Like exquisitely crafted art, ‘Warp and Weft'- the latest art exhibition at the Vernissage, G397, behind The Center Hotel in Panampilly Nagar- brings together works of 11 artists.
The show has been organised in association with Right Lines Art Gallery, Bangalore and will be on till December 25. Says, Bindu Nair, CEO, Vernissage, “Since inception in June 2010, we have had six shows. But the credit for this one, which features mostly established artists, rests entirely with two women Indira Bharadwaj and Raj Dutt of Right Lines. It's to their credit that the show is a veritable feast for the eye.”
Different strokes
The most celebrated of the artists on display is Padmashree Thota Tharani with two acrylics- the ‘Rooster' which is iconic, brilliant and powerful with the yellows, reds and mustard of the rooster standing in bold relief against the black and grey background and ‘Ganesha' with its compelling, deft strokes.
Bikash Poddar is the most prolific on show with eight works, all water colours on paper. While the bigger works are landscapes and abstracts which are restful, the four miniatures are reminiscent of scenes from village life. One untitled is especially gripping, with its portrayal of a village lane with the two figures walking along it. It is lazy, real and punchy.
Nikhil Ranjan Pal has a diptych- displaying images of women, one quintessentially Indian in a sari, the other modern- as well as a dreamy, subtle creation titled ‘Woman.' ‘Kites,' a textured watercolour, which represents gambolling children with kites and the refreshing ‘Krishna,' which has elements set around a circle and gives multiple perspectives to the viewer, depending on the angle of view, are the works of Arpita Basu, a Kolkata-based artist.
Different from the others are the two creations of Sudhir Kumar Meher, as they are acrylic on silk and celebrate the beauty of colour and nature with motifs inspired from tribal Orissa.
Gwalior-based Mustak Khan Chowdhury's acrylics on canvas ‘Two Women' and ‘Two Ladies with a flower' pay tribute to women and romance, with bold colours and soft touches. The traditions of the Bengal School reigns in the works of Dewashish Das, who celebrate the rustic in ‘Friends' (an oil and acrylic on canvas) and the untitled acrylic. The attention to detail, the play of colours and the romanticising of work are stunning.
Paresh Hazra has two works on show- ‘Krishna,' with the embossed and three-dimensional effect and ‘Almighty 1' which melds the images of Krishna and Christ. The effect of his labour is innovative and rich, especially as he has used the old egg tempera technique.
Dipankar Ray's ‘Desire' an acrylic is refreshing and soothing with its pale, green tones while the ‘Boat' is a play of textures. ‘Twilight' and ‘Midsummer,' two abstracts of Surajit Chanda, are contrasting images-one light and cool, the other summery and in fiery shades.
The contemporary scenes illustrated in Sanjay Singh's ‘Celebration of Life' and an untitled work is thoughtful, balanced and remarkable.
“The show is about the coming together of different styles of paintings and artists,” points out Mody Thomas, curator and artist.
In that sense, ‘Warp and Weft' remains true to its essence and is an exhibit put together masterfully and flawlessly.
