Decoding the archetypal image of man

With a career of almost six decades in the field of art, Rameshwar Broota’s best creations have been put on exhibition at the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA), Saket.

The retrospective at KNMA showcases the artist’s works spanning from 1963 - 2013 that transformed and marked a seminal development in the evolutionary journey of the artist.

Highlights of the retrospective include works from various series created by Rameshwar Broota, including the Man Series, and the Metamorphosis series. In the Man Series the artist projects a man who has withstood the various challenges of time. Often dressed only in a vest, his nakedness is exposed to the viewer, but what is most overwhelming is his loneliness and vulnerability. 

The Metamorphosis series transports the viewer into a landscape where the surface is layered with a dense carpet of flesh and veins. With Counterparts, a series executed in 2009, Broota once again altered the formal structure of his compositions. The dark cosmic void encountered in the previous paintings has been replaced by a pristine white background that further enhances the moment of the objects.

Commenting on his retrospective, Broota says, “I have come to believe that the amount of effort and commitment towards organising a retrospective with such huge works, brought together on loan, is an incredible exercise which only a private museum can do.

 And the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art has proved it once again with my retrospective. This is an opportunity for a whole lot of people to see my works as they have seen it only in the few exhibitions that I have done over the last 50 years.” Born in 1941 in Delhi, Broota’s artistic career spans six decades. After completing his graduation from College of Art in 1954, Broota began his career as an academic portrait painter but soon realised a pull towards a more intellectual language. His initial works narrated the socio-economic upheaval the country was experiencing in 1960s.

The exhibition is on view till December 30, from 10.30 am to 6.30 pm at Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, DLF South Court Mall, Saket.