From the artists' palette

Great going

The week began with the Creative Dialogue series wherein each day a personality would interact with students from various colleges about their chosen field.

Kickstarting this series was artist K K Raghava, a Bangalorean currently based in New York, who interacted with a select group of students from Jyoti Nivas College.

Talking about Art Appreciation, Raghava told students how inter-connected his life is to his work.

“I find beauty in all the rawness that life has to offer. For me, the most beautiful thing on this planet is my wife so I draw her. And now my son has caught my fancy too,” he laughed.

His talk revolved around how he grew up as an artist and the challenges he faced along the journey.

“Enjoy the medium and don’t be afraid to ask questions and make mistakes. It is only then that will you learn,” he advised.

Aspiring art students found many of the things he said helpful and at the same time hard to digest.

“Being experimental is alright but there are times when an artist does go overboard with his or her work and hurt other people’s sentiment,” said a student. To which Raghava said that an artist should always be seen as a court jester.

 “He or she must be aware of the intention as well as constraints of the work that is going to be displayed, that’s when the artist grows to be a professional,” he added.

The evening made way for a Hindustani classical concert by Vrinda Mundkur. Held in a beautiful heritage house called Smriti-Nandan, the ambience was perfect for the musical evening. After paying homage to Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Vrinda said, “It is truly an end of a era. I still remember the time when my first guru used to take me to listen to Bhimsenji all the time.” Compositions like Cholo re Mahi, Jhoote Bhatheyaan, Jhane Baje Bijuwa and others were enjoyed by all. Vrinda sang her unique and inimitable compositions with great fervour and spirit.

Today’s Special

*Chamber Concerts: Carnatic Veena by Shri V Gopal and party, 7 pm at Smriti Nandan, Palace Road.

*Workshops and seminars by Maya Rao. Lecture demonstration on Maya to Matter, 10 am at Natya Institute of Kathak and Choreography, Malleswaram.