Exquisite collection of Kantha embroidery from eastern India and Indian Subcontinent was displayed at India International Centre IIC last month. The treasurable collection of Kantha show titled ‘Needle Reverence’ was curated by renowned textile historian JasleenDhamija. Kantha collection was a collective exhibition of Management of Arts Treasures of India (MATI) personal collections of Meera Mukherjee and Dolly Narang. Kantha one of the oldest forms of the needle work that originated from eastern part India and Indian Subcontinent. Kantha was originally practised by the rural women. Once made with the used cloth threads at home, eventually Kantha started using more refined and specialised threads for the stich/embroidery. This craft of embroidery has been passed the by generation but continued to practise by rural women mainly. It was only in 1940 it was recognised by renowned Kala Bhawan Institute of fine arts, parts of Vishwa Bharti University of Shanti Niketan, West Bengal. Then again in 1980, it was revived by Shamlu Dujega, when she founded Self Help Enterprise (SHE) that helped them to empower them and earn their livelihood through Kantha Embroidery.Jasleen Dhamija also edited and launched a book titled Needle Reverence at the show.
Management of Arts Treasures of India (MATI) recently also held an exhibition at open palm court in Indian Habitat Centre, under the title of ‘Seeds of Flower’ which represented the Indian folk treasures. The work mostly included 13th century Bengal Pattchitra, this art form is known for its intricate detailing and mythological narrative.Pinguli art from the tribal region, Warli, tribal, folk from Hazaribagh, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh Gond art depicting the tree of life and Pichwai art from Rajasthan.
Early this month Art Konsult concluded a solo exhibition of a senior abstract artist Shridhar Iyer. The show was very well received by the media, art patrons and artists.The exhibition was curated by Rahul Bhattacharya the art historian , the artworks neatly and innovatively displayed in the gallery which helped the viewer to explore their innermost thoughts on life through nature. Aptly titled ‘Tambulam’, the exhibition consists of paintings, drawings, installations and a few films dedicated to nature.
Hemavathy Ghua senior writer has reviewed Shridhar Iyer’s show. Hemavathy spoke with the veteran artist, Where artist mentions that there are ‘no curtains’ in ‘Jatras’, meaning the plays are played out continuously one after the other without a break. Life too is like that as several incidents unfold in our life without any warning and it too is a continuous process, he avers. Shridhar work is his own personal journey of and cosmic experience, which he narrates through his canvases.
Ritika Lall Chakravartty senior editor of Art and Deal spoke to the veteran artist Krishen Khanna. Krishen Khanna 94, still has a razor-sharp memory and remembers every bit of his life. Krishen Khanna expressesed his love for art, pottery, horrors of partitions, his amazing partnership with his wife Renu his ever support system his family and friends. He elaborately discusses the problem of the emerging artists, the advantages of the digital language and the old school language.
Ritika also writes on the first residency program conducted by World Design University (WUD) and a comprehensive report on art for cause, where twenty-five artists came forward to support Autism and donated half of their proceeds.
Reema Kumar reviews on Baluchars, the woven narrative silks of Bengal at the National Museum, which was beautifully exhibited, brilliantly conceptualised and stunningly executed, but also exhaustive in terms of the sheer number of the exquisite weaves were on display.
Rajesh Punj interviews American Sculpture and an installation artist Jedd Novatt, who is based out of Paris, Spain and South of France. Novatt’s sculptures are an examination of the value of space, that allows his sculptures to stand, or likely fall back into it.Novatt talks about his influence of space in his work.
Saraswathy K. Bhattathirireviews a group show curated by M. Ramachandran at Gallery Sumukha, in Bangalore. As the title of the show suggests, the ‘Polygonal’ exhibition indicates multidimensional attitude. These nine works articulately focus on the areas of socio-politics, gender issues, media culture etc. All the artists vary in their background they hail from and participationin exhibition cultures as beginners to quite establishedpractitioners.
Over all last month witnessed some major art exhibitions in the city and across, because of the pleasant weather every exhibition had people from the art fraternity, critics and friends.As summer is on its peak now, city art scene can slow down but many art retreats would take place and hopefully we will have some interesting story next month to share.
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Happy Reading
Siddhartha Tagore
