: Numerous artists and artisans across the country look forward to the festive season, as a good part of their livelihood depends on painting idols of Ganesha or Durga.
Each of them, with their unique style and interpretation, play a part in keeping alive the traditional art forms year after year.
Adding to the myriad styles of depicting folklore and keeping traditions alive, Kolkata-based National Institure of Fashion Technology graduate (NIFT) Nandan Purkayastha has combined his design background and inner artist to tell the magnificent stories associated with festivities in India.
‘Festive Fantasy’
‘The exhibition titled ‘Festive Fantasy’ at Gallerie Ganesha has on display Nandan's colourful canvases that have a unique style.
The artist has used a rotring ballpoint pen to create intricate patterns in which the Durga idol, asuras, tiger, birds and human figures come together to create a dreamscape.
Nandan said Indian folklore and western cowboy comics inspired his unique style. “I was born in Tinsukhia in Assam, surrounded by folklore, and was extremely fond of reading western cowboy comics. In my work, you will see stories that have emerged from the East but the drawing style is inspired by western comics. Durga Puja and Bihu were part of my childhood in Assam so they always form part of my work,” says the artist.
Shobha Bhatia, Director, Gallerie Ganesha, says that the collection of works is filled with fantasy forms that “border on and feed from the edge of reality”.
Apart from his canvases inundated by figures, he also has on display a body of abstract works, inspired by his trips to Spain and France.
“I saw Picasso’s cubist works for the first time, but I wanted to create something that combined my fascination with colour and my own roots.”
The exhibition is on at Gallerie Ganesha, E-557, Greater Kailash II, New Delhi till November 14.
The exhibition titled ‘Festive Fantasy’ at Gallerie Ganesha showcases colourful art with unique style
