Indian art has an inherent vibrancy, richness and depth because of the plethora of subjects the artists focus on. Smaller art galleries across various cities in India now promote new artists and even works by those who have no academic grounding in art. With the variety of talent now available, some galleries lap up a lot of the art that would otherwise go unnoticed.
Take the case of Ram Onkar, a self-taught artist. Fascinated by the spiritual forms in India, many of his paintings focus on iconic religious figures like Buddha and Krishna. Ram Onkar would not have pursued a career in art if not for his teacher who motivated him. He also concentrates his work around ‘the music of nature’s colours’. He has won many awards and has had over 30 solo and group shows, some of which form part of the collection of the President of Pakistan, Sahara Amby Valley, Walchands and numerous institutions/individuals of India. He has also toured the US, UK, Germany, France, Japan, Middle East and parts of Africa with his paintings.
Bangalore-based Gallery Third Eye features ‘artists of the month’ regularly. It collects work that embodies richness of style, medium and imagination, and positions art as a source of peace, joy or rejuvenation. Featuring established, mid-level and budding artists, the gallery provides a platform for artists to reach out to different buyer profiles.
Jasmine Khanna, curator and founder of Gallery Third Eye, says, “Our sole purpose is to encourage artists and to recognise talent in this space. We want to help artists earn a living and we want to make art accessible to a variety of buyers. We’ve found that many people make smaller investments in art and a few buy really large pieces, which is very encouraging.”
This December, along with Ram Onkar, Paramesh Jolad — a Fine Arts postgraduate gold medallist and Goa Kala Academy Winner (1998) — showcases his paintings inspired from poetry. His ideas for abstract art come from sounds, strokes and colours.
Both painters feature in the current exhibition ‘Masters of Imagination’. The gallery also supports the National Association for the Blind. Portions of the proceeds from sales go to the charity.
Masters of Imagination
When: Till December 31.
Where: Gallery Third Eye, Bangalore.
More details: 080 – 41640471 or 9845585235
