At present besides studio work, she conducts water colour short sessions for the public to generate interest and well-being.
Art News: Ochre and the Iris by Mridul Chandra
Inauguration - Saturday 19th October 2019, inauguration 3pm-8.30 pm.

All works can be viewed on https://www.mridulchandra.com/

Ochre and the Iris, solo show by Mridul Chandra, from 19th - 10th Nov 2019 at MKF Museum of Art, 55/1 Isha Villa, Lavelle Road, Bengaluru 560001

Timing 11-7 pm.( (Monday closed.) ph: +91 9845736550 +91 7373887557


All images courtesy the artist
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19 Sept 2019

Timeless Narratives by Veteran Artists

Veterans’ Vision, as the name suggests, presents paintings by three senior artists from Bangalore. The collection featuring recent works by CS Krishna Setty, Chandranath Acharya and U Bhaskar Rao, encapsulates their unique visual vocabulary and individual voices, ranging from intimate and societal fantasies and apprehensions to vignettes from mythology and tradition. 

Krishna Setty’s metaphorical visuals interlace complex narratives around contemporary concerns. The forceful surrealistic imagery from his previous series has undergone transformation and depicts a perceptible shift towards abstraction. The hybrid creatures have receded and the recurring motifs and symbols have acquired ambiguous connotations, and are often hieroglyphic.

Painting by Krishna Setty

The mix-media works display significant textures and patterns, employed as an aesthetic device, and are remnants of the artist’s printmaking practice. The ambiguity of the hieroglyphs allows multiple readings into humanistic and existential angst, at the individual and a larger societal level. Fossilized remains or perhaps birthing grounds of indistinct forms, represent dreams or desires to form crucibles of compound visuals and narratives. The intense landscape generated, eerie and ethereal is disquieting, an infinite cauldron of life and consciousness with its associated anxieties.


Chandranath Acharya’s satirical commentary on the present political, social and psychological spectrum is situated at the threshold of fantasy and reality. His visual idiom combines a rare witticism with playfulness and surrealistic imagery. Royal figures, resplendent and clad in jewels and finery, indulge in ordinariness, a juxtaposition of opulence with the mundane, with undercurrents of satire and humour. 

Painting by Chandranath Acharya
Larger than life figures, surrounded by fantastical objects and creatures, form imposing portraits filled with pomposity, absurdity and grandeur. Decadence and mortality come together in a single frame with incongruous imagery, in incredibly sumptuous detail. Human conditions and emotions in all its exuberance, transience and intricacies, are portrayed adeptly with an underlying sense of mischief and tenderness. His extensive work in illustration and printmaking are clearly evident in the paintings.

Bhaskar Rao’s protagonists are primarily derived from mythology and visual and performing culture. These often narrate specific and recognizable instances and episodes, chronicling fragments of oral traditions and culture. Rooted in realism, with stylised and illustrative forms, vignettes from native landscapes, myths and mythology and traditions and rituals, etched in memory through time, are represented on the canvas.

Painting by Bhaskar Rao
The puppets form a popular leitmotif in his narration, a juxtaposition of the inanimate with the sentient and as an instrument of storytelling. Performance as an expression of human nature, culture and experience, and its associated connotations with social, philosophical and spiritual perspectives acts as a symbol of representation. 

The exhibition continues till September 22 at Fidelitus Art Gallery, Bangalore



All images courtesy the artists and gallery

Excerpted from the catalogue text by Nalini Malaviya

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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
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Updated: Dec 21

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19 Dec 2018

JS Khanderao retrospective at NGMA Bengaluru

'through the window: JS Khanderao retrospective' an exhibition curated by NGMA Bengaluru is currently on in the city


By Shraddha Nair

'through the window: JS Khanderao retrospective' an exhibition curated by NGMA Bengaluru
The exhibition showcases around two hundred artworks of JS Khanderao which includes drawings, portraits, landscapes, abstracts, and folk. This exhibition explores the practice of Khanderao for more than four decades as a painter and also exposes his remarkable contribution to the art field as a tutor, founder of an art institute 'The Ideal Fine Art Society' established in 1963 in Gulbarga which is of great significance.

Born in 1940 in Gulbarga, Khanderao graduated from the JJ School of Art in Mumbai. Highly regarded for his realistic portrait paintings and landscapes, and as an accomplished painter of evocative portraits and atmospheric landscapes, the retrospective offers a glimpse into his journey. 

Khanderao's artistic quest leads him to abstraction as well. He looks at nature and his immediate surroundings through the lens of abstraction, with a careful construction of his canvases. His abstract paintings link his trajectory from Gulbarga to “Bombay”- Nutan Kala Mandir and the J.J.School of Art _one of the premier art schools established in the colonial era, this art school became a benchmark for artists from outside the state. The vast oeuvre of Khanderao's includes figuration influenced by the unique folk traditions of North Karnataka capturing the performative situations of the folks who are represented in abstract planes of colours.

Being a native of Karnataka, Khanderao spent much of his life documenting the land and culture that he experienced first-hand. His visual renditions of the traditional folk practices are a treat for the eyes. A personal favourite was his depiction of the Chowdamman Kunita ritual. He has also brought plain canvas to life with the unique landscapes of Badami, Pattadakal, Surpur & Hampi – portraying the stunning styles of ancient temples.

'through the window: JS Khanderao retrospective' an exhibition curated by NGMA Bengaluru
Also on display is the series ‘Windows’, a sequence of paintings inspired by the way light escapes through glass panes. It is arguably his most highly regarded work. When asked about the conception of this series he says, “There was an annual Karnataka exhibition and I needed to create some new work for it. While in Gulbarga, I noticed the beauty of broken windows and imagined it and rendered in paint. I received the Lalit Kala award for this painting in 1982… This painting impressed many people during the exhibition. It was the first of the series ‘Windows’ and it was the Governor of Karnataka that encouraged me to take this further”. “Broken Glass” from the same series stands out for its brilliance. There is a tactility to this piece which draws you in, visceral and enchanting at the same time. 
'through the window: JS Khanderao retrospective' an exhibition curated by NGMA Bengaluru
The unexpected takeaway from the show was his series of portraits, dating circa 1985 to 2006, which showcases his incredible understanding of light and dark components of each and every pigment that touched his canvas. Khanderao explains,“I experimented a lot with colours and would make many pieces. I didn’t want other people’s influence or similarity to other artists’ works in my own art. It should be unique and individualistic”.
The exhibition will be on view till 30th December 2018, daily from 11.00 am to 6.30 pm (Mondays and National Holidays closed)

Update: The exhibition is extended to Jan 20, 2019

Images: Courtesy NGMA

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About: Shraddha Nair is a recent design school graduate with a fondness for art, art history and is a believer in the potential of art as a community influencer. 

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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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31 Jul 2018

Art News: Grazie Infinite by Shraddha Rathi in Bangalore

Grazie Infinite by Shraddha Rathi in Bangalore, Art Scene India

 Intersections of Infinite Possibilities

Shraddha Rathi explores the concept of gratitude, an expressive emotion towards an appreciation of life and for tangible and intangible gifts, in her new suite of works. She creates a narrative which is rich in emotional content and universal in its reach. From personal notes to community messages, the expanse of storytelling weaves a rich tapestry of chronicles, patterns and motifs of human sentiments, moments and memories.

Adopting a multi-media approach, Rathi, a practicing artist for more than fifteen years now, presents photographs, installations, paintings and a video projection in this exhibition. With this series, she emerges from the confines of traditional bounds and expands her artistic and conceptual horizons to put forth a body of work that has meaningful associations on a personal front and has implications for a larger context. 
Grazie Infinite by Shraddha Rathi in Bangalore, Art Scene India

In a significant shift this year, she created a gratitude bench with engravings of phrases and personal messages of thankfulness and appreciation. This bench organically evolved into the present suite of works and forms the cornerstone for her current engagement. Coincidentally, earlier this year she sighted the benches in Central Park, New York with their plaques that read out messages of gratitude, love, celebration and nostalgia. 

Thus, innumerable stories that are intimate and personal, which celebrate the joy of living and memories of life and loved ones, and that effectively translate this personal form of gratitude into community efforts, have coalesced to materialise in the artworks for Rathi’s exhibition. Photographs of plaques, benches and the surrounding landscape from Central Park form the artwork. In addition, inscribed messages on wooden benches, swings and a see-saw, and a video projection mapping of gratitude notes that projects the text onto various surfaces, including the witness/participant, are on display. Contextualising and integrating the notion of gratitude and its universality to Bangalore’s public spaces, conceptual maps of parks are represented in the paintings. The minimalist mappings offer points of reference to local contexts and create possibilities of artistic interventions.
Grazie Infinite by Shraddha Rathi in Bangalore, Art Scene India

The theoretical premise behind ‘Grazie Infinite’ is two-fold, to reiterate and acknowledge positivity as an indispensable emotion and to extend this engagement via site specific projects to the public arena. Rathi’s practice with this shift towards conceptual art and a minimalist aesthetics lies at the intersections of infinite possibilities, employing mixed media narratives and interactive experiences, while situating them within and outside the frameworks of conventional art locations.

Nalini S Malaviya
Art Critic
Bangalore, July, 2018

All images are courtesy the artist

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