It is said that beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, but what is a beholder to do when it completely intoxicates him, takes him into a completely new dimension, that of agony and ecstasy, elevates him to a state where he starts living and feeling it? The answer remains debatable and the questions, mere echoes. Lalit Kala Akademi, hosting myriad art expositions in its various spaces often witnesses such questions being raised. “Many in Body…One in Soul…” curated by Rajan K.Purohit was one such exhibition that was recently presented at LKA. The group show featured 32 prominent artists from all over India and abroad, picked on account of their distinct styles. “I have so named the show because even though visually, characteristically, temperamentally and idealistically the works vary, the soul of each artist is united,” said Rajan on the last day of the show. Artists like Aarti Zaveri, Deepika Dhiman, Gaurav Mangla, Kamini Baghel, Madhu Priya, Sonali Chaudhari expressed their creativity through paintings and sculptures. “My specialisation is in florals. I love nature and want to remain very close to it. I want to beautify nature as much as I can on canvas and this is what motivates me,” said Madhu Priya, the mood clearly visible in her mixed media works stressing on floral patterns and motifs. Vikas Khajuria, a sculptor by profession, carves out his inner self in wood. His ‘Swing' portrayed childhood innocence, excitement and happiness while ‘Caught between two worlds' showcased the cuboidal life we lead. Sonali Chaudhari whoexhibited three paintings said, “There's a lot of feminity in my paintings because I am a woman and identify with that feminine quality.” One of her works, ‘Cosmic mother' depicted a leaf form representing ‘Parama Prakriti' or mother nature.
Kamini Baghel was another from the lot whose work dealt with feminine concerns. “My work deals with women, their position and role in society. I have used bar girls and white faces to depict the harsh reality of our society, a reality which exists but we fail to accept. I have tried to deal with the embarrassment of the girls on the one hand and the society on the other, who unabashedly use them but go on calling them names,” explained Kamini.
