Bengaluru: Young artists and friends reflect on urban life and loss of power

In 2011, a group of young artists did an exhibition titled Germinal Imprints in Chitrakala Parishat.

BENGALURU: In 2011, a group of young artists did an exhibition titled Germinal Imprints in Chitrakala Parishat. Six years down, the same artists are conducting the exhibition as awardees of Shenoy Art Foundation’s Emerging Artist’ Award.

(From top, anti-clockwise)  Pradeep Kumar’s works
with terracotta and gourds, they reflect his changing
relationship with city and his village; Srinivas Reddy
on struggles of a common man against bureaucracy;
and visitors at the exhibition
 Nagesh Polali

Shenoy Art Foundation started the award in 2014 and picked two exceptional artists of the year. The six exhibiting artists are winners of 2014, 2015 and 2016. However, the common link isn’t just their awards, but few of them have known each other for the past seven years so they are good friends.

The exhibition titled Nurturer and The Nurtured is ongoing till January 20 at Venkatappa Art Gallery and you can expect to see paintings, terracotta sculptures and digital video installation art. “We practise our art individually but we present it collectively,” says Mohan Kumar T, who won the emerging artist award in 2016 along with Aishwaryan K.

All the artists are under 32 years of age and the creativity unfurls with artists such as Pradeep Kumar D M using terracotta roof tiles, writing  slates and dried gourds as materials for drawing, to depict a rural and earthy lifestyle.

Naveen Kumar A presents postcard-size paintings of oblivion, places, characters, vehicles and animals that tend to trigger nostalgia.Srinivas Reddy N talks politics with his art by depicting struggle of a common man against bureaucracy.Mohan Kumar T reflects on himself through his paintings and video installations.