It was a moment to cherish as the Faculty of Fine Arts of Maharaja Sayajirao University (MSU) and the Rotary Club jointly organised an art exhibition, displaying masterpieces of its nine artists, bestowed with Padma awards.
The aim of showcasing the works by late Narayan Shridhar Bendre, late Kalpathi Ganpathi Subramanyan, late Sankho Chaudhuri, late Bhupen Khakhar, late Ghulam Rasool Santosh, Gulam Mohammed Sheikh, Shanti Dave, Haku Shah and Kalal Laxma Goud was to make people of Vadodara feel proud about their amazing achievements. The show was aptly titled ‘Jewels of Baroda’, which was held at the Faculty’s hall.
Art curator and collector Sachin Kaluskar, who suggested the idea of paying tribute to the doyens of the art world, says, “All the Padma awardees were either students or teachers in the university faculty. Unfortunately, very few people knew this fact. By displaying their original works, we wanted to create awareness among the citizens of Vadodara.”
Most of the original works were from Sarjan Art Gallery. Contemporary art gained popularity in post-Independence era when the Faculty of Fine Arts was established in MSU in 1950. Works of 19 more artists from the city were on display. Jayant Parikh’s painting was one among them. “It is a tribute to my guru, Narayan Shridhar Bendre,”he says.
A few of the Padma awardee artists had formed the Baroda Group—a pioneering art collective—in 1956, comprising other artists. “The faculty rose to eminence under these stalwarts. Their contribution to contemporary art is great as they were always in step with changing times. They pioneered an informal relation between faculty members and students; they were contemporary in their thoughts and art. We learnt a lot from them,” says Shiv Verma, a sculptor and former student of the faculty.
One of the stars of the Baroda Group was late K G Subramanyan, a recipient of Padma Vibhushan and many other honours. He was a multi-faceted person who worked as an artist, writer and scholar in his career, spanning seven decades. He died last year.
The colourful and vibrant figurative paintings of octogenarian painter, poet, teacher and art critic G M Sheikh grabbed eyeballs. His work, ‘City of Statues and Ghosts’, on silk screen is part of his monumental series on the city. He also does gouache (painting with an opaque water colour made with gum).
Jitendra Baoni, an artist, who paid tribute to Sheikh, was all praise for his mentor who was not only a great teacher but a fatherly figure to him. “He has a good sense of humour, and he tried out different mediums adopting modern technology of inkjet and computer images,” he said.
Late N S Bendre had been an avid traveller, which reflected in his paintings on landscapes. His early works also include landscapes and portraits in gouache. His cubism art drew much attention.
One was also bound to notice the mural by painter and sculptor Shanti Dave wherein Lord Ganesha was juxtaposed in the middle of calligraphy. This piece of art looked like hieroglyphic. His other works included stone-carving, wood block painting, calligraphy and weaving.
The creation of Sankho Chaudhuri was a bronze abstract statue. “He innovates and experiments with material, style and technique,” says Kaluskar. Late Bhupen Khakhar was an iconoclast, and his art reflected his non-conformist attitude. Similarly, G R Santosh’s works involved geometric patterns, and tantra art. He is influenced by mysticism and Shaivism.
The strikingly blue figurative painting of octogenarian cultural anthropologist Haku Shah depicted folk and tribal influence. The paintings of Gaud are, however, like colourful sketches that pertain to rustic men and women having a raw appeal. “It was indeed a treat to even those who couldn’t grasp the nuances of art,” says a visitor.