A decade-long passionate love affair with art definitely warrants a big celebration. Kalakriti Art Gallery completed its 10 years and to mark the occasion its proud owners Prashant and Rekha Lahoti decided to showcase works of the some of the finest artists of India. They also launched the Kalakriti Award for Achievement and Excellence.
The exhibition had paintings of artists like Akbar Padamsee, Jogen Chowdhury, Krishen Khanna, M. F Husain, S. H. Raza, Tyeb Mehta and many more. The paintings are part of Prshant Lahoti’s personal collection, gathered over a period of 13 years.
“This is the first time I have displayed all my paintings,” says a visibly excited Prshant Lahoti. “These paintings definitely are assets and I don’t want to stop collecting,” he says.
Jogen Chowdhury’s curvaceous figures and the sense of intimacy that exudes from his work were apparent in the drawing of a couple. It is not colours but the figures that dominate his canvas, a style which he developed during his days in Paris. M.F Husain’s flamboyant style and Tyeb Mehta’s oil painting of the modernist movement were also on display. Other artists of the Bombay Progressive Artists Movement like S. H. Raza and F. N. Souza were a part of the exhibition. Bikash Bhattacharjee’s pencil sketches, Bhupen Khakhar’s water colours, charcoal works of Parisian women by Jehangir Sabavala, Vasudeo S. Gaitonde’s abstract works should not be missed.
An active contributor in the field of theatre, literature, music and cinema, Shankar S. Melkote was awarded the Kalakriti Award for Achievement and Excellence. In his impeccable wit he thanked Jagdish Mittal, P.M Bhargava, Narendra Luther, Shyam Benegal, Ramoji Rao as a source of inspiration he expressed, “How can I thank a friend, philosopher, guide and a wife.” The award money was graciously offered to an NGO that deals with women and children from under-privileged backgrounds.
While the evening flowed with wine and good spirits, conversations did sometimes veer off the subject on art. A guest was heard very passionately exclaiming, “Jogen Chowdhury is something… ‘Whatsapp’ ostunda ?”
The exhibition titled ‘Living with Great Masters: Kalakriti at Ten’ will be displayed at Kalakriti Art Gallery, Road No 10, Banjara Hills from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. till July 25.
