INDORE MAGIC

 

NAGUESH  RAO  SARDESSAI

Ten artists from Malwa, a plateau from Indore – Madhya Pradesh, have transported the fragrance of the place to Goa through their group art exhibition titled ‘Fragrance Of Malwa’.

The show currently on at the Kala Academy – Goa, has over forty paintings on display. Executed in varied medium, the artists have remained stylistically conventional but maintained a very independent and individualistic approach.

Works of Ajay Punyasi, Hemant Waingankar, Ishwari Ravwal, Khanderao Pawar, Narayan Patidar, Rajendra Verma Tamrakaar, Roop Kumar Kumariya, Shankar Shinde, and Vijay Kale enliven the gallery space.

Preoccupied with themes as varied as religio-spiritual to nature and environment to female emancipation, besides indulging in creative twitching of scripts, these artists break the serious definition of contemporary art to create their unique universe.

Narayan and Khanderao intend to unite communities and raise the tolerance level through their art. If the former uses ethereal and spiritual forms the latter employs scripts and individual letters to do that.

Narayan’s soft hues and delicate forms washed over with pleasing colours collectively entice the viewers. The angel forms holding musical instrument, floating in heavenly space, exude warmth. ‘I dream of a world devoid of violence and anger that’s spreading rapidly throughout the globe,’ says Narayan. ‘My paintings are meant to spread the message of love and brotherhood.’

‘Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram’ is an interesting work that espouses the value of truth. Truth, according to Indian culture, is an example of beauty and the ultimate reality, that reality which in other form is Lord Shiv.

Khanderao approaches that reality through everyday employed scripts. Independent letters evolve from the seemingly nebulous surface and assert its identity. Subtle texture and painstakingly applied multilayered pigment, inspires an alluring shimmer and prods the viewers’ to mull over the uncalled for attempts at instigating linguistic, community, national and racial divide.

Then there’s Shankar Shinde who, inspired by the colours of the region that has influence from Rajasthan and Gujarat. The bright hues and pastel tones coupled with visual texture together produces shimmer of visual tapestry. He’s preoccupied with nature and seems to draws his inspiration from the mysterious play of light, shade and seasonal effects on nature.

Vijay and Roop attempt understand the feminine force through the female forms. Roop is straight and upfront with representation forms articulating his concept. Soft tones of reds and orange and subtle drawing with identical hue adds a seductive aura to his paintings. Whereas, Vijay, with his stylized forms, work on the spiritual aspect of female energy where Goddess Kali and other forms of Shakti are infused with contemporary idioms.

Rajendra and Ishwari seem to juxtapose the old with the new and make poignant comments. Rajendra is more linear and stylized as against Ishwari, who exhibits boldness and intermittently incorporates realistic genre.

Widely spread slum looming against frighteningly isolated heritage structures seem to speak of social disparity and disconnect in one of Rajendra’s works. Hemant’s two-dimensional cutouts, in his paintings, played against bright monochrome and washed with subtly texture adds freshness to his works.

Shashikant works with crosshatching technique and plays with the neutrals. Magical play of black and white enhances the surreal compositions.

Ajay, the lone sculptor, has happy-go-lucky dwarf forms adding drama to the gallery space. The forms invite the viewers for a dialogue. Open gestures and clear expressions give voice to these seemingly mute sculptural pieces.

Malwa has given India poet and dramatist Kalidas, author Bhartrihari, mathematicians and astronomers Varahamihira and Brahmagupta and the polymath king Bhoja.

This creatively and intellectually fertile plateau has nurtured these ten artists and they show a lot of promise.

The current show will be on view till January 30, 2014.