Celebrating its 25th anniversary, Gallerie Ganesha is showcasing artwork of 35 artists in a show titled Tracing Art through a Century, capturing a period of varied art styles and genres.
“We are showing works of old masters, modernists and contemporary artists. There is also a section allocated to tribal and folk art which has been an intrinsic part of our journey with many exhibitions dedicated to keeping the folk tradition alive,” says Shobha Bhatia, director, Gallerie Ganesha.
There are paintings by artists like M K Parandekar, who is famous for his landscape paintings and had mastered both the oil and watercolour medium. He had a strong hold in portraitures and figurative drawings too.
Gopal Ghose reworked the genre of landscape painting, investing it with expressionistic qualities. He travelled extensively within India to paint his landscapes. Ghose was adept with several mediums, and known especially for his ingenious handling of watercolour.
Shyamal Dutta Ray's body of work constitutes a major turning point in the history of the Bengal School of Art. Ray is credited with adding depth and intensity to the medium of watercolours, at a time when the Bengal School of Art traditionally used light and watery colours. His melancholic and pensive works reflect the contradictions of life around him.
With 69 solo exhibitions in 35 years is Paresh Maity. He gradually moved from atmospheric scenery to representations of the human form. His more recent paintings are bold and graphic, with a strong colour and unusual cropping. He has painted Terminal 3 at Delhi Airport where he created the biggest painting of his life and probably the longest in India.
Devdatta Padekar’s work is figurative to a great extent and aims at depicting communication between man and nature. Not surprisingly, one finds a human figure and a natural element blending together in subtle colours to beautiful effect.
Remaining loyal to the traditional Madhubani templates is Neelkant Choudhary. He has innovated with icons and figures in a manner no contemporary painter has. His motifs are traditional as well as modern - from depictions of Durga and Kali to charwomen and village children walking to school.
Apart from modern and contemporary art, folk and tribal art by master artists such as Jangarh Singh Shyam are also part of the show.
The exhibition is on view till March 6, 11 am to 7 pm at Gallerie Ganesha, Greater Kailash II.
Published 24 February 2015, 14:54 IST