revelations i - Gallery Five

Revelations I
January 2013
TPAG
THE PUNE ART GALLERY
TPAG
THE PUNE ART GALLERY
Revelations I
C O N T E M P O R A R Y A RT
4 7 A rt i s ts
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Revelations I
C O N T E M P O R A R Y A RT
4 7 A rt i sts
January 2013
TPAG
THE PUNE ART GALLERY
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TPAG
THE PUNE ART GALLERY
Foreword
The Pune Art Gallery
A cycle of art
at Oakwood Premier Hotel
81, Mundhwa, Koregaon Park Annex
Pune 411036, Maharasthra, India
E: thepuneartgallery@gmail.com
W: www.thepuneartgallery.com
by K.S. SHEKHAWAT
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HELP CARE INDIA
8-9
Exhibition Plates
10-13
Concept & Design:
Sanjay Kumar Sethia & Anaida Parvaneh
Artworks
14-82
Printed at Archana
www.archanapress.com
Artist profiles
83-94
Panchshil Realty
96
Oakwood Premier Pune
98
Indigo Airlines
101
gallery Note
Sanjay kumar Sethia
Anaida parvaneh
For enquiries please contact:
Ms. Shashi Rajan, Gallery Manager
M: +91 9730767995
Essay:
K.S. Shekhawat
No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in or introduced into a retrieval system,
or transmitted in any form by any means
(electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or
otherwise), without the prior written permission
of the copyright owner of this catalogue. The
Pune Art Gallery will not be held responsible for
any typing / printing errors or spelling errors in
the catalogue.
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Contents
Sponsors
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A Cycle of Art
The trajectories of Indian modern art have been shaped by so many hands and minds that
its legacy continues to bind artists of even the current generation. The baton of culture
is the overwhelming yoke they have inherited with its deeply entrenched layers that shape
their artistic tryst and vision. The umbilical cord that ties them together is a spiritual mirror,
sometimes directly, at other times tangentially.
Belief, faith, lives eked out daily – they are all manifestations of that bequest, arising out of the
chaos and disarray of India. Just as within that, the devout as well as the rooted find harmony,
so too artists take the skeins and convert it into something that is complete – and what a grand
banquet it is that we are served up.
No one conjures up that simplicity of vision as coherently as K H Ara, a founding member of the
Progressive Artists’ Group, whose landscape here is a device of lyrical escape. Ara began his
career as a self-taught artist dabbling in landscape art, but shifted soon after to painting stilllifes of mostly vases of flowers, and of nudes. This early rare work therefore is evocative of the
point at which he began his journey.
From Ara to Umakant Kande’s mixed media works that bring to mind an austerity has indeed
been a long expedition, one in which Paramjit Singh with his surreal forests and Sachindra Nath
Jha with his impressionistic view of the Banaras umbrellas on the ghats provide a meaningful
interlude. To stretch a point, Sangeeta Gupta’s striated canvas resembles nothing so much as a
macro landscape seen with the intimacy of a eye looking closely at nature.
Of course, the cityscape by the enfant terrible of art, F N Souza, with its gabled roofs and church
– so reminiscent of all his landscapes – belongs to the genre that he made his own as much as
he did nudes. Anita Chauhan, among current artists, is among those who have dedicated their
career to continually painting and exploring the female body – a worthy successor in a genre
that is still spoken about in hushed tones.
The largest body of work in this exhibition centres around the figurative, best defined in the
works by M F Husain, a contemporary of Ara and Souza who is best known for his celebration
of the region’s syncretic culture. Those references are obvious in the two works included in
this show – a canvas and a drawing – and point to the country’s admiration of the aesthetic
tradition, which is an important facet in the understanding of the region’s artistic heritage.
That figurative quality ranges across different genres. It includes Jehangir Sabavala’s mysterious
figures – whether of nuns, or veiled strangers, grouped in threes to suggest a shared vulnerability
– or of Paresh Maity’s characteristically strong portraits in his trademark bold strokes and use of
primary colours. Portraits emphasise the message an artist wishes to communicate, such as in
Ganesh Pyne’s mask-like face made poignant through his wash-like use of colours, the portrait
of a gentleman by that great archivist of folk art and Indian culture K K Hebbar, the evocatively
haunting Sufi-like paintings of Manjit Bawa, Suhas Roy’s similarly meloncholic image of a Christlike figure, A P Santhanaraj’s moving images of couples, Rajesh Shrivastava’s zen-like figures
with at least one work that seems almost an ode to the master Hemen Majumdar.
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Nor would the section be complete without Seema Kohli’s canvases in which she brings her
belief in the universe of man and nature, of man and woman, together, like the deeply rooted
trees she is so fond of. Thota Vaikuntam is represented by his typical Telengana woman, Laxman
Aelay explores rural countryside and escapades in a series of works, there are explorations of
figures in both Subrata Sen and Suman Gupta’s works, Deepak Roy makes an appearance with
a surprisingly real portrait of a Kathakali dancer, while Sanjay Sable and Sanjab Tikkal contribute
their efforts in the direction of a more decorative oeuvre.
Where faith is concerned, the burden of its representation falls on the shoulders of Anaida
Parvanesh & Sidharth, Atin Basak, Dharmendra Rathore and H B Bhujel marking the fortunes
of those for whom god’s call is a herald. As for godliness itself, it is reflected in the works of
Ramesh Gorjala’s distinctively painted Shiva, or in Akay Kaushik Awtans’s Krishna, or works of
divine play by Nityam Singha Roy.
Completing the oeuvre are works by Ashok Bhowmick and Jai Zharotia, the former featuring
a cow with a crown and a bird, the latter represented by a mask and a bird – clearly a message
in there. Vijay Sharma’s painting is an interesting still-life of a celebration complete with
champagne, people and presents.
Among the modernists, it was S H Raza, who lived till very recently in Paris, who took on an
aspect of abstraction that would result in his familiar bindu and mandala works. Here, he is
represented by an abstract work – inspired, he has always said, by Mark Rothko – with text
rendered by him in the form of a verse. Words, in fact, appear like an important medium for
abstract painters, as evident in the calligraphic nature of V S Gaitonde, or in the script-like
evocations of Sanjay Jain and Akhilesh Verma.
Indeed, some of the most exciting works belong to the abstract genre – witness Sohan Qadri’s
meditative musings on paper, Pinky Bindra’s fantastical offering, powerful works by Mukesh
Sharma and Vishal Joshi, an explosion of colours of Bose Krishnamachari and Suchit Sahni,
and of course, the flame-like energy generated by the geometrical abstraction of G R Santosh,
harking back to the spiritual that artists have devoted their pursuits in seeking.
In the end, therefore, the beginning; in the beginning, the end – and so the cycle of life, and art,
moves on.
K S Shekhawat
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TPAG
THE PUNE ART GALLERY
AKHILESH VERMA
Syed Haider RAZA
ANITA CHAUHAN
JEhangir SABAWALA
SACHINDRA NATH JHA
AJAY KAuSHIK Awtans
JAI ZHAROTIA
SANGEETA GUPTA
ASHOK BHOWMICK
Krishnaji Howla Ara
SANJAY JAIN
ATIN BASAK
Kattinger K Hebber
SANJAY SABLE
A P SANTHANARAJ
LAXMAN AELAY
SANJAY TIKKAL
ANAIDA ParVaneh
MANJIT BAWA
SEEMA KOHLI
SIDHARTH
MARAL YAZARLOO
SOHAN QADRI
BOSE Krishnamachari
Maqbool Fida HUSAIN
SUBRATA SEN
BadriNath ARYA
MUKESH SHARMA
SUCHIT SAHNI
DIPAK ROY
NITYAM SINGHA ROY
SUMAN ROY
DHARMENDRA RATHORE
PARAMJIT SINGH
Thota Vaikuntam
Francis Newton SOUZA
paresh maity
UMAKANT KANANDE
Ghulam Rasool SANTOSH
PICKY BINDRA
Vasudeo S. Gaitonde
Ganesh Pyne
RAJESH SRIVASTavA
VIJAY SHARMa
H.B BHUJEL
RAMESH GORJALA
Vishal Joshi
The Oakwood Premier Hotel and The Pune Art Gallery invite Fine Art lovers to join us on a voyage
of visual discovery, to explore the newest trends in the world of Art today.
Through monthly exhibitions in the aptly luxurious surroundings of the Oakwood Premier Hotel
Pune, TPAG aims to stoke the imagination and kindle the sensibilities of our audience. With select
artworks, as are rarely found outside the major metros, we shall provide aesthetic pleasure and
inspire a deeper appreciation of Contemporary Indian Art. Artworks will be chosen to reflect the
spread and diversity of Indian creativity across regions and generations.
In, Revelations I, the first of an annual exhibition, TPAG will showcase 47 artists. This collection
assembles different styles and mediums from the Art scene today. Artists include icons from the
Master Artist Group such as M F Husain, S H Raza, F N Souza, Manjit Bawa, V S Gaitonde and others
whose tremendous energy has inspired those who succeeded them, juxtaposed alongside young
and flamboyant artists whose works encapsulate the constantly shifting paradigms and fresh
vision that Fine Art engenders.
TPAG wishes to thank our sponsors, Panchshil Realty, Indigo Airlines and Chivas for their generous
support.
Our sincere gratitude to Mr. Hoshang Garivala, General Manager; Mr. Trishal Rao, Director Sales and
the entire team at The Oakwood Premier Hotel Pune for their endless support and cooperation.
Sanjay Kumar Sethia
Anaida Parvaneh
TPAG
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HELP CARE INDIA
Dear Friends,
Today we would like to share with you a small story about us :
Help Care India – When these three words reach your ears you get an idea that it’s something about
helping and caring for someone, it’s something about connecting yourself to someone unknown.
This beautiful thought came in the minds and hearts of several humble and loving souls probably
at a very tender age of school going. There were some who gave away their books and uniforms
to fellow students on seeing them being abused at school for the same. There was someone who
would share their tiffin with someone starving on the street. There were someone who parted
with their piggy bank savings to get medicines for the housemaid’s child. There were some who
would give away their expensive toys to their servants kids on seeing the desire of it in their eyes.
And, there are some who had a struggling and stressful childhood and could feel the pain of the
less fortunate.
A Group of such humble hearts happens to share their wonderful thoughts at Ex-students meet at
their school, and this is how they decided to serve the less fortunate section of the society in the
best possible way which finally led to the formation of “Help Care India”
TPAG
THE PUNE ART GALLERY
And now, with the participation of several other members of the society, school going students to
house wives, professionals like teachers and doctors we give our free time and support for these
kids without being paid.
One of the biggest asset to Help Care India are the school and college going students them self
who give away their free time in helping us connect the less fortunate kids to sponsor’s, through
whose generous donations, take care of their educational and medical expenses.
We have teachers who give these children free tuitions.
We have doctors to take care of their medical necessities & treat them for free.
We have House wives help in voluntary support.
This is how Help care India caters with the Educational, Medical & financial needs of the under
privileged ones.
The Oakwood Premier Hotel, Pune and The Pune Art Gallery are happy to be
associated with “Help Care India”. Part proceeds from the sale of selected works*
will be presented by The Oakwood Premier Pune to Help Care India as a donation
to assist the commendable work this charity performs.
For donations please contact Help Care India directly.
* Please see pages 10-13.
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Our three Basic Priorities are:
EDUCATION –
This helps children to learn.
HEALTHCARE
–
This supports them with their Medical expense.
EMPLOYMENT
–
This looks out for a suitable job so that the poor can earn their living.
For any further queries, please feel free to mail us at: helpcareindia74@gmail.com
Or call us at 9833585784 Jovita & Anjali, 9819155685 Hozefa
Thanks & Regards
Help Care India Team.
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Akhilesh Verma*
H.B BHUJEL
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ANITA CHAUHAN*
15
Ajay KAuSHIK Awtans
16
Ajay KAuSHIK Awtans
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Ashok Bhowmick
18
Atin basak*
19
A. P. Santhanaraj
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A. P. Santhanaraj*
21
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*Anaida Parvaneh
& Sidharth
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Bose Krishnamachari
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Badri Nath ARYA
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DiPAK ROY
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DHARMENDRA RATHORE
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F. N. SOUZA
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G. R. SANTOSH
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JAI ZHAROTIA
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J. SABAWALA*
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J. SABAWALA*
41
K.H.Ara
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k.k. hebber*
43
Laxman aelay
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Laxman aelay
44
Laxman aelay
44
Laxman aelay
45
Mukesh Sharma
46
Maral yazarloo
47
*Manjit Bawa
48
Manjit Bawa
49
M.F. Husain
50
Ganesh Pyne
M.F. Husain
36
51
Nityam Singha roy
Seema Kohli
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70
Paramjit singh
53
Paresh maity
54
Picky bindra
56
Sanjay tikkal
57
Rajesh Srivastra*
58
Rajesh Srivastava
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Rajesh Srivastava
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Rajesh Srivastava
59
S. Nath Jha
60
Ramesh gorjala
61
S.H. Raza
62
Suchit sahni
66
*Sangeeta Gupta
67
Seema Kohli
71
Sohan Qadri
72
Subrata Sen
74
Suman Roy
76
Thota Vaikuntam
77
Umakant Kanande
78
Umakant Kanande
78
Umakant Kanande
78
Umakant Kanande
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V.S. Gaitonde
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Vishal Joshi
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Vijay Sharma
82
Sanjay Jain
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Sanjay SAble
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Akhilesh Verma
Anita Chauhan
Jaipur Yellow | Acrylic on Canvas | 48” x 60” | 2010
Pen & Charcoal on Paper | 16” x 12” | 2009
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Ajay Kaushik Awtans
Acrylic on Canvas | 47” x 47” | 2010
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Acrylic on Canvas
48” x 30”
2010
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Ashok Bhowmick
Atin Basak
Acrylic & Pen on Paper | 13” x 21” | 1997
Untitled | Tempera on Board | 30” x 30” | 2005
19
A P Santhanaraj
A P Santhanaraj
Pen & Ink on Paper | 20” x 14” | 2007
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Acrylic on Paper | 30” x 22” | 2007
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Anaida Parvaneh & Sidharth
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Anaida is an artist
she sings
she dances
she visualizes
and off course she can paint
in a very first meeting
i could see a sun energy in her
the sun is shinning through her
even on the canvas or on paper
why don’t you perform a dance to the sun and let the energy flow?
she started to dance before a big canvas
and after some time
started to throw bucket full of colors on the canvas
she was dancing to a tune and enjoyed splashes of colors till she was
exhausted
then did Persian calligraphy on the top
it was a great site to witness
we were jumping with joy
what have you scribed on the canvas i asked
shouted she “ISHQUE”
then here is Rumi I said Rumi was there between us
‘Ameen’ - Sidharth
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Ishque
Acrylic on Canvas
79” x 94”
2012
Collaborated by
Anaida Parvaneh & Sidharth
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Bose Krishnamachari
Streched Bodies | Acrylic & Oil on Canvas | 36” x 36” | 2008
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Badri Nath Arya
Saraswati Acrylic on Canvas 60” x 36” 2005
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Dipak Roy
Dharmendra Rathore
Expressive Emotions | Acrylic on Canvas | 32” x 40” | 2010
Watercolour on Handmade Paper | 30” x 22” | 2005
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F.N. Souza
Acrylic on Paper | 15” x 20” | 1991
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Gulam Rasool Santosh
Oil on Canvas | 17” x 14” | 1977
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Ganesh Pyne
H B Bhujel
Tempera on Canvas | 19” x 17” | 2008
Acrylic on Paper | 21” x 29” | 2012
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Jai Zharotia
Acrylic on Canvas | 36” x 48” | 2010
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Jehangir Sabawala
Caption L/R Limited Edition 1/125 Serigraphs | 24” x 17” | 2007
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Mixed Media on Paper | 13” x 20” | 1961
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K.K. Hebber
Watercolour on Paper | 21” x 14” | 1963
K.H. Ara
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Laxman Aelay
Acrylic on Canvas Board | 12” x 12” | 2011
Acrylic on Canvas Board | 12” x 12” | 2011
Acrylic on Canvas Board | 12” x 12” | 2011
Acrylic on Canvas Board | 12” x 12” | 2011
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Mukesh Sharma
Maral Yazarloo
Acrylic on Canvas | 36” x 36” | 2011
Mixed Media on Canvas | 54” x 36” | 2010
47
Manjit Bawa
Pencil on Paper | 14” x 11” | 1985
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Mixed Media on Paper | 14” x 10” | 2001 ►
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Maqbool Fida Husain
Oil on Canvas | 24” x 18” | 1970’s
Maqbool Fida Husain
Nayika Series | Watercolour on Paper | 13” x 13” | 1998
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51
Nityam
Singha
Roy
Acrylic on Canvas
48” x 24”
2011
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Paramjit Singh
Charcoal on Paper | 7” x 9.5” | 2000
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Paresh Maity
Acrylic on Canvas | 33” x 44” | 2008
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Picky Bindra
Sanjay Tikkal
Acrylic on Canvas | 35” x 35” | 2010
Acrylic on Canvas | 36” x 36” | 2011
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Can Fly | Oil on Canvas | 36” x 24” | 2012
Rajesh Srivastava
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Oil on Canvas | 12” x 12” | 2009 (each)
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Sachindra Nath Jha
Ramesh Gorjala
Oil on Canvas | 36” x 48” | 2012
Acrylic on Canvas | 54” x 36” | 2011
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Syed Haider Raza
Acrylic on Canvas | 24” x 48” | 2011
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Suchit Sahni
Sangeeta Gupta
Metropolitan | Acrylic on Canvas | 24” x 30” | 2012
Acrylic on Canvas | 50” x 40” | 2007
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Sanjay Jain
Mixed Media on Canvas | 36” x 36” | 2011
68
Sanjay Sable
Buddha
Acrylic on Canvas
48” x 24” 2011
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Seema Kohli
Mixed Media on Canvas | 24” x 24” | 2011
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Seema Kohli
Mixed Media on Canvas | 24” x 24” | 2008
71
Sohan Qadri
Inks, Dyes on Handmade Paper with inclusions | 39.5” x 27.5” | 2000
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Subrata Sen
Oil on Canvas
64” x 40”
2011
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76
Suman Roy
T. Vaikuntam
Acrylic on Acrylic Sheet | 36” x 24” | 2008
Acrylic on Canvas Board | 10” x 8” | 2012
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Umakant Kanande
Mixed Media on Canvas | 12” x 12” | 2011
Mixed Media on Canvas | 12” x 12” | 2011
Mixed Media on Canvas | 12” x 12” | 2011
Mixed Media on Canvas | 12” x 12” | 2011
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Mixed Media on Paper | 20” x 14” | 1963
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Vishal Joshi
Fifth Element | Acrylic on Canvas | 60” x 36” | 2012
V.S. Gaitonde
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Vijay Sharma
Artist Profiles
Acrylic on Canvas | 48” x 72” | 2011
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A.P. SANTHANARAJ, 1932 - 2011
Born in 1932 in Tamil Nadu, A.P. Santhanaraj studied painting from Government College of Arts and Crafts, Chennai, and
was its Principal from 1985-1990. He found himself a niche in the world of art with his passion and distinctive style. One
of the most defining aspects of Santhanaraj’s works would be the quality of line. It is this fundamental element, which
sets apart the artists style. He uses this element without any inhibitions exploring it endlessly and creating a unique
visual language. As the artist says, “I am hungry about painting. What comes out of it, I don’t know. All my intentions
are not to accept a preconceived form. Circumstances force me to accept a particular form.” He is recipient of several
awards, including the National Award in 1957, the Kala Ratna in 1997, and the Kalimamani Shiromani award in 1996.
Retrospectives of his work were held in Delhi in 1990 and 2001. He has executed portraits for Parliament House, New
Delhi, and murals for the Madras State Museum. He was also commissioner for painting for the Brazil Triennale, 1988.
He lives and works in Chennai.
AJAY KAUSHIK AWTANS
Ajay Kaushik Awtans is an excellent artist with a taste for details, which he depicts through human faces and expressions.
The subtlety of his paintings is reflected again in the study of a sculpture, expressing himself in his choice of color and
brush work directly on canvas. Awtans canvases evoke a certain ‘inner feel’ of reflection and introspection, and a certain
‘visual appeal’ luminous, shadowy and intense. He imparts a sense of intrigue to the simple folk of his paintings.
ANAIDA PARVANEH
Anaida is a musician, actor/director, composer/producer, pop and play back singer, multi linguist, advertising
conceptualizer, writer and painter. From starting as a teenage RJ and pop star she has been an integral part of the
Indian music industry for almost 17 years. She has been painting since age 3 but chose to share her work with public only
since 2009. She has been a part of a few group shows featuring some of the biggest name in the Indian art scene and
had her own first solo show sponsored by AIFACS ( All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society) Delhi. She works on multiple
mediums . She creates one of a kind Persian miniature style carvings and Rumi and Khayyam Calligraphy on leather.
A fusion style created and developed by her over the years . She works as a consultant for various companies and
presently divides her time between Mumbai and Pune consulting for Oakwood Premier Pune. She enjoys mixing music,
dance and paintings at some of her live shows and currently working on her meditation album with a line of acrylic and
water colour collection attached to it.
ANITA CHAUHAN
Anita Chauhan’s paintings and art-work in colour or black and white are bold, full of expression and depict all the shades
of a woman. To express the subject of women in any form of art requires finesse, which Anita displays commendably.
She is not afraid to experiment and try new things, and hence are a treat. Anita’s paintings and sketches convey desire,
love, hope, aspirations, fear and dreams of women in a very refreshing and contemporary manner. Anita is a emerging
Artist, who has already acquired a fare share of fame and recognition. When she started painting professionally, as a
career, her art-work took a life of its own. Her style is contemporary figurative and she doesn’t like realism but the
eyes and expressions are realistically portrayed, as are sometimes some surprise elements, such as the crows, birds
and flowers. Anita believes that the human spirit is irrepressible. The more you suppress it, more it soars. In her works
women shine with zeal as they journey through different seasons of life. This Artist has had several solo exhibitions and
many group shows and has a large group of collectors. Anita presently lives and works in Delhi with her husband and a
six years old daughter.
Ashok Bhowmick, b 1953
Solo shows spanning from 1974 to 2004 throughout India, has published various articles on painting and theatre in many
of the national newspapers and periodicals. His works are in collections in India and abroad.
ATIN BASAK, b 1966
Born in Kolkata in 1966, Atin Basak studied painting in this city and later received his MA in printmaking from a Baroda art
college. All through his career he has received several awards, prominent among them the 1999-2000 Charles Wallace
India Trust Arts Award and a scholarship from the French Government to work in their country as a visiting artist. Atin
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Basak says that his recent body of work represents the beliefs and ways of life in the East or the Orient. The recluses
and sages that he creates in his etchings and lithographs on paper have a certain quality that places them above and
beyond the ‘madding crowd’ of humanity. Although they are alone, they seem to be perceptive, judicious and erudite
people who have seen and experienced the world as it is, and then made the choice to live apart from it. Collections of
his works are housed in the National Gallery of Modern Art and the Lalit Kala Akademi in New Delhi, the Baroda Palace
Museum, the British Council in Bombay as well as in personal collections in Bombay, Calcutta, Baroda, Ahmedabad,
Belgium, Singapore, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Germany, France, Japan and the UK.
BADRI NATH ARYA, b 1936
Badri Nath Arya, widely known in contemporary art world as B.N. Arya, is perhaps the last exponent of the watercolour
wash technique and imagery of the Neo-Bengal School in North India. Born in a Prosperous family of business in
Peshawar, he showed deep interest in fine art even in his early childhood. After the partition, his family moved into India
through the holocaust of communal riots and settled in Lucknow. During 1956- 57 he did his postgraduate in Fine Art
at the college of Arts and Crafts, Lucknow; and the painting tradition of the Nei- Bengal School, taught by Asit Kumar
Haldar, was passed on to him through his teacher, Lalit Mohan Sen and Bireswar Sen. He was also inspired by his senior
college mate C.D. Sharma. If we go through his paintings, mostly done in double elephant size papers, we will notice
that it was only the epic- puranic and Kavya themes that drew his attention, but also the life of the poor and common
working people. And the figuration in the paintings of the latter kind, though depicted in wash technique, realistic
and not rhythmically stylized. He is also a skilful painter in European academic style and technique. Besides, his art has
transcended the stock imagery of the school and explored semi-abstract or purely abstract imagery in which he often
expressed the shadow of death and decay. From 1959 to 1991, he won 13 awards at important all-India exhibitions,
and the Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, honored him with the National Award in 1991. Badri Nath was commissioned
to paint in his inimitable style themes from the Mahabharata (1967), Rubaiyati - I - Omar Khayyam (1974) and the Git
Govind of Jayadev (1975). He executed the murals for the U.P. Pavillion at the Agro Expo, New Delhi in 1977 and 1980.
He Participated in the 15th International Exhibition, Tokyo, 1987, and Second International Asian-European Art Biennale,
Ankara, Turkey, in 1988. He heads the Department of fine Art, Lucknow Art College.
BOSE KRISHNAMACHARI, b 1963
Born in Kerala 1963. Bose Krishnamachari did his BFA from Sir J.J. School of Art, Mumbai, 1986- 91. Master in Visual Arts,
from Goldsmith College, London, 1999-00 and received his Diploma in Art, from Kerala Kala Peetom, Kochi, 1984-85.
He pays much attention to form as he does to conceptual and/or contextual concerns. Bose also curates exhibitions
and projects.His solo exhibitions have included: ‘No’, 1x1 Contemporary, Dubai, 2010; ‘LAVA’ (Laboratory of Visual
Arts) a Traveling Installation Project, at Gallery BMB, Mumbai, 2009-10; ‘To Let- White Ghost’, Kashi Art Café, Kochi,
2008-9; ‘Ghost’, Aicon Gallery, London and Bodhi Art, Mumbai, 2008. Selected group shows include: ‘Against All Odds:
a Contemporary Response to the Historiography of Archiving Collecting, and Museums in India’, Lalit Kala Akademi,
New Delhi, 2011; ‘A. SYCO’, The Viewing Room, Mumbai, 2010; 1x1 Art Gallery, Dubai, 2010; ‘In The Mood For paper’, F2
Gallery, Beijing; ‘India 20’, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, 2007; ‘New Paradigm III’, Gallery Threshold, New Delhi, 2006.
He has won several awards including the Charles Wallace (India) Award, 2000; the Mid America arts Alliance Award
(MAAA) International Fellowship for Extensive Travel and Residency to the United States of America, 1996;the British
Council Travel Award of the United Kingdom, 1993; the Bombay Art Society Award, Mumbai, 1991-2; a Gold Medal, at Sir
J.J. School of Art, Mumbai, 1991; the Kerala Lalit Kala Akademi Award, 1985 and also was a Runner up for the Bose Pacia
Prize for Modern Art, New York, 2001. The artist lives and works in Mumbai.
Dipak Roy
First group exhibition at the Academy of Fine Arts (Kolkata) in the year 2000. Participation in group exhibition sponsored
by the Bhawanipur Gujrati Education Society in the year 2002. An exhibition of painting by contemporary artists, organized
by the Crystal Chopstick, Kolkata, in 2003. Solo exhibition at “By The Wey” at The Taj Bengal, organized by The Taj (Kolkata)
in the year 2007. A group exhibition at the Birla Academy of Art and Culture (Kolkata), in the year 2007. A group exhibition
at the Hyatt Regency (Kolkata), in the year 2008. A group exhibition at the Birla Academy of Art and Culture (Kolkata), in
the year 2010. A group exhibition at the Chemould Art Gallery (Kolkata), in the year 2010. Collections in India and abroad.
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DHARMENDRA RATHORE, b 1965
Dharmendra did his graduation in art from Jaipur and Masters in Fine Art from Delhi College of Art followed by training
in art restoration and conservation. Marked for its colourful imagery, his work adorns a meditative streak. His repertoire
includes balanced compositions in figuration, abstraction and installation. Exhibited widely in several important shows
in India and abroad, his work has won him accolades and scholarships including the AIFACS, Rajasthan Biennial, State
LKA awards and a fellowship from Ministry of Culture. Some of his work has found its place in public collections such
as Glenbarra Art Museum Japan and Wolgan University of Australia besides personal and corporate collections such as
the DLF, Taj Hotel, Hero Cycles, U.P.S.C, State Bank of India and Jawahar Kala Kendra, Jaipur amongst others. The artist
works and lives in Delhi.
Francis Newton Souza, 1924 - 2002
Born in Portuguese, Goa. Souza joined the Sir J.J. School of Arts, Mumbai in 1940. He was a founder member of the
Progressive Artists Group, which held it’s first exhibition in Mumbai in 1948. However the following year Souza left
India and moved to London. The works he produced in 1950’s and 1960’s reflect his catholic upbringing in Goa, which
had a great influence upon him as a child. He has participated in many international exhibitions, including Art Now in
India, London (1965), India: Myth and Reality, Museum of Modern Art, Oxford (1982), Contemporary Indian Art, Royal
Academy, London (1982), Modern Indian Paintings, Hirschhorn Museum, Washington D.C. (1982) and Coups de Coeur,
Halles de L’lle, Geneva (1987).
Ganesh Pyne, b 1937
Born in Calcutta in 1937. After finishing school, he joined the Government College of Art & Craft in Calcutta. In 1959, he
received his diploma in drawing and painting. Pyne has seldom held a solo exhibition because he painted very few works
in a year and these he needed to sell in order to survive. The first on-man show of private sketches ‘from his workbook
called Jottings (Preliminary Drawings for Paintings) was mounted by The Village Gallery in New Delhi. Subsequently, he
had many more prestigious group shows. Among them the Paris Biennale in 1969, contemporary Indian Painting, West
Germany in 1970, International Festival of Paintings in France, 1975, Contemporary Art of Asia, Japan, 1980, Modern
Indian Paintings, U.S.A., Contemporary India Art, UK, Indische Kunst Heute, West Germany, 1982, Visims, Calcutta, 1986.
Timeless Art, Bombay, 1989. Pyne has received many awards and is present in many public and private collections.
From water colour, Pyne turned to gouache and then tempera since the mid-’60s. It is from this time onwards that his
figuration and palette also changed. A skeletal element was introduced into the figures while animal showed their fangs
and claws. They were portrayed either as predators or victims. Dark shadows dominated his canvases offset with the
use of a golden umber. Certain motifs surfaced repeatedly like boats, bits of bone, wood and other debris, dark doors
and windows, birdman, Chaitanya, the leader of the Bhakti movements, animals, daggers, and so on. Most canvases
reflected the opposing pulls of death and life eternal. Pyne’s varied treatment of the eyes are worth note. Pyne lives
and works in Calcutta.
Ghulam Rasool Santosh, 1929 - 1997
G.R. Santosh was born in Srinagar, in the State of Jammu and Kashmir. He has had solo shows in leading galleries in
New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Mumbai and New Delhi. He has participated in the Sao Paulo Biennale (1969-71), the
Indian Art Exhibition in Eastern Europe (1956), the 1st Triennale in India (1968) and Contemporary Indian Painting, in
Washington (1973). The Government of India honored him with the Padma Shree in 1997.
H.B. Bhujal, b 1982
Born in a province in Nepal. The artist is self taught and works predominantly in watercolours. He has had several solo
and group shows in Nepal and in India. His works are in several prominent collections worldwide.
JEHANGIR SABAWALA, 1922 -2011
Born in 1922, Mumbai, Sabavala completed his Diploma in Fine Arts from Sir J.J. School of Art, Mumbai in 1944. He
went to the Heatherley School of Art, London in 1945 and studied there till 1947 before moving to Paris to study at
Academie Andre Lhote, 1948-51 and further at the Academie Julian, Paris 1953-54. He also studied at The Academie
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de la Grande Chaumiere, Paris in 1957. The Government of India honoured him with Padma Shri in 1977. Along with
several solo shows held throughout his long career he had participated at Grand Prix de la Peinture de Monaco in
1949, Salon National Independent Paris in 1950; Venice Biennale Italy in 1954, Contemporary Indian Art Sydney in 1964,
Commonwealth Arts Festival London in 1965, Asian Artists Exhibition Fukuoka Art Museum Tokyo in 1979, Modern
Indian Painting at Smithsonian Institute Washington, USA 1982 and in many prestigious auctions worldwide. Many
publications have been released on him and on his works including Sabavala Sadanga Series, The Reasoning Vision
Jehangir Sabavala’s Painterly Universe by Dilip Chitre; Pilgrim, Exile, Sorcerer: The Painterly Evolution of Jehangir
Sabavala by Ranjit Hoskote in 1998.
Jai Zharotia, b 1945
Jai Zharotia was born in Delhi and did his professional training in Fine Arts from the Delhi College of Art. He worked in Bal
Bhawan on children’s educational projects, before becoming a lecturer at his alma mater. Zharotia believes imagination
is god’s gift to man and he believes that it is this that provokes him to create. Here is an Indian artist who tells stories
through his art. He draws upon all aspects of nature and everyday life, whether living or non living. He believes everything
has emotions and it is this belief that leads him to look beyond their confines and conjure up the powerfully evocative
and communicative images we see in his work. A world that gives birth to new dimensions and gives birth to a parallel
reality. Jai Zharotia has received several awards in his career, from the 1979 Sahitya Kala Parishad Awards and 1980 Silk
Screen Prints to the AIFACS award in 1987 for Ceramics and Drawing and the 1993 Lalit Kala Akademi National Award
for painting. He has been part of several prestigious group shows and workshops in India and abroad and has had more
than 25 solo shows across the globe. His paintings are part of several institutional and private collections in the country
and outside.
K.H. Ara, 1913 - 1985
Born in 1913 at Bolarum (near Hyderabad), Andhra Pradesh, Krishnaji Howlaji Ara did not receive any formal schooling
or education in the field of fine arts. The son of a chauffeur, Ara spent the initial years of his life in his hometown of
Bolarum, near Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh, and only moved to Mumbai at the age of seven. He was only encouraged
to paint as a profession later by an art critic from the Times of India, Rudy von Leyden, who saw the work he used to do
in his spare time. A founder member of the Progressive Artists’ Group in Mumbai, K H Ara, in the critic Nissim Ezekiel’s
words, was the first contemporary Indian painter to meticulously use the female nude as a subject, not straying from
the limits of naturalism, unlike colleagues like F N Souza. His work was rooted in the delight of ingenuity, focusing on
the female nude, still life and human figure studies. K H Ara held his first solo show in 1942, at the Chetana Restaurant
in Bombay. Since then he has had several other one man and group shows, including many with the Progressive Artists
Group from 1948 to 1955 in Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Baroda and Calcutta. He had three more solo exhibitions in Mumbai
in 1952, 1954 and 1960, and took part in the inaugural show of the Pundole Art Gallery in 1963. In the same year, he
exhibited his ‘Black Nude’ series in Mumbai. In 1955, Ara held shows of his work in Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria. His
paintings have also been shown in galleries in West Germany, Russia and Japan. Amongst Ara’s many honours is the
prestigious Governor’s Award for painting in 1944, and the Gold Medal from the Bombay Art Society for his canvas ‘Two
Jugs’ in 1952. Krishnaji Howlaji Ara passed away in Mumbai in 1985.
K.K. Hebbar, 1911 - 1996
Krishna Hebbar was born in 1911 in Karnataka and received his diploma from the Sir J J School of Art in 1938. He taught
art at the School from 1940 to 1945. While being influenced by the academic style taught at the School, Hebbar felt a
strong urge to paint in a genre which drew from traditional Indian art. A visit to Europe in 1949 exposed him to some
of the best works in western art and he finally settled down to study at the Academy Julian in Paris. The definitive form
begins to take shape in Hebbar’s work on his return from Europe. An adroit draughtsman, his studies like Mahim Darga
won him the National Award in 1956 to be followed by awards in the annual exhibitions of the in 1957 and 195 8. Hebbar
had also received the Gold Medal of the Bombay Art Society in 1947. He was Chairman of the Lalit Kala Akademi in 1980
and President of the Bombay Art Society in 1990. The Padamshri was awarded to the veteran artist in 1961 and the
Padma Bhushan in 1989. He died at the age of 85 in 1996.
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LAXMAN AELAY, b 1964
Born in 1964 in an artisan’s family in India. He acquired a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts, after graduating in Commerce.
He has participated in numerous group shows in India and abroad. His major breakthrough was when he showed a large
number of paintings and drawings in his first solo show in Hyderabad in 1999 at the ICCR Art Gallery. Some of the major
group shows in which he has taken part are “TANA” Chicago, USA 1999; Contemporary Deccan - A New Generation
of Artists at the Center for Cellular & Molecular Biology, Hyderabad 1999. He also took part in the Seventh Annual
Group show at Surya Art Gallery, Hyderabad, 2000; Two Man Show at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, 2001; Tradition to
Modernity Fulda, Germany, 2001; Regional Art Exhibition at Cochin (Lalit Kala Akademi) 2001; National Art Exhibition at
Ahmedabad (Lalit Kala Akademi) 2001Laxman Aelay lives and works in Hyderabad.
MANJIT BAWA, 1941 - 2011
Born in 1941, Dhuri (Punjab) Manjit Bawa studied art from Delhi School of Art, New Delhi 1958-63. He later went to
London to study Silk-Screen Printing from the London School of Printing, Warden, Essex, UK in 1964 and also worked
there as an expert silk screen printer during 1967-71. He was a visiting lecturer at the College of Art from 1975-77 and
1977-88 established a silk-screen workshop at Garhi Studios, New Delhi. He was Municipal Commissioner, Dalhousie from
1977-82; Commissioner, Bharat Bhavan; Curator for NGMA for shows in Syria, Egypt; co-curator of India Songs for New
South Wales Museum, Australia for Bharat Bhavan in Moscow and others. He participated in significant solo and group
shows including, the Bose Pacia Modern One Man Show, 2000; Solos in Hong Kong, 2000; in London, 2005 in Berlin with
Ravinder Reddy, 2005 and earlier in Spain, Washington DC, Singapore, San Sebastian apart from most of the major cities
across India. A documentary based on his life directed by Buddhadev Dasgupta and produced by Ina Puri fetched the
Rajat Kamal award in 2003. Publications include,” In my own words” (with Ina Puri) and an authorised biography In Black
& White by Ina Puri. He is the recipient of the Kalidas Samman (2005-06) given by the Madhya Pradesh Government.
Maral Yazarloo, b 1981
Maral Yazarloo –was born in 1981 in North of Iran. She has been living in India since 2004. She holds an MBA and a PHD
in Marketing and is currently heading retail/leasing and corporate communications for panchshil group in Pune. Maral
has participated in three group painting exhibitions in Tehran, Iran and an exhibition in Pune Oct-2010. A number of her
paintings adorn the walls of Marriot hotel, Pune and you can see her paintings in numerous hotels and offices in Mumbai
as well. About her future aspirations she says: “ I always paint what is going on inside of me , I paint my emotions. It is
very difficult to say what is waiting for me in future and how will be my colors and paintings”.
MAQBOOL FIDA HUSAIN, 1915 – 2011
Born 1915 at Pandharpur in Maharashtra Maqbool Fida Husain is amongst India’s world famous painters. He learnt the
art of calligraphy and the Kulfic Khat and wrote poetry at a young age and followed it with brief stints studying art, first
at the Indore Art College and then Sir J. J. School of Art in Mumbai, where he worked on designing furniture and making
toys as well as a bill board painter for cinema hoardings to sustain himself initially. It is this varied experience and rigor
that endows his work its special artistic oeuvre. There is a simplicity enshrined in the enigmatic style, vibrant colors and
accessible imagery that this multi-faceted and special individual creates in bold and quick brush strokes. Well grounded
in the traditional roots and fiercely open to the contemporary, external or experimental, his masterpiece creations about
life, society and the world around – people, nudes, horses, Mother Teresa, religious icons, landscapes and other forms
of imagery, all assume a distinct and luminous representation even though their faces bear no features! His enormous
body of work also includes series of paintings on the British Raj, on the cities of Calcutta, Benares, Rome and Beijing,
Epics of Mahabharata and Ramayana, religions of the world and his favorite bollywood stars. His repertoire also includes
murals, portraits, photographs, design work and film direction including ‘Through the Eyes of a Painter’, ‘Gaja Gamini’
and ‘Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities’ the former winning the Golden Bear Award at the Berlin Film Festival. Invited to Sao
Paulo Biennial along with Pablo Picasso, his work has been shown in numerous exhibitions and seminal art expositions all
over the country and the world. Honoured as Padma Vibhushan by the President of India amongst other awards, he was
also a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha. His work can be seen at significant collections including Ebrahim Alkazi and
NGMA Delhi, Jehangir Nicholson Mumbai, Masanori Fukuoka and Glenbarra Museum in Japan and Chester and Davida
Herwtiz in USA. With homes and studio in several cities, Husain lived shuttling between India, Dubai and London.
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MUKESH SHARMA, b 1974
Formal education includes MFA, MS University Vadodara, in 1998. Awards and Scholarships include: Fellowship,
National Academy of Art New Delhi, 2000, National Scholarship, Ministry of HRD, Govt. of India, 1998 and State Art
Award, Rajasthan State Academy of Art, 2000 & 2002. Mukesh has participated in many solo and group shows in India
and worldwide, including : Indian Contemporary Art, Gallery Sumukha at Visual Art Center, Hong Kong, 2011. Edition
International Art Fair, Bushan, Korea, 2010. Another Geography, Visual Art Gallery, India Habitat Center, New Delhi,
2007.World Without Boundaries, Galleria Corono, Mexico; ACSA American Embassy, New Delhi, 2005. Long Gallery,
University of Wollongong, NSW Miacheal Commerford Gallery, Sydney. Portland Bay Press, Melbourne, 2004. Jehangir
Art Gallery, Mumbai, 2002. His work is in Private and Public major collections in India and abroad, including National
Gallery of Australia, Canberra. Sharma lives and works in New Delhi, India.
NITYAM SINGHA ROY, b 1978
Born 1978 in Balurghat, West Bengal, India. From the very beginning of my childhood I have always attracted to beauty,
beauty that does not only related to visualization but in every Rasa. Story telling of my mother in the childhood makes
me to imagine my own world of fantasy where I always image myself as the hero and visualize the story. The stories
based on Indian mythology specially make me happy where I found the myths, same as reflected in my paintings till
today. I always enjoy these heroes on my canvas. The human forms in my painting are mostly Radha, Krishna and Mira,
all together or along with the mood of love or prema chemistry. The most interesting part of human figure, in my belief
is the face where I find great area to show every sentiment of love and joy. I gradually develop my temperament to
reflect the rasa of their lila and a few objects or forms other than the myths helps to make my sense more powerful
and positive.My canvas becomes my language while I paint my story. The medium Acrylic is my favorite and I paint most
of my paintings with it. I have spent most of time in painting with a very little experimentation since the subjects with
all the forms are always present in my dream. Nityam has been actively participating in numerous Group and solo
exhibitions from 2003, major shows include: 2010 – Jehangir Art Gallery(A.C-1), M.G.Road, Kala Goda, Mumbai-400001,
2010-Group Exhibition, Jehangir Art Gallery, Kala Goda, M.G.Road, 2009 - Group Exhibition, Birla art and culture, Kolkata.
PARAMJIT SINGH, b 1935
Professor Paramjit Singh, born 1935 at Amritsar in Punjab, studied art at the Delhi school of art and learnt print making
at Atelier Nord Oslo Norway. He taught art to young aspiring artists at the Department of Fine Art Jamia Millia Islamia
University in Delhi retiring to take to full time painting in pursuit of his passion. A founder member of ‘The Unknown’, a
group of young painters and sculptors based in Delhi, Paramjit is essentially a landscape painter, known for his masterly
studies of nature. Featuring the mysteries of nature, his landscapes appear other worldly given their evocative silence.
There are shadows and tones that evolve and dissolve; endowing the paintings with a mystical aura. The thick green
blue yellow red and other pigments fill up the whole space, to re-create textured landscapes of woods, trees, flowers,
grass, hills, sky and streams adorning a tactile feel with non specific identity or location in his compositions. Though
inspired by the Impressionists, his oeuvre that seems reminiscent of the pastoral peasantry that he grew up in is his own.
Working in oils on canvas and pastels and charcoal on paper, in short brisk strokes with lines and colours his surface
is coated in thick pigment to create impressions of natural forms adorning a colourful tactile appearance set amidst a
lyrical musical ambience. Paramjit who prefers to work in series as a continuum, following his first solo exhibition in 67
at Triveni Gallery in Delhi, has had nearly 30 solo and 50 group exhibitions in various Indian metros and abroad including
Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Singapore, London, Norway, Germany, Tokyo and Belgium. Winner of the National Award and
participant at art festivals in USSR Baghdad and Israel amongst others, he has also painted a 450 sq. ft. environmental
room in Bombay and was the Commissioner for the Indian participation at the Art Festival of Pakistan in Lahore. His
paintings that have come under the hammer at several important art auctions are held in several public and private
collections. The artist lives and works in New Delhi.
Paresh Maity, b 1965
Paresh Maity was born in 1965, West Bengal. He obtained his BFA from Government College of Art and Craft, Kolkata
and MFA from Delhi College of Art, New Delhi.The artist, over a period of 20 years has achieved proficiency in the
medium of watercolour that few can claim. He creates magic with his impeccable execution with his vibrant colours, on
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any medium, thus transporting a viewer to an exotic land. His works gradually moved from atmospheric scenery and
briefly experimented with abstracts.He has held over thirty solo exhibitions including : ‘The World on canvas’, presented
by Art Alive Gallery, New Delhi, Rabindra Bhavan, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, 2010; ‘Montage Moments Memories’,
Jehangir Art Gallery, Art Musings, Mumbai, 2009; Gallery Sumukha, Bangaluru Visual Arts Gallery, Hong Kong, 2008-9.
‘Paresh Maity: Drawing, Painting, Sculptures, Photographs’, CIMA, Kolkata, 2007; Aicon Gallery, Palo Alto, 2006; Among
his several honours are the Royal Watercolour Society, London, 2002; the Harmony Award, Mumbai, 1999; British Council
Visitor Ship, 1993; the Pt. Ravi Shankar Award from College of Art and Culture, New Delhi, 1990; the Jamini Roy Birth
Centenary Celebration Award, 1987; a Gold Medal from U.S.S.R, 1983. His works can be seen at the British Museum, the
ARKS Gallery in London and the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi. Paresh Maity lives and works in New Delhi.
PICKY BINDRA
Picky Bindra is a Ludhiana based and taught artist and has been showcasing her works for the last 7 years. Her medium
is acrylic on canvas, wood and metal. Her works have been well accepted and have found buyers in India as well as
abroad. Her paintings are influences by tattoo and pop art. Using bright colours and fine lines as a catalyst, she creates
a chemistry between the viewer and the viewed. Her paintings are about hope, happiness and fulfillment. The riot of
colours on the canvases vivid and inspiring. Using her creativity as a medium, she tries to interpret the philosophy of the
Lotus Sutra ( the ultimate teaching of the Buddha), the images on the canvas reinforce the four virtues of the Buddha –
Eternity, Happiness, True self, Purity – making each work a visual sensation. Her recent shows were, Harmony at the Taj
Mahal Hotel in New Delhi and the Inner Path at the Azad Bhawan, ICCR in New Delhi. She is preparing to participate on
a bigger platform at an Art Festival in Mumbai in November 2012. After mastering the techniques of acrylic on canvas,
she is now evolving and stepping into the world of graffiti and installation art.
RAJESH SRIVASTAVA, b 1974
He has trained under Sri Viren Goutam Bhattacharya. In 2000 he came to Delhi, he has had four solo show and has
participated in many group shows like in harmony art show in 2006 and Lalit Kala Akademi national art exhibition in 2012
where he got National Akademi Award. His work is mainly concerned with the human condition. He lives and works in
New Delhi.
RAMESH GORJALA, b 1979
Born 1979 at Kalahasti in Andhra Pradesh, Ramesh Gorjala did his BFA in painting from J.N.T.U in Hyderabad. The artist’s
work is inspired by folk arts and crafts of Andhra in particular the Kalamkari tradition of painting on textiles, walls and
scrolls that artisans in the village where he grew up have been practicing for years. The densely drawn imagery reflects
some of the mythological tales that he had heard as a child which are also mirrored in the performing arts of the region.
The narrative on his canvases features characters from epics including Hanuman, Krishna and others that he then takes
on to another platform colouring them with his imagination, refined technique and signature-style. His paintings that
make contemporary imaging interlinked with age-old oral and artistic practice come in acrylic on canvas and handmade
paper with a blending of text that adds another dimension. He has also created some amazing wooden sculptures
of Gods and dames. Ramesh Gorjala has received several awards including the State Award of Andhra Pradesh and
Mahatma Gandhi Birth Centenary Memorial Award from VTI, Chennai. He has been participating in group shows all over
the country and his work has been exhibited in a Handicraft show at Hyderabad and abroad in London. Gorjala lives in
Thirupati and works from his studio there.
SYED HAIDER RAZA, b 1922
Raza was born as Syed Haider Raza in the year 1922, in the state of Madhya Pradesh. One of the most distinguished
artists of the Indian subcontinent, Raza has been settled in France since 1950. However, his ties with India remain as
strong as ever. The paintings of Syed Haider Raza have been done mainly in oil or acrylic and have a very heavy usage
of color. Raza received his formal training in painting at the Nagpur School of Art (Nagpur) and Sir J. J. School of Art
(Mumbai). During his stay at the Sir J.J. School, he became a member of Progressive Artist Group. At that time, SH Raza
experimented with the Western Modernism, which was moving away from expressionism and towards abstraction.
Thereafter, he shifted to France to pursue his studies at the Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts of Paris. The paintings of
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Syed Haider Raza in the 1940s and 1950s revolved mainly around landscapes. The paintings of S.H. Raza revolve mainly
around nature and its various faucets. His paintings have evolved from being purely expressionist landscapes to abstract
ones. He believes the Bindu (dot) to be the center of creation and existence and his works reflect this particular thinking.
Even though the vibrancy of his paintings has become subtle, the dynamism remains as alive as ever. A painting by S.H.
Raza was reportedly sold for US $1.4 million at an auction held in December 2006. In Feb 2007, his works were exhibited
in The Arts Trust - Institute of Contemporary Indian Art (Mumbai). S.H. Raza was awarded the prestigious Padma Shree
by the Government of India in the year 1981. He is also a Fellow of the Lalit Kala Akademi of New Delhi. The government
of Madhya Pradesh has awarded him the Kalidas Samman. He now lives and works in New Delhi.
SACHINDRA NATH JHA, b 1975
Born in 1975 at Madhubani in Bihar, Sachindra Nath studied painting at the College of Arts and Craft in Patna University.
While growing up in the colourful city of Madhubani, the artist developed a fascination for paintings. No wonder, he uses
vibrant colours like green, blue, violet and red in his paintings of Indian mythological figures. Sachindra Nath’s subjects
with the characteristic Madhubani detailed features come forcefully alive with colour. Showcasing a composite range of
emotions, from the joy of union to the painful pangs of separation, the paintings reflect spirituality in art. His passion for
colours started as a child when he used to watch his mother draw colourful “rangolis’’. A number of prestigious awards,
including the Lalit Kala Akademi’s National Research Grant Scholarship Award, have been conferred on Sachindra Nath.
He also has to his credit a number of solo and group shows in India and abroad.
SANJAY JAIN, b 1967
Born in 1967 in Hoshangabad, Madhya Pradesh, Sanju Jain has a Masters Degree in Fine Arts from the Indore College
of Art. The artist has exhibited extensively across India in innumerable group and solo shows. She is also the winner of
several Madhya Pradesh State Govt. Award and National Awards including The All India Raza Foundation Award from
Madhya Pradesh and AIFACS State Award. Her works are in the collection of several public bodies across India and
private buyers in India and abroad.
SANJAY SABLE KASHINATH, b 1974
Born in 1974 in Osmanabad, (Maharashtra). Education : A.T.D. at Latur in 1994. G.D. Art (P.T.G.) 1st Class 3rd with
Distinction in Maharashtra, 1998. DIP - A - ED. Sir. J. J. School of Art, Mumbai, 2000 Recepitient of numerous awards
including, Bombay Art Society of India, All India Fine Art Exhibition Award 1997-98, 2002-03, Art Society of India Award
1996-97, 1997-98, 1999-00, 2007-08. Many group and solo shows to his credit notable one include, Jahangir Art Gallery
Mumbai, 2003, 2008, PT Gera Centre, Pune, 2007. Sanjays works are in collections in American, France, Germany,
Switzerland, Mumbai, Delhi, Pune & other.
SANJAY TIKKAL, b 1981
“I have used Human forms from the Nature and the surroundings in the painting and its skillful handling gives an
aesthetic and expressionistic dimension to the painting. I was also inspired from the traditional Indian Art and done
many paintings. Its influence is totally clear in the colour schemes in my paintings. Expressive human natural forms,
colours, texture and heart. I have painted all these paintings using acrylic colours. Its characteristic colour application,
brush strokes creates a visual beauty.” Sanjay was born in Ahmednagar and received a G.D. Art painting, first class, 5th
order In merit from Abhinav Kala Mahavidyalay, Pune. He has received several awards including: Art Society of India
Award in 2005, 04. On the Spot Landscape competition, Pune, Mumbai, Nasik, Satara, Sangli Award in 2004. Sanjay has
participated in numerous group and shows around India since 2000 to present date. His works are in collections in India
and abroad.
Sangeeta Gupta, b 1958
A poet in her own right and an artist, Sangeeta Gupta started her artistic journey with intricate drawings. Her real calling
was discovered in her abstracts in oils and acrylics on canvas. Her solo show in 2002 with Kumar Gallery launched her
love for contour within the abyss of colour; the works seemed to stir both within and without and splash off the canvas.
Her tryst with art is born of her own meditative ruminations in time, the undulating blend of calligraphic and sculptonic
entities are all realms that she has explored with aplomb. Images in abstraction that harkens the memory of Himalayan
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journeys and inspirations, the works speak of an artistic sojourn that continues in a mood of ruminations and reflections
over the passage of time. Sangeeta wields the brush with finesse, suggesting the viscosity of ink, the glossiness of
lacquer, the mist of heights, the glow of the sun, and the inherent palette of rocks when wet. The canvases bespeak
surfaces akin to skin, bark and the earth. Her first solo exhibition was at Birla Academy of Art & Culture, Kolkata in
1995. Her 25 solo shows have been held all over India i.e. Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Lucknow and
Chandigarh and abroad at London, Berlin, Munich and Lahore. She has participated in more than 100 group shows in
India & abroad, in national exhibitions of Lalit Kala Akademi, AIFACS and Sahitya Kala Parishad and in several art camps.
She has received 69th annual award for drawing in 1998 and 77th annual award for painting in 2005 by AIFACS, New
Delhi and was also conferred Hindprabha award for Indian Women Achievers by Uttar Pradesh Mahila Manch in 1999.
There is a collection of short stories and four anthologies of poems in Hindi to her credit. Her poems are translated in
many languages. Her collection of poems Pratinaad has also been translated in Bangla, English and German. Her latest
book ‘Lekhak ka Samay’ has been published in 2006 which is a compilation of interviews of eminent women writers in
Hindi. Widely traveled, lives and works in Delhi.
SEEMA KOHLI, b 1960
Seema Kohli has created her own niche in the world of contemporary art. Her creative repertoire is eclectic,
encompassing a wide range of mediums ranging from painting, murals and films to installations, sculptures and
installation performances each a unique expression of her style. Her rendition of ‘Ouroborus’ for the India Art Summit
created a huge impact on viewers and critics alike. The Oroborous became an expression of the continuance of the
cycle of birth, life and liberation. Fusing India and Greek philosophy, Seema created 84 paintings and 84 photographs
as part of a performance installation to depict a shloka from the Ishavasya Upanishad. She has to her credit, three
murals for the Defence Ministry and has also recently completed a 10’ x 100’ mural at the Delhi International Airport,
GMR T3. She received further acclaim for her creativity at the Florence Biennale, 2009 where she received a Gold
Award for her video Swayamsiddha-Myth, Mind and Movement (“Biennale Internazionale Dell’Arte Contemporanea,
Ciia di Firenze, 7th Edizione 2009, 1 Premio “Video”, Firenze in Florence, Italy). She has also received the Young FICCI
Ladies Organisation Women Achiever’s Award and the Lalit Kala National Award for Women in 2008. Seema has more
than 20 solo shows exhibited in various galleries and art fairs in different parts of the world. Her works adorn the walls
of many public and private collections, including the Rubin Museum, New York. The artist currently lives and works in
New Delhi, India.
Sidharth, b 1956
Born in 1956 in Raikot, Punjab, India, Sidharth’s mother inculcated in him a spirit of connection with nature and the
divine. He started painting signboards while still at school. He learned the skilled art of creating murals and friezes from
Tara Mason, skilled master craftsmen of the area in Punjab.He not only meditated on the tenets of Buddhism but also
learnt the highly esoteric and formal religio-magical art of the Thangka painting technique from the Tibetan monks.His
artistic journey continued and he went to Sweden where he observed and practiced western artistic traditions seen
in the canvases, frescoes and windows of churches and museums. Five-year diploma in painting from college of art
Chandigarh India. He has held twenty two solo shows and has participated in a hundred eighteen group shows in India,
UK, Sweden and USA since 1976. He is also a recipient of various awards for his works. His works have been acquired
by the Indian Government Museum, the British Council in Delhi, the Punjab Lalit Kala Akademi; the British, Mexican and
Swedish Ambassadors; the Düsseldorf Museum; Heda, Sweden and several industrial groups in India and abroad. He is
the author of a book Neti Neti and has made fifteen documentaries on Indian Temples, Art and Architecture, made a
short film entitled ‘The decorated cow’.
SOHAN QADRI, 1932 - 2011
Sohan Qadri can be described as a Tantric painter – a modern Tantric painter to be sure. Born in 1932 in Punjab, India,
Qadri began his quest for his true self through Tantric yoga and spent long periods of time silently meditating in remote
temples in the Himalayas and Tibet. His isolation propelled his urge to paint. He received his MFA in 1960 from the
Government College of Art in Simla, India, but soon discovered that academic trappings were not for him. Shortly after
his first exhibition in 1965, he left India for the West. In Qadri’s work, there is a tranquil coexistence of binary opposites –
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male and female, known and unknown, physical and spiritual. Although he clearly has Western influences, such as Mark
Rothko and Clyfford Still, his work is uniquely Eastern. Heinrich Boll, the 1972 Nobel Prize winner in Literature, has said
that Qadri, “with his painting liberates the word meditation from its fashionable taste and brings it back to its proper
origin uninfluenced by Western propaganda, misunderstandings and corruptions.” His paintings are monochrome
surfaces with structural effects that, in their repetition, convey the rhythmic expressions of color energies. The vibrations
created by these energies are endless and break the boundaries between the inner space of the image and the external
space of the viewer. In their pulsations, the colors allow for a meditation in which those who experience space seek to
become space itself. As Qadri has said, “The narrowness of space has posed as a great problem to me. Phenomenal life
can hardly be lived within a few known dimensions.” Qadri’s work has to be experienced; the viewer must surrender to
the work. In front of his work, the viewer is confronted with the silence within himself. The work does not direct; one
must direct oneself. This intuitive experience speaks all languages and knows no formal boundaries. Suneet Chopra
summed it up by saying, “With its dispersion of and concentration of energy, it far excels expressionist abstractions
whose aggression is their main force of attraction.” Qadri’s works are included in official and private international
collections. He has had more than 40 one-man shows in his various hometowns in addition to major gallery exhibitions
in Bombay, Vienna, Brussels, London, Oslo, Stockholm, Montreal, Toronto and Los Angeles.
SUBRATA SEN
“Art to me is a language of true emotions… I am a Kolkata born Self-taught Artist, now based in Mumbai. My forte
is painting female figures which represent vibrant elements of life. My works are artistic expressions of intertwining
romantic emotions with mystique moments.”
SUCHIT SAHNI, b 1977
Born on 30th Dec. 1977, received diploma in Fine Arts from the Academy of Fine Arts, New Delhi. Worked under the
guidance of Prof. Ajay Luthra, Prof. S. Chaudhry, Mrs. R Chatterjee & Mr. Ashwini Kumar. Exhibited in Several Group
and Solo Shows at Various places in New Delhi & Gurgaon. His paintings pulsate with colour. Using bold, bright colours,
his paintings are primarily abstract, with the occasional hint of a figure or an object. In my metropolitan series, He
explores everyday symbols of my urban environment and the paintings capture the ordinary urban life shrouded with
mystery, strife and essence of a city life. Being born and brought up in Delhi his paintings speaks of an understanding
of the nuances and surveillance of a city life. The bright colours speak of youth and contemporary pop culture with a
difference. The artist has participated in numerous group and solo shows around India. He lives and works in New Delhi.
SUMAN ROY, 1968 - 2011
Suman Roy, the son of the legendary painter Suhas Roy was brought up in Santiniketan, West Bengal. Living in a
surrounding that exuded joy and simplicity he was trained almost automatically under a philosophy of simplicity. His early
works, especially during the final years at Kala Bhawan reflected various moods of nature. After leaving Santiniketan
and moving to Kolkata he started working on themes where human presence was predominant. Single human beingsmainly males made him introspect. His mission became to reach out to the viewer and bought realization to the fact that
contemporary art movement in India was not integrated. His style is simple as he confident that the so called technical
jugglery does not lead the viewer to any point of contentment.
Thota vaikuntam, b 1942
Born in 1942, Boorugupalli (Andhra Pradesh), Vaikuntam studied at the College of Fine Arts and Architecture, Hyderabad
from where he graduated in 1960. In 1971, he won the Lalit Kala Akademi Fellowship to study Painting and Printmaking
at the Faculty of Fine Arts, M.S. University, Baroda under Prof. K.G. Subramanyan. He won the Bharat Bhavan Biennale
Award, Bhopal in 1988 and the National Award awarded by the Lalit Kala Akademi in 1993. He has also received the
National Award for Art Direction of film Daasi in 1988-89. He has held several solo shows and participated in numerous
group exhibitions, prominent being VII International Triennale, Lalit Kala Akademi, 1991; Art Encounter, Kassel, Germany,
1992; India-Encounter II, Lee Arthur Studio, New York, 1994-95. A retrospective show of his works was organised by Art
Alive Gallery in New Delhi in 2005. The gallery has also published a book on his life and art written by Sushma Bahl. He
lives and works in Hyderabad.
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Umakant Kanade Nivrutti, b 1965
Born in Loni Vyankanth, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, India. Qualified as G. D. Art Painting (First Class) in 1990. At Present
Kande is working as a Lecturer in Bharati Kala Mahavidyalaya, Pune and working as an Artist. Exhibitions include :Balgandharava Art Gallery, Pune-1990. He has been in numerous exhibitions around the county and his works are well
collected in India and abroad
Vasudeo S. Gaitonde 1924 -2001
A graduate from the famous J. J. School of Art, Mumbai, in 1948, Gaitonde remained committed to a fairly solitary
vision even within artists’ groups. He joined the Progressive Artists Group as an associate, like Krishen Khanna and Tyeb
Mehta, in the early 1950s. Gaitonde was chosen for the Bombay Art Society award in 1950. In 1957 he won an award
at the Asian Artists exhibition for his work `The Bird and The Egg’. During the 1950s Gaitonde worked in the famed
Bhulabhai Institute where Alkazi’s theatre unit and Ravi Shankar’s school of music and dance were also housed. He is
widely acknowledged as India’s most committed abstract artist. Conceptually, however, Gaitonde never considered
himself as an abstract painter and was averse to being called one. In fact, he believed that there was no such thing as
abstract painting; instead, he referred to his work as non- objective, devoid of subject matter.
VIJAY SHARMA, b 1979
Educational Qualification include a Diploma in Applied art from Rajasthan School of art, Jaipur, 2003. Awards include,
Best Annual Exhibit by Rajasthan School of art 2002 and 2003 and Khadi Poster Competition by Khadi Gram Udyog,
Jaipur. Vijay has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions since 2001, a few of the latest include, Vitamin - J
“ at Galerie Romain Rolland, Alliance Francaise, New Delhi. “Indian Contemporary Art” charity event by Udaan, at hotel
Grand , Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, 18 December , 2011. His works are in collections across India and abroad.
Vishal Joshi, b 1978
Vishal Joshi was born in 1978 in Indore. He received his BFA at the Government Institute of Fine Arts, Indore and a
Diploma in Fashion Design at the JD Institute of Fashion Technology, Indore. Working in field of Painting, Sculpture,
Installation and Photography he has held solo exhibitions in Delhi, Mumbai Indore in India and Pakistan at Zinani art
Center and He has exhibited his works in group shows in India, London, New York, Dubai including the participation in
prestigious auction at Bonhams, London. A recipient of the Manav Sanket Academy Award, a Kalavarat Nyas, and the
First Prize at the All India College Painting Competition, Joshi lives and works in Indore.
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