PICTO-REAL SPACE

While Indian art ranges across all the styles, techniques, and forms in the contemporary art principles, many Indian artists have at the nucleus of their art strong elements of their cultural and artistic traditions of painting and sculpture, like the figurative paintings of Ajanta and Ellora caves, miniatures and temple sculptures. However, modern artists inject a sense of magical realism as they draw the viewer into their experience, coloured by their modern interpretation. Gifted with a talent to create and an appetite for experimentation, many artists have formed a new language through sculptures, revealing their intensity through their voyages into self-discovery and experiment.

A unique blend of pictures and sculptures is brought together in a visual narrative through the figurative, abstract and mystical works of Satish Gujral, Laxma Goud, Satish Gupta, Neeraj Goswami, Paresh Maity, KG Subramanyan and KS Radhakrishnan in an evocative and sublime exhibition. The dialogue between painting and sculpture will entice the viewer’s imagination as he is taken on a unique visual journey. If a painting stimulates the senses then sculpture incites conversation, excitement and new ways of seeing the world, as it articulates the space around it, enlivening the view and energising the space that it inhabits. Here are different art forms that are spontaneous and intense.

Even in the midst of today’s experimental, cutting edge sculpture and installation art, the human figure as a subject continues to fascinate sculptors like K S Radhakrishnan, whose freedom, spirit and creativity are incredibly woven into his sculptures. His is a euphoric joy that is immediately transmitted to the viewer. Through the slim-line beauty and siren like sensuality in the life-size sculpture of a woman passionately holding on to an object, which on closer scrutiny is her house, and the man seeking refuge under a palm leaf, the sculptor reveals his great talent and vision.

Paresh Maity has shown a deep understanding of all mediums and forms. From landscapes in water colours to faces and figures his oeuvre of over 25 years of capturing nature as well as human figures in watercolours and oils reveals the depth of his talent. His colours are vibrant and echo his passion. In his paintings of an abstract image of man with a drum, and man and woman on a horse, he reveals a clear mix of the magical and surreal element and at the same time a narrative both subtle and sensual that enhances their accessibility. To add another dimension to the faces on canvas, Maity has created two large textured bronze heads especially for this show.

Laxma Goud’s versatility as a painter is obvious in his works on display. Also well known for his printmaking, he has proved to be a master draughtsman as he continues to work in a variety of mediums – etching, gouache, and pastel and glass paintings. Goud’s earlier simple lines are replaced by ornate flowers and rich textures on his ceramic faces, which were greatly inspired by his recent trip to Mexico, transferring the viewer to another realm.

There is a sense of deep perception in Goud’s mixed media mingled with fantasy and poetry. The control of his lines is eloquent in expression as he projects scenes of colourful groups of villagers, giving a distinctive sense to even the most mundane setting.

K G Subramanyan’s sensuous works draw upon the rich resources of myth, memory and tradition to make intellectual statements that express his distinctive vision of the world. A man of multifaceted talents, Subramanyan has experimented in several mediums earlier, like terracotta, mural and glass painting, weaving and toy making. His contributions to this show are oil paintings portraying the richness of life through their colours and abstract images with a deep perception of the universe. Also on display is an incredible fibreglass sculpture of a head

The versatile Satish Gujral has constantly experimented with a wide variety of mediums. He dabbled with ceramics, wood, metal, stone... before returning to his paint brushes, receiving numerous national and international awards and accolades. Satish Gujral has achieved world renown and critical acclaim for his work as a painter, sculptor, muralist, graphic designer and architect. In this exhibition his painting of a bull on canvas is also very deftly translated into a sculpture piece, as is his interpretation of an acrobat in sombre colours on canvas brought to life in a sculpture using different coloured patinas.

Neeraj has an inimitable style achieving a brilliance and vibrancy that is outstanding. Using tones of Celadon Porcelain and Onyx Sty rations, Neeraj Goswami gives his canvases a gentle glow. In this show his paintings denote his style, technique and subtle lyricism with a translucence rarely seen. He breathes life into his images with the stroke of his brush, almost as if they are ready to walk out of the canvas. The vitality and life-like bronze sculpture of a boy eating a watermelon with a fish dangling on his side has been manipulated in an abstract vein.

Satish Gupta, artist, sculptor and poet, has exhibited his work in numerous one-man shows in India and abroad. There are lyrical nuances in the flow of his lines as he communicates a universal visual language. Even though it is a Zen like simplicity that inspires Gupta, his large canvas of Shakti, the goddess of power, exudes a power that is riveting. The huge Shivalings in copper in the forefront complete the picture.

This exhibition witnesses the synergy of seven versatile artists who have proven that their artistic expression can be utterly enchanting in all mediums, from paintings to sculpture.

Uma Prakash
Art Critic