calendario eventi  :: 

X

13/8/2009

Indian Harves

SG Private Banking Gallery, Alliance Francaise de Singapour, Singapore

Crimson - The Art Resource is the oldest and most prestigious art gallery in Bangalore, India. Since its inception in 1989, Crimson has endeavored to assist the Contemporary Art scene in its growth by promoting younger talent, associating with renowned artists and advising art collectors. This exhibition features paintings done by 20 renowned artists. They are colourful, vivid and a treat for the eyes, heart and mind. Above all, together they show the great diversity that is inherent in Indian Contemporary Art today.

India and Singapore have a shared history and need to share the future too. Both are nations that have, in the recent past, made rapid strides in fields as diverse as science and arts, economics and education, technology and agriculture. Both countries see globalization as a phenomenon that will bring their peoples closer. Art has existed in India for thousands of years. Realizing the importance of encouraging art and culture across geographical boundaries, Crimson Art Gallery has chosen to bring the exhibition 'Indian Harvest' to Singapore. Crimson chose Singapore for its quality art infrastructure and its art-loving people. France too has given so much to the arts through the ages. French artists of the last two centuries are revered as Masters and spoken of in awe throughout the world.

So, when Crimson considered bringing this exhibition of Contemporary Indian Art to Singapore, the Alliance Française seemed to be the absolute right choice. From the mountains to the deserts, from the plains to the beaches India has a diversity of people, culture, traditions and languages. The art that has evolved is linked by the diversity of these influences and by the oneness of cultural thought. Its sub-tropical climate has made artists into sun worshipers and this is reflected in their vibrant colours. The roots of Indian contemporary art can be found in ancient temple architecture. That, and the desire to portray the human condition have contributed to the preponderance of figurative art in India. However, the relevance of spiritualism, the belief in one’s own energy and a deep yearning for balance has led to some exciting abstract art being created.

This diversity within the country is reflected in the spectrum of art-works by 20 of India’s finest artists - A harvest of sorts. All these artists are household names, all well known outside India too thanks to the shrinking boundaries. Adimoolam’s abstracts are dramatic and at the same time subtle. The broad swishes of the palette knife reveal shapes of varying depths that move towards each other and mirror nature in all its glory. Colour is what fascinates Adimoolam. Surya Prakash uses specific imagery to interpret nature, making his paintings renditions of the natural world purely through colour and textured forms.

Gogi Saroj Pal’s works are inventive, playful and passionate. Her work suggests a bold feminine intent, where she parodies earlier depictions of the Indian woman in painting and sculpture. Gogi's paintings are a mirror held up to society, showing the disparity in relationships between the sexes and are designed to exhibit the vicissitudes of a woman's life.

For Jatin Das the woman is a constant source of inspiration. His sharp lines are full of movement and are complemented by the expanse of large flat colour fields. He says, “The human predicament is my basic concern. I draw, paint and etch the human body without any narrative, devoid of placement of time”. Vaikuntam draws a lot of inspiration for his work from the rural areas of Andhra Pradesh in South India. The men and women of his village have often been depicted in his work. The colours used to paint women give them a vibrant and decorative, look. He portrays women as sensual and voluptuous while the male form appears remarkably calm, with a sense of humour.

M. F. Husain’s endless quest for his cultural roots and a fearlessly open-minded willingness to absorb diverse influences has made him one of the most recognizable figures of contemporary Indian art. His strength lies in his surety of line and his vibrancy of colours both of which he uses to speak the language of India. In his paintings he returns time and again to his roots, and to themes that blend folk, tribal and mythological art to create vibrantly contemporary, living art forms. Solanki’s paintings of rustic folk with their ornately embroidered clothes invoke his romance with the place and its people. His hatching strokes and contrasting tonalities in black and white reveal a subtleness rarely seen.

Achutan’s paintings echo a marriage between the modern abstract and South Indian folklore. Lines merging and contrasting bind in patches of colour. Applied layer upon layer they create a tableau of nuances that engage the viewer. Bhagat Singh’s work is not just about beauty and bounty of Nature. It also attempts to reflect his concern for the environment. Dhrubajyoti Baral’s meticulously done paintings display a talent that is extraordinary in a 27 year old. This very young artist has captured the very essence of the subjects that he has painted. He dips into Indian folklore and into contemporary art from Bengal Paresh Hazra dresses his characters with a puppet like quality. His richly textured work unveils the emotions of simple folk. Vasudev’s strength is in his line. Though it is ornamental, it fleshes out his figures and makes them one with their environment.

Subash Awchat’s paintings of sensitively juxtaposed patches of freely laid paint and metallic pigments, bring to life the essence of the urban living. “The sole purpose of art is absolute peace”, says Suhas Roy, who reinvents images from miniatures. His woman is contemporized. She is a woman who combines the essence of the Ajanta Apsara, the Renaissance Mona Lisa, the Kishangarh Nayika and the icon, Madonna.

Ved Nayar’s images show figures of men and women who having destructed their environment are now looking for worlds beyond their own universe to ‘master’. Yusuf Arakkal plays with textural tones, dense shadows and unexpected brightness in all his work. He uses deep blues and browns to infuse his figures with his empathy for them.

Opening 25 July 2009

SG Private Banking Gallery, Alliance Francaise de Singapour
1 Sarkies Road, Singapore
Mon to Fri, 11am to 7pm
Sat, 11am to 5pm; closed on Sun
admission free

stampa

permanent link