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Art Exhibition

CONFLUENCE An Exhibition of Paintings By Vishnu N Sonavane And Jyotsna V Sonavane

From:4th to 10th April 2023

“CONFLUENCE”

An Exhibition of Paintings

By

Well-known artists

Vishnu N.  Sonavane & Jyotsna V. Sonavane

 

VENUE:

Jehangir Art Gallery

Auditorium Hall,

161-B, M.G. Road,

Kala Ghoda, Mumbai 400 001

Timing: 11am to 7pm.

Contact: +91 86918 50376

 

 VISHNU SONAVANE  

When we engage in the arts, we dip into our souls to discover deep pools of wonder, breath-taking gifts of beauty, and quiet revelation. As we create, we are invited into playfulness, poignancy, and surprise-energies that renew us and revitalise our sense of purpose.

Overlapping geometric floating planes have always been my preoccupation. After establishing my signature style-rhythmic waves of floating figures and forms merging into one another in a harmonic symphony, I felt an urge to explore a new vocabulary. As such, change, transition and revisiting one’s core are an indispensable part of an artist’s journey and also integral to my artistic endeavour.

Through my recent suit of works I seek to explore the realms of mythology, folklore, innocence and the vibrancy in beauty that are present all around us. These ephemeral images engage the viewer in a silent discourse into the dimension of transcendent reality. The past, present and future emerge as a flux of transitory shapes caught in overlapping layers of experience.

Rich tapestry of symbolic forms have been weaved in these paintings. Shri Dattatreya, the Indian god with three heads. appear as the central figure in my works. However, rather than exploring his divine aspect I focus on representing the god as the transient quality of human mind, the tender, the preserving and tough. Similarly, cows and birds are the constant recurring motifs in my works. Cows, indicate the creative and nurturing aspect of nature, whereas birds indicate the fleeting quality of the human mind.

In a mix of figurative and abstract renderings, my paintings project delightful dramas with undertones a sublime ambience. I carefully create layers to build astonishing tones and textures that give these works a peculiar radiance. I employ a palette dominated by the blue of the mountain sky, ochre and crimson complemented by the muted shades of the midnight grey, the spring green and the muddy brown and highlight them with sharp, percussive strokes of mellow, placid hues.

In total, these images create multi-layered crystalline narratives that present luminous tales, mesmerise the viewer, touch their hearts and stir their souls.

JYOTSNA SONAVANE  

As an artist, my best work comes from the deepest place inside of me which fulfils the need to create. Painting thus becomes an inward journey for outward expressions I have always considered painting as a discrete language, not of words but of perception, feelings and beliefs. My paintings are impressions of the internal aspects of my life. These images of internal struggles of life. In essence, I am finding myself.

Living in an artistic family. I was exposed to art conversations every day. However, it was only until a few years ago that I developed the courage to express my thoughts, dreams, memories and aspirations through art. Art has the power to heal and transform. When I discovered just that, I knew I had to dedicate my life to making others feel “something” when in the presence of my art.

I like to work with the abstract language of lines and colours because the compositions continuously evolve and acquire new meaning as time passes and the perspective of the viewer changes. My inspiration comes from the colours and forms found in nature. I employ a variety of self-discovered techniques to create abstract paintings that mimic things we see in nature like stone, petrified wood, flowing rain water. My work is alive with emotion through the movement of the brushwork and the luscious layered colours. Much like memories, each painting is filled with layer upon layer of paint, building a rich history into each piece.

Being a self-taught artist, I devote a lot of time on observing, perfecting my skill with practice and continuous learning. I create through intuitive responses while engaged with the work. The process is completely organic and spontaneous. However, irrespective of what I feel at the time of painting, my constant pursuit is that the viewer experiences sheer delight in the presence of my works.

Sometimes, a rainbow of colours emerges from the onyx, whereas at times, an epoch passes by in the golden light and every time, hope wins over despair, I am aspired to start all over again. Where words and ideas end, my creative process begins, my internal landscape comes forward, I work intuitively, drawing from this vast boundless space from inside as well as outside.

        

CONFLUENCE An Exhibition of Paintings By Vishnu N Sonavane And Jyotsna V Sonavane

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Art Exhibition

KHAYAAL(RUMINATION) An Exhibition of Drawings by artist Vaibhav Naik At Kamalnayan Bajaj Art Gallery

From: 20th to 26th March 2023

KHAYAAL(RUMINATION)

An Exhibition of Drawings by artist Vaibhav Naik 

VENUE:

Kamalnayan Bajaj Art Gallery

Ground Floor,  Bajaj Bhavan,

226 Nariman Point, Mumbai – 400 021

Timing: 11am to 7pm.

Contact: 8879175969

www.vaibhavnaikfineart.com

This exhibition was inaugurated on 20th March, 2023 by Chief Guests – Gazal Nawaz Shri. Bhimrao Panchale &   Eminent Artist – Mr. Vijay Achrekar in presence of many art lovers, patrons etc.

Vaibhav Naik had his art education from Sir J.J. School of Applied Arts, Mumbai with specialisation in illustrations. Then he showcased his work in many solo and group art exhibitions at Mumbai Pune Elephanta Caves, Mumbai etc. A proud recipient of many awards from prestigious institutions like Maharashtra State Govt., Bombay Art Society, Art Society of India, Mumbai, LokmanyaTilak Art institute, Pune, M.T.D.C., Mumbai, Indian Oil Corporation, Mumbai, etc. he  has received recognition from many promotional art collectors of national and international reputation. He has received grants and prestigious art promotional incentives from reputed institutes like Prafulla Dahanukar Art Foundation, Mumbai, M.T.D.C. at elephant caves, Mumbai, Indian Oil Corporation, Mumbai etc. His works are in proud collection of several art collectors of national and international reputation. He is currently working as a principal instructor at Samsara Academy of Art, Hyderabad.

Artist statement

I am a classically trained artist, working to explore an emotion of what exists in front of me at a given moment, using the technical and aesthetic experience I have gathered/garnered.

Over the years, I trained under the guidance of various mentors using different approaches. This has had a great impact on my artistic view and life experience.

With my work, I am trying to decipher the subject in an abstract way even though the final result is representational. In terms of my process, I like to rework areas and improvise till I am satisfied with the expression I am looking for. This allows me to constantly search for a design which is timeless and the artwork appeals to a wider audience whether they are an art connoisseur or not.

My roots are important to me and I believe that one can find answers in their roots. So, at present, I have chosen to experiment and express through drawing as a medium. With each project, I like to challenge myself so that I can keep growing as an artist. One such way is how can I harmonize various materials such as charcoal, graphite, white chalk, acrylics and pastels in my drawings.  This is why I have also chosen this medium for my current show ‘Khayaal’

I don’t feel the need to follow trends in society, because I am looking to be honest to my practice and what I enjoy. And in the process if the viewer can connect with it, I think that’s when art happens.

   

KHAYAAL(RUMINATION) An Exhibition of Drawings by artist Vaibhav Naik At Kamalnayan Bajaj Art Gallery

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Art Exhibition

KHAYAAL(RUMINATION) An Exhibition Of Drawings By Artist Vaibhav Naik In Jehangir

From: 20th to 26th March 2023

KHAYAAL(RUMINATION)

An Exhibition of Drawings by artist Vaibhav Naik 

VENUE:

Kamalnayan Bajaj Art Gallery

Ground Floor,  Bajaj Bhavan,

226 Nariman Point, Mumbai – 400 021

Timing: 11am to 7pm.

Contact: 8879175969

www.vaibhavnaikfineart.com

This exhibition was inaugurated on 20th March, 2023 by Chief Guests – Gazal Nawaz Shri. Bhimrao Panchale &   Eminent Artist – Mr. Vijay Achrekar in presence of many art lovers, patrons etc.

Vaibhav Naik had his art education from Sir J.J. School of Applied Arts, Mumbai with specialisation in illustrations. Then he showcased his work in many solo and group art exhibitions at Mumbai Pune Elephanta Caves, Mumbai etc. A proud recipient of many awards from prestigious institutions like Maharashtra State Govt., Bombay Art Society, Art Society of India, Mumbai, LokmanyaTilak Art institute, Pune, M.T.D.C., Mumbai, Indian Oil Corporation, Mumbai, etc. he  has received recognition from many promotional art collectors of national and international reputation. He has received grants and prestigious art promotional incentives from reputed institutes like Prafulla Dahanukar Art Foundation, Mumbai, M.T.D.C. at elephant caves, Mumbai, Indian Oil Corporation, Mumbai etc. His works are in proud collection of several art collectors of national and international reputation. He is currently working as a principal instructor at Samsara Academy of Art, Hyderabad.

Artist statement

I am a classically trained artist, working to explore an emotion of what exists in front of me at a given moment, using the technical and aesthetic experience I have gathered/garnered.

Over the years, I trained under the guidance of various mentors using different approaches. This has had a great impact on my artistic view and life experience.

With my work, I am trying to decipher the subject in an abstract way even though the final result is representational. In terms of my process, I like to rework areas and improvise till I am satisfied with the expression I am looking for. This allows me to constantly search for a design which is timeless and the artwork appeals to a wider audience whether they are an art connoisseur or not.

My roots are important to me and I believe that one can find answers in their roots. So, at present, I have chosen to experiment and express through drawing as a medium. With each project, I like to challenge myself so that I can keep growing as an artist. One such way is how can I harmonize various materials such as charcoal, graphite, white chalk, acrylics and pastels in my drawings.  This is why I have also chosen this medium for my current show ‘Khayaal’

I don’t feel the need to follow trends in society, because I am looking to be honest to my practice and what I enjoy. And in the process if the viewer can connect with it, I think that’s when art happens.

      

KHAYAAL(RUMINATION) An Exhibition Of Drawings By Artist Vaibhav Naik In Jehangir

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Art Exhibition

FROZEN IN TIME An Exhibition Of Photographs By Kabeer Ramesh In Jehangir Art Gallery

From: 15th to 28th March 2023

“Frozen in Time”

An Exhibition of Photographs by Kabeer Ramesh

VENUE:

Jehangir Art Gallery

Terrace Gallery

M.G. Road, Kala Ghoda

Mumbai 400 001

Timing: 11am to 7pm.

Contact: 9920072573

www.kabeerphotoart.com

Frozen in Time Exhibition of Photography by Kabeer Ramesh is being held at Jehangir Art Gallery, Kala Ghoda, Mumbai from 15th to 28th March 2023. The exhibition has drawn commendable response since its beginning. The photography art lovers from different backgrounds – young art enthusiasts to well accomplished photographers, have responded and engaged with the works presented.

This exhibition was inaugurated on 15th March 2023 by Adv. Jayant Gaikwad, IAS(Retired), in the presence of  Ms. Alexandra Mockel (Leipzig University, Germany) and many others.

It could be said that, Kabeer Ramesh presents himself as a photographer – artist who is exploring varied forms, textures, structures and themes. He focuses on different aspects of the human world: achievements and contradiction (His photos of massive structures and the holocaust memorial at once); his various compositions, especially photos of the cluster of Onions, the historical monuments and his landscapes present artistic compositions and human sensibilities. The photo of the dark branches – ‘reaching out’, the sunrays exuding the blue sky has drawn serious interest. Noteworthy is also his depiction of ‘fleeting sand’, the lamps as art objects. His exhibition presents portraits with different perspective: the portraits of people in everyday walks of life, the ordinary people in their daily grind, instead of the wealthy and powerful; or his photographs of the Bull, the Camel with unique character and personalities presents as worthy objects of portraiture; his photos of a ‘Lone stone’ in waterbed in Meghalaya too looks at what is apparently inanimate, as basically or some point of time being lively. His work presents nature with different dimensions – from the moments uprooting caused by the human designs to the ‘regeneration’ occurring in nature. His work thus captures various genres: textures/ structures, portraits of people in everyday life, and objects with character. His nature portrayal too sees it through the artistic perspective.

We must make a special mention to his imposing composition of sculpture ‘The Hunter’ in adorning the Museum Island in Germany (as the story of human resolve and triumph).

Lastly, his work offers various forms and modes of seeing and an act of looking as a cultural practice. The enthusiastic response to his exhibition in Jehangir Art Gallery shows the serious and welcoming reception to his work.

   

Frozen In Time An Exhibition Of Photographs By Kabeer Ramesh In Jehangir Art Gallery

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Art Exhibition

The Vyom International Group Art Exhibition – Feb 21 to 27 – 2023

Organized by First Wish Art Gallery at Nehru Centre Art Gallery – Mumbai, India

The Vyom is our 2nd International Exhibition from ambitious project that has been started from Tbilisi, Georgia Jan 22nd 2023 – “Mission World Tour Exhibition: 30 Countries & 30 Exhibitions!

It is an initiative that has been taken to encourage and support all artists.

Represented Art Works from Georgia, Greece, Japan, UAE and India and well curated by Ms. Vanashri Ransubhe (Coordinator in UAE & India at First Wish Art Gallery).

She has been an asset to the gallery and playing very important key role in the expansion of the business.

The Opening:

The opening was done by the Chief Guest Mr.Shriram Dandekar – Vice Chairman and Executive Director, Kokuyo Camlin Ltd.

And also in the presence of our special guests Mr.Vishwanath Sable, Dean of J J School of Art, Mumbai,

Mr. Ahmed Al Awadhi is an Emirati Artist & Businessman popularly known as Rukni Art,

Mr. Kaisar Dopaishi, Principal of Singapore International School and President of South Asia IB School Association,

Dr. Jayesh Dakre – Scientist and Smart future counsellor,

Mr. Dipesh Pakdhare – NSDC Central Govt. Skill India Partner for pan INDIA,

Mr. Nitin Jadia – Art Lover & Collector.

We, First Wish Art Gallery team wholeheartedly thankful to the all guests for accepting our invitation and taking out their valuable time to attend the opening ceremony of “THE VYOM INTERNATIONAL GROUP ART EXHIBITION” and making it more memorable.

We also thankful to our all participants & visitors for their kind supports.

About The Gallery

The Journey:

First Wish Art Gallery LLC is based in Georgia & Operating from UAE. Founded in Nov, 2020 by Mr.Irshad Husain (Business).

The Co-Owner/Director of the gallery is Ms. Mariami Simashvili from Georgia. She is an Artist by passion and a Pediatric Doctor by profession.

Current Project: Mission World Tour Exhibition: 30 Countries & 30 Exhibitions

Any artist from anywhere can join us and explore in a different way. The Perfect blend of Art + Travel and unforgettable memories!!

Upcoming Exhibitions in 2023 – Japan, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Italy & Turkey.

Please check our web link for registration & updated details: https://firstwishartgallery.com/exhibitions/ 

Contact us for future collaborations and exhibitions:

Georgia +995 598 94 34 00 || UAE +971 52 778 6166

Email: info@firstwishartgallery.com

Website: www.firstwishartgallery.com

 

The Vyom International Group Art Exhibition – Feb 21 to 27, 2023

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Art Exhibition

VASUNDHARA An Exhibition Of Paintings By Well-Known Artist Arpitha Reddy In Jehangir

From: 14th to 20th February 2023

“Vasundhara”

An Exhibition of Paintings

By

Well-known artist Arpitha Reddy

VENUE:

Jehangir Art Gallery

161-B, M.G. Road

Kala Ghoda, Mumbai 400 001

Timing: 11am to 7pm

Contact: +91 95828 31664

art.vasundharajag@gmail.com

Arpitha Reddy, an accomplished artist from  Hyderabad, has showcased her recent paintings on “Vasundhara” the goddess of the earth at Gallery No:  2 Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai from 14th February 2023 to 20th February 2023.

This exhibition is a collection of large format paintings celebrating her beauty, her boon giving and nurturing ability. She also presented Lord Vishnu, god of love, benevolence and forgiveness in the form of ” Varaha” protecting her for the preservation of the universe.

“ Her Vasundhara is a robust bright eyed beauty born of the expression of all that is beautiful, resonant, complete in both devotion as well as dedication to the idea of the eternal tree of life and Vasundhara as an avatar and consort of Lord Vishnu,” says art critic Uma Nair who has authored the sumptuous catalogue.

Nair a renowned and eminent art critic,  has been writing for several prominent artists all over world more than three decades, has expressed that Arpitha’s felicity with contour and colour is filled with simple means, and creates an inspirational impact. Nair’s authorship comes this month also at Centre Pompidou to celebrate Sayed Haider Raza at 100 years in a catalogue that is translated into French and carries her interview with Raza on Gandhi.

About the artist :

Arpitha an  alumnus of JNFAU College of Fine Arts,  trained in the temple mural style at Guruvayoor Institute of Mural Paintings. She has experience in numerous traditional art forms including Pata Chitra, Phad, Thangal, Cherial, Tanjore, Kalamkari, and has almost two decades of experience in practicing the murals. Now her works are an adaptation of the Kerala murals after she has given herself freedom to assimilate different traditional art forms into her paintings. She has several awards and honors to her credit. She has exhibited her paintings in major cities of India and Abroad. Recently She represented India in a symposium at Samarkand during the Shanghai cooperative organization summit in September 2022, organized by the ministry of tourism and cultural heritage Uzbekistan.

International and Indian collectors

Her works belong to prestigious collections over the world. Various prestigious institutions and art collectors around the globe like MOSA- Museum of spiritual Art, Belgium, Venkateshwara College, New Delhi, Indira Nooyi, Chairperson and chief executive officer of Pepsico all have her works in their collection.

This exhibition was inaugurated on 14th February 2023 by Shri. Prabhakar Kolte and  Shri. KU Krishna Kumar, Principal of Institute of Mural painting established by the Guruvayur Devaswom, Kerala, Mrs. K.G. Menon,  The Secretary – Jehangir Art Gallery and  Ms. Uma Nair  Renowned art critic from Delhi in the presence of many other important personalities from the art fraternity.

     

VASUNDHARA An Exhibition Of Paintings By Well-Known Artist Arpitha Reddy In Jehangir

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THE CAVES – Solo Show Of Stonescapes By Well-Known Architectural Photographer Anand Diwadkar In Jehangir

From: 15th February to 21st February 2023

‘THE CAVES’

A Solo Show of Stonescapes…

By well-known Architectural Photographer Anand Diwadkar 

VENUE

Jehangir Art Gallery

M.G. Road, Kala Ghoda,

Mumbai 400 001

Timing: 11am to 7pm

Contact: 98230 80623

Email: diwadkar.anand@gmail.com

Anand Diwadkar…

He is an architectural photographer with more than three decades of experience. Many of the design stories photographed by him have been regularly featured in nationally and internationally renowned publications. He has already exhibited his work three times in Pune. He is now going to have his solo show titled ‘The Caves’at the prestigious Jehangir art gallery, Mumbai. He will be exhibiting selected ‘stonescapes’, a work of more than a decade. These pictures are extension of architectural photography and will take the viewers to a spiritual journey from the ‘object’ seen through the lens to the ‘subject’ felt with the heart and soul. It’s Anand’s wish to dedicate this exhibition to the most respected master architect, Shri Christopher Benninger Sir, as he has been an inspiration for him.

The show was inaugurated on 15th February 2023 by Shri. Rajeev Mishra (Director, Directorate of Art, Govt. of Maharashtra and Principal, Sir JJ College of Architecture, Mumbai) in the presence of  Dr. Santosh Kshirsagar (Dean Sir J.J. Institute of Applied Art, Mumbai),  Shri. Pankaj Kanal* (Principal Architect Designous Build Solutions Pvt. Ltd. Mumbai), Architect Shri. Chandrashekhar Kanetkar,  Dr. Douglas John (Eminent Artist) and many other art dignitaries. The show will continue till 21st February, 11 am to 7pm.

 

THE CAVES – Solo Show Of Stonescapes By Well-Known Architectural Photographer Anand Diwadkar In Jehangir

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AWADH ART FESTIVAL – The 5th Edition Of AAF Was Recently Held At Visual Arts Gallery New Delhi

AWADH ART FESTIVAL (AAF) – the 5th edition of AAF was recently held at Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi from 2nd to 6th February 2023 –  A fabulous  5 day  immersive experience for ART AFICIONADOS  and all ART LOVERS  !

Culture plays an important role in the development of any nation. It represents a set of shared attitudes, values, goals and practices. Culture and creativity manifest themselves in almost all economic, social and other activities. A country as diverse as India is symbolized by the plurality of its culture.

The 5th AAF was planned to take art to a more creative level to commemorate 75 years of independence and the glorious history of it’s people, culture and achievements. This exhibition show cased contemporary, abstract and figurative arts in various mediums of 82 artists from all around India and Bangladesh. More engaging features ( i.e. Story Telling by Kamini Jauhar,  Art Talk by the famous Manuu Mansheet and his team of experts, Re Living Batik by Vinay Singh and The Story of Calligraphy by Raghunita Gupta ) were introduced to help build cultural awareness and help artists from all over India to come together, interact, get inspired and thus expand the scope of their own art form.

It was indeed wonderful to see the 5th AAF was bless by the powerful presence of Dr.Sonal Mansingh, Mrs. Ratan Kaul (the festival advisor to AAF), Mr. Suvir Saran ((the Collaborator to AAF), H. E  Mrs. Daniela Sezonov Tane (Ambassador of Romania to India), Mr. Uday MahurkarMr. Sunit Tandon, Ridhima Kansal, Maneesh Baheti, Ajay Jain, Dr.Blossom Kochhar, Mr. Kamal Modi, Mrs. Anita Singh  and Ms. Gunjan Goela.Furthermore, the most interesting thing was to see Artists like Sakti Burman, Jatin Das and Subodh Gupta musing at the art works and taking time to interact with all artists and AAF team members Rritu Goel, Rashi Paliwal, Ratnpriya Kant, Sharad Gurav, Satish Patil, Neerajj Mittra, Santanu Ganguly and Arka Pradhan.

Awadh Art Festival is a contemporary art fair and an initiative to promote young, lesser known and seasoned artists by providing them a versatile exhibition space from where they can come into direct contact of art buyers, art galleries, art connoisseurs and all other constituents of art market. It acts as a facilitator, which enables cross – pollination across cultures. The ability to have this position makes the Awadh Art Festival the core of where societal transformation can take place. AAF has the power to advance culture and civilization by provoking thought, introspection and discussion – which in turn leads to change.

 

AWADH ART FESTIVAL – The 5th Edition Of AAF Was Recently Held At Visual Arts Gallery New Delhi

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Art Exhibition

THE WANDERING SHADOW An Exhibition Of Paintings By Contemporary Artist Milind Limbekar In Jehangi

31st January to 6th February 2023

“The Wandering Shadow”

An Exhibition of Paintings by contemporary artist Milind Limbekar

VENUE:

Jehangir Art Gallery

161-B, M.G. Road,

Kala Ghoda , Mumbai  – 400 001

Timing: 11am to 7pm

Contact: +91 9423680511, 8999722709

This exhibition was inaugurated by Mr. Sudhir Mungantiwar( Minister of Cultural Affairs, Forest, Fisheries, Government of Maharashtra in the presence of many art dignitaries.

The Wandering Shadow

The wandering of mind and soul needs some place to open up. My recent series of paintings has got such space to explore. The present moment, has always a dual feeling of present and absent. The missing moment always travel with us and our wandering mind gets attracted to those whom you feel shall be yours. These missing moments are what I call shadow, they are almost everywhere. The animals in the painting are representation of curbed desires, the anthropomorphic forms that appears comes from anxiousness and split personality which is subtle and dramatic. No wonder the dramatization id shown always in night scenes because they are always hidden like mystery. You have to search and understand them the most vulnerable part in my work is the expression and gestures. I still feel it as incomplete process because the concept of my painting is abstract and can be better represented in abstract manner.

———-Milind Limbekar

     

THE WANDERING SHADOW An Exhibition Of Paintings By Contemporary Artist Milind Limbekar In Jehangi

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THE MYSTERY CULT An Exhibition Of Paintings By Contemporary Artist Sachin Sagare

31st January to 6th February 2023

“The Mystery Cult”

An Exhibition of Paintings by contemporary artist Sachin Sagare

 

VENUE:

Jehangir Art Gallery

161-B, M.G. Road,

Kala Ghoda , Mumbai  – 400 001

Timing: 11am to 7pm

Contact: +91 9011251869

www.sachinsagare.com

This show was inaugurated on 31st January 2023 by Chief Guest Hon. Parvez Damania in the presence of Vinita Mirchandani and many others.

The Mystery Cult

These new paintings by Sachin Sagare, like his previous body of work, arrives in a headlong rush of invention festooned upon a canny theme, in this case the female body in nature. He places groups of rural women worshippers; he names them as nymphs, dryads and goddesses into clearings in deep, dark background, thus activating irresistible tropes of an Indian painting tradition meant for royals. A more occult art comes to mind in these unkempt, unruly wildernesses, one which begins with the temple women.

The large acrylic paintings in the exhibition swirl chorus of graphically insistent folk women, white blossoms and filigreed stalks that recalls the backyard raptures of rural India. Sagare’s glades are uninhabited; their everyday ecstatic includes luminous beings, spirits of the feminine whose spare, archaic profiles float among the flowers. Faces, flowers, oil lamps and puja-thalis  are painted with a kind of folk-art zeal while the cerulean temple walls behind, solidly modeled then dematerialized by dancing layers of sprayed pigment, is appealingly contrary in color, scale and attack.

Sagare’s experimental approach to mark-making thick or thin, macro or micro, tight or loose, brushed, sprayed or sponged goes for both background and figures. In one his paintings a lone woman in a classical pose is incised in green against the mottled background like a fading figure on a krater. Also cut from traditional lines, in this case black, are five hollow women in mystery cult, who seem to be lost, while by contrast, in the other work the three women protagonists are entangled in a single libidinous squiggle of green and yellow paint that, like flesh to verges on the repulsive. Changing tactics again, Sagare gives the golden apparitions to the three women with an earthy substance. They gesture with a narrative refinement that suggests, along with their warm, coppery tarnish, the microcosmos of an old temple pillar. Sagare, however, putting the brakes on such skillful seduction according to his restless temperament, encloses this exquisite scene in a dark, seething carving on temple panels and walls as brut as the figures are delicate.

Gender critique aside, the painting’s are busy, stop-motion scenography seems like an attempt to do the uncannily naturalistic, his figures form a certain logic to the way followed. The paintings in the show, for that matter, are distinctly re-engineered for function the small paintings marvelously contain their own charm. A large work rages a preposterously scumbled orange-green, barely contained by the jutting blue and purple forms of super-cooled, super-flat conifers. As in all the paintings, however experimental, internal typology is firmly organized motifs, motifs, figures and oil lamps. In this second large, ravishing version of the theme, clamorous day has turned to mysterious night. The precisionist symbolism echoes in Sagare’s crisp and fluorescent canvases, scintillating against a nocturne of blue-violet and black. Yet rogue textures icky drips and thorny bumps interrupting the most beautiful passages remind us of art concoction.

The paintings of Sachin Sagare display an overwhelming elasticity to them. Visceral grit, orchestrated by a network of collaged material, weaves its way into more traditional painting language. Elegance is replaced with subtlety of intrusion and the tenderness of seamless collision. His figures are painted with skins that seem vividly translucent, allowing us to gaze through the stratified layers of paint. Their luminescence seems both coy and purposeful, often serving as the only rational light source.

Sagare manages to excise gender performances from his paintings almost entirely In this intentional defamiliarization of space, he begins to deflate the omnipresence of normative social structures that forcefully define how and where conventionally feminine bodies are supposed to function. In this way, he prevents us from hijacking the agency of these figures forcing us to read their bodies as texts. Denying conventional legibility and insist upon the opacity of their own historical narratives.

What I find most intriguing about this work is the way Sagare leans into this obscurity instead of privileging clarity. This playful and at times spectacular irresolution plays a significant role in his work.  Bodies are refigured as complex ensembles, brilliantly synthesizing the facility of his line, his deft paint handling, and a color sensibility.  A collection of hieroglyphic hands, heads, with an elastic relationship to one another and to the spaces they occupy, these robust and curvaceous figures at times aggressively push the limits of the picture plane and at other times are jettisoned into the constellation of body parts strewn about the canvas.

With a firm and confrontational pose, torso twisted around and eyes focused back onto us and with a full view of his bare behind, the figure entices viewers toward this conceptual edge of the painting, reminding us that our polite curiosity is not to be trusted.

We do not miss the clarity of representational narratives in these paintings. Instead Sagare presents us with a curious proposition. What if we affirm the unconventional complexity in the bodies of the women folk? What happens to gender if we decenter masculinity and femininity and consider other modes of selfexpression, displacing history to freely probe and repurpose the sources of our identity construction?  There is no rush to answer these questions here. He instead forces us to sit, wholly attentive and present with every painting. This is encouraging. 

———–Abhijeet Gondkar

   

THE MYSTERY CULT An Exhibition Of Paintings By Contemporary Artist Sachin Sagare