Create your own story

A  young girl in a mustard halter-neck dress is sitting quietly against a wall, her eyes closed. There are no emotions on her face, but a strange sense of melancholy. It is possible that she is in a contemplative mode. It is for the viewers to interpret and weave a story around this oil on canvas painting Rest. This work by Chinese artist Hongru Yao is part of an exhibition ‘Tales of Art’ that aims to illustrate the eclectic nature of narrative art.

According to Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, this form uses the power of the visual image to ignite imagination, evoke emotions and capture universal cultural truths and aspirations.

Around 42 works of international artists from 16 countries form part of this exhibition which is curated by Sonali Batra. The exhibit, presented by Great Banyan Art, an online art gallery, features works from countries like France, Spain, Netherlands, Poland, China, and Malaysia among others and brings together emerging and established contemporary artists.

For 26-year-old Batra, the reason to highlight international artists from diverse nationalities and cultures under one roof, is to introduce millennial generation closer to global contemporary art scene, something they can afford and relate to. Hence the works range over diverse genres like impressionism, abstract and surreal. Most of them are portraits of people, leaving room for imagination to interpret and decode their moods.

“The idea is to build stories around an image. To get thinking what they are thinking or what will happen after or what has happened before,” Batra tells Metrolife.

Delhi-based Batra grew up seeing Indian art, as her father is an art collector. But it was only after her stint at international auction house, Sotheby’s last summer that she was introduced to international artists. She found them relatable and thought about introducing them to young collectors in India.

“There are many people from millennial generation who want to invest in art that is affordable and relatable,” she says, adding that the exhibition has diverse price points to attract buyers.

The exhibition is on until April 4 at 1AQ Art Gallery, Mehrauli.