The cARTpet Project, an exhibition of limited-edition carpets that concluded on November 1 in Mumbai, was a repertoire of great art. Handcrafted and tufted in wool and silk, the rugs curated by artist Brinda Miller brought to life the works of artists who’ve helped build modern Indian art. Three prominent names, Krishen Khanna, Subhaprasanna Bhattacharjee, and Rini Dhumal, were a part of the extraordinary show that was organised by NGO Passages to mark breast cancer awareness month.
Says Dhumal, “This project is something beyond just paintings.” Bhattacharjee couldn’t agree more: “In this manner, one tends to keep the art alive adding a new dimension to it.” Both Dhumal and Bhattacharjee have roots in Bengal. Dhumal was born there and also studied at Shantiniketan, before settling in Baroda.
“My works have an amalgamation of different thinking which has shaped me as an individual artist,” she says. In Bhattacharjee’s case, Bengal is not only home but also his professional field. “What I paint, I picked up from around me. You can see Bengal in all my works,” he smiles.
While Dhumal and Bhattacharjee had always been immersed in art, for Khanna it was a revelation of sorts. Trained as a banker, who worked at the prestigious Grindlays Bank for 14 years before finally quitting to follow his calling, Khanna was initiated into the art circle by his friends in the Progressive Artists’ Group in then Bombay. Says he, “When I quit, my friends in Bombay and Paris threw a party. They were happier than I was.” Now in his 90s, the legendary artist is still going strong.
He makes it a point to work in his studio, sharing the painting first with his wife. “In my young days, the entire Group would meet and debate each other’s works. There was no jealousy, it was a healthy relationship of give and take,” he says.
Unlike Khanna, Dhumal knew from her student days that she wanted to be an artist. She says she was lucky to have many stalwarts as her teachers. “They influenced the students to go beyond classroom teaching and indulge in more multidisciplinary aspects. They taught us how to speak in the language of the medium,” she says. Studying at Shantiniketan exposed her to Rabindranath Tagore’s philosophy of universal language. “Besides, meeting great masters such as Nandalal Bose, Ramkinkar, Somnath Hore, K G Subramanian, and Krishna Reddy, helped me develop my art,” she adds.
Art is always influenced by interaction and intermingling. The three artists stress that travels far and wide have lent an indelible influence on their works. If Pablo Picasso’s Guernica influenced Bhattacharjee, women from different civilisations across the globe portraying the power of shakti have been Dhumal’s motivating force. The self-taught Khanna, who has had a profound influence on many artists, has himself been mostly influenced by Partition that touched him personally. As they are ready to sign off, they add almost in unison: “Art will always thrive. And there are more avenues today than ever before. It is a very positive time.”