At Icon Art Gallery in Banjara Hills one can see faith painted in different hues and mediums in an exhibition titled ‘My God.’ Fifteen artists pay respect to their favourite god and explore their basic and profound emotion – devotion. “Even the most senior and professional artists tend to indulge in drawing their favourite god,” states Avani Rao Gandra of Icon Art.
“It is all seeped in our culture and much of everyone’s activities,” she adds. With a wide variety of aesthetic forms, the choices are many – from the masculine male forms like Shiva and playful Ganesha to Krishna…the deities are expressed in the artists’ own way. Avani elaborates on the reasons for planning the exhibition. “Unlike Mumbai and Delhi, where artists express a lot through abstract paintings, in Hyderabad, there is more of figurative works. The exhibition also suits the festive mood,” she says and adds, “The skill of the artists is amazing. There is no three dimensional quality but there is so much richness in the works.”
From conventional forms to contemporary… the exhibits are in different styles and mediums like woodcut, acrylic and watercolours. If there are artists like Balabhakta Raju, who are dedicated in their themes, there are other artists exploring in a contemporary way. G. Promod’s blue Hanuman looks amazing while Madhu Kuruva’s canvas looks resplendent with Ganesha. Bhushayya also has a tryst with Ganesha. Shrikant Dhunde’s works have a different feel. Jayashree Goradia from Mumbai brings out the inner awakening with her enlightenment through meditation series. She has been meditating for the past 15 years and says the experience is inexplicable. “I used to meditate even during my growing up years but did not know that it was called meditation,” says Jayashree. Ever since she started doing Vipassana, it is a different experience.
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“After I meditate, I cannot explain what the feeling is. So I immediately paint. There have been so many paintings which I have done after meditation,” she says with a smile. “The material is not available in the market. I have used 17 natural ingredients to prepare it. I initially tried it on paper but could not get it right. Later, I used it on canvas,” she says. If you have ever wondered who the favourite god of artists is, drop in at the gallery before January 28 between 11.30 a.m. and 7 p.m.