An art exhibition here has Lord Ganesh depicted both in traditional and unconventional forms expressed through different media.
Organised by S.S. Creations, the weeklong exhibition has been arranged at a rather improbable venue: a gallery located in a petrol station of Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. at Kadri.
Titled ‘Banna Ganapa', the exhibition is a collection of paintings by 12 artists, who have contributed two visions of the elephant-headed god each. The most striking feature is the plurality of representation. Artists have used oils, acrylics, sketches, and fibre glass paintings to create images of Lord Ganesh, some traditional and others in abstract form.
One painting shows a rat mischievously peeping out of a hole in the wall at a traditionally painted Ganesh.
Dinesh Holla's sketches appear to be effortless squiggles on white. Both Ganapatis are profiles, bringing to mind the easily recognisable loopy sketch of Gandhi's profile which shows his trademark round spectacles.
Some of the paintings appear playful: a small image of the elephant-headed god depicts him in a red polka-dot mundu.
A painting by Jayavanth is a stately grey Ganesh. An acrylic on canvas by Reshma Shetty gives the viewer the perspective of standing at the threshold: a partial view of the door, framing an elaborately painted Ganapati.
A fibre glass painting of the god by Harish Marne is ambiguous in form. At first look, it appears to be a tree with its branches spread against the sky with the backdrop of a setting sun. Only a closer look reveals the god's large ears and trunk resting on what appears to be the ground.
The other artists whose paintings have been exhibited are Vishwas M., Anil Devadiga, Harish Kodialbail, Jeevan A.S., Kandan G., Mohan Kumar B.P., Rajendra Kedige and Syed Asif Ali.
The exhibition is on till September 7. It is open from 10.30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
