Artists can find inspiration in the most unexpected instances—sometimes the moments spent in isolation amid the lockdown can nudge them to create their interpretations of time, or being witness to societal indifferences can push them to use art as a tool to bring to light pertinent issues. The participating galleries of Delhi Art Week (DAW) 2022 substantiate this through the artworks by a slew of creative minds that look at nature, mythology, society, and more as a source of inspiration. Here’s a set of exhibitions that one can explore from DAW’s zones three (New Friends Colony, Greater Kailash II, East of Kailash, Panchsheel Park, Saket, Hauz Khas, etc.) and four (Anand Niketan, Lado Sarai, Vasant Kunj, Chattarpur, Mehrauli) before the event wraps up on Aug 31.
Exploring the realms of art
Saket-based Chawla Art Gallery is hosting ‘Masterstroke’, an exhibition that showcases the work of several modernists and senior contemporaries. The line-up includes names such as late artists including abstract painter Ram Kumar, Satish Gujral, KK Hebbar, Badri Narayan, KH Ara, Prodosh Das Gupta, FN Souza, Zarina Hashmi, along with eminent names in the contemporary space such as Krishen Khanna, Paramjit Singh, Sakti Burman, Jayasri Burman, Anjolie Ela Menon, and KS Radhakrishnan. Talking about the exhibition, Shibani Chawla, founder of Chawla Art Gallery, shared, “The selection explores works such as paintings, sculptures, paper works. It is a whole range, something of interest for a young collector as well as a seasoned connoisseur.”
When lockdown helps unlock creativity
During the pandemic, artist Indrapramit Roy—he teaches painting at MS University of Baroda—was inspired to create a series of works through watercolour and etching. His solo exhibition titled 'Soliloquy’ is currently on display at Gallery Threshold, Sarvodaya Enclave. Inspired by the hardships and loss faced by people during the pandemic, Roy attempts to make inquiries into the conflicts experienced over the last two years through his paintings. “Pedagogy is the backbone of the art world. Indrapramit Roy has been teaching painting at MS University for the last 35 years. It is our privilege to show a body of very sensitive watercolours by Roy for the DAW,” said Tunty Chauhan, founder and director, Gallery Threshold.
Drawing inspiration from nature
Every now and then, artists have used their practice to draw attention towards depleting natural resources and the impact that humans have had on the environment. ‘Earth Songs’, an ongoing exhibition at Gallery Art Positive, Lado Sarai, highlights myriad environmental issues via landscape art. Curated by Pranamita Borgohain, this exhibition features the works of Bhaskar Rao, Chandra Morkonda, Debasish Dutta, Kausalya Gadekar, Manisha Agarwal, Parvathi Nayar, Ramu Das, Sanjay Biswal, Samir Mohanty, and Suvankar Mitra. “Some of the works are related to the environment and how the artists are in a difficult position right now. Some artists are re-looking at how the Earth should look, and are romanticising the planet," shared Borgohain.
Creatively wandering in wilderness
At Ojas Art gallery, Mehrauli, one has the opportunity to understand the intricacies of Gond art thanks to a solo exhibition by artist Bhajju Shyam—he is the first tribal artist to be awarded a Padma Shri. Curated by Lina Vincent, the works on display explore the many elements of nature through captivating visuals. Talking about Bhajju’s practice, Vincent shared, “There is a sense of wildness and abandon, as well as an evocative playfulness in the series of works. The colours are vivid, the forms are bold and graphic, and there are subtle hints of humour and satire that seem to be part of Bhajju’s natural inclination in storytelling.”
Masterpieces by maestros
Art Alive Gallery located in Panchsheel Park is offering art enthusiasts to explore the works of renowned contemporary artist Sakti Burman (Life is a Theatre) as well as French painter Maitei Delteil (The Garden of my Soul). Both exhibitions feature the recent works by the artists. “This is an exhibition that we started some time ago but we thought of making it part of the DAW because it is not everyday that we see the works of such a legend. With DAW, we wanted this exhibition to reach a wider audience,” shared Sunaina Anand, founder, Art Alive Gallery.
