Spirituality suffuses this canvas

GROUP EXHIBITION

In a room full of painted canvases, it is difficult to choose the best. But the ones that have a symmetry between their theme and thought, linger in the mind even after one steps out of Visual Arts Gallery at India Habitat Centre.

The ongoing show ‘Panorama 3’ provides glimpses of the artistic skills of young and old artists by compiling their works under one roof.

In its third year, the show stands true to its motive of providing the lesser known artists with a platform to showcase their work. Painted in every possible hue, the artworks by 30 artists are not curated according to any theme. 

“This exhibition is a world view of the thoughts of its many diverse, yet like-minded artists. These artworks emote through vivid strokes – some are muted and some vibrant; together they create a surreal experience for art aficionados. Interestingly, it is the theme of spirituality that sets this event apart from others,” says Priyanka Banerjee, the curator affirming a viewer’s realisation of a dominant presence of pictures of Gods and Goddesses.

The untitled paintings by Kashinath Bose and Mamta Dahiya, Raas Lila by Love Kumar Soni and many others are evidence of the same. Bose employs the technique of geometric patterns in sketching the Goddess and also imparts an Egyptian touch to one of his works which makes it attractive. “This one,” he says, pointing to the painting of Goddess Durga and Lord Ganesha, “is in Kolkata’s pata chitra style. I purposely let the stole also depict similar patterns as the whole painting, so as to maintain continuity.” One could define his work as a painting within a painting due to presence of a number of symbolic references.

The painting ‘Kaal’ by Mridul Chakraborty on the contrary portrays the cycle of time. The presence of green leaf (symbol of life) in the hair of a woman (bearer of life) placing her hand on a skull (depicting death) justifies the name of this artwork. Apart from these, the artworks by young artists are intriguing. Take for instance, the paintings by Aakansha Bagga who focuses on the frail hands of an old man holding a glass and the wrinkled face of an old woman. In comparison to this depiction of old age, the artwork titled ‘Mirage’ by Shikha Bisht presents a carefree portrait of a girl painted in all possible colours.

The most unconventional work, however, is by Sahil Jain, who takes his inspiration from advertisements and sketches them to represent products such as Amul Butter, Eno, Pringles, Lays, etc on small canvases, which are then put up as a collective piece. Unfortunately, his experimental artwork doesn’t get a proper place for display and stands in stark contrast to the badly painted wall!

The exhibition is on display at Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre till July 10.