Walk into Shangri-lla Art Gallery, Vazhuthacaud, and you walk into another reality. During the course of the past year, artist and promoter J. Sasikumar organised two camps, one at Delhi and the other at Mysore.
More than 25 artists participated in these camps and produced some exquisite paintings. ‘The Colours of India,' an exhibition of paintings, which was inaugurated by Mrinal Sen, displayed the results of the two camps.
When one walks into the gallery, one is spellbound by the manifold shades, shapes and hues of contemporary art. The ‘Ganapathi Series' of Kashinath Bose catches the eye at once. While retaining the original base of the Kolkata-style of figurine painting, the artist has enriched it with his imagination. Another arresting work is a Tantric painting by Haridaso, which urges the viewers to ponder over the strong power of the strange symbols and geometric forms.
Impact
The Buddha on an aspen leaf is a beautiful panting by Delhi-based Kosal. Krishna Murari's work makes a strong impact with its use of space and the seven colours. Syama from Kashmir has painted a landscape that captures the emotions of winter and summer on the same canvas. M J. Sasikumar's ‘Kerala Monsoon' is yet another striking work.
The magic created by the brush strokes of the artists from Kashmir to Kanyakumari unfolds before your eyes as you move from one picture to another. As Sasikumar puts it “I wanted to bring to the people of this city the changes in contemporary art across India.”
