BENGALURU: It’s been a weekend of art and culture. Friday evening saw the opening of Mystical Hues with the works of prominent artists, including JMS Mani and Ganapati Hegde, on display at the Taj West End. In addition, the works of artists from Nepal and Sri Lanka are also on display. “The idea is to promote upcoming artists, many of whom have a lot of talent. We want to give them a platform to showcase their work,” says Shilpa Dugar, founder of Krisla Arts, an online art gallery that has conducted shows in London and Bengaluru.
This time, the paintings on display revolve around the theme of greenery and nature. Some of the participant artists include Senathipati from Chennai, Bandana Kumari from Bhopal, Amit Bhar from Kolkata, Suresh Gulage from Pune, Roy K Johm from Kerala. For Dugar, who has been working on curating the show over the last three months, it has been particularly fruitful since a part of the proceeds are being donated to an organisation called Vasantharatna which helps the families of martyrs. “When I met Subhashini who lost her husband at the age of 36, she told me that most people assume that they are looking for sympathy and empathy. But most of them are worried about children’s education and although they earn a bit financially, they need help,” she says, adding that she hopes the lives of wives of jawans improve. “The lives of widows in rural India are very difficult, and we are hoping to help them out,” she adds.
She goes on to emphasise that in addition, these artists are doing some great quality work. “I’m hoping that those who buy the art work look at the cause they are purchasing it for, in addition to the aesthetic value,” she says, adding that owing to space constraints, only a limited number of artworks are being showcased.
Show is on at Taj West End, Race Course Road till Feb 17.