Stories, whether they be mythological or the ones that are rooted in reality, captivate people. The most interesting part of stories, however, remains the one narrating them. To bring a visual view of the storytelling world, MEC Art Gallery in Khan Market is hosting an art exhibition wherein several artists from across the country have come together to narrate stories through work.
Curated by Atul Marwah, director and owner of the gallery, this exhibition titled ‘Storytellers’ aims to celebrate artwork through stories inspired by ground reality such as the pandemic, war scenes, mental health, and more. The gallery provides visitors with a warm, peaceful space to spend time with these pieces, all while perceiving the idea of the painter in its purest form.
“I’ve been an admirer of art for a long time, and I want to promote it in the best way I can. I follow my hunger for art and keep connecting with different artists to showcase their work through exhibitions,” said Marwah. Artists such as Murali Cheeroth, Farhad Hussain, Mukesh Sharma, Ravi K, Pratul Dash, Debraj Goswami, Tapan Dash, Barun Chowdhury, and others’ works have been displayed here.
Stories on canvas
Artist Barun Choudhury’s painting talks about the way is about the impact of education on human life. His inspiration was the sociopolitical scenario, “I am a storyteller and I feel it’s my responsibility to contribute my share to society through my art piece.”
Another artist named Snehashish talked about his painting that portrays a man wearing a mask in a scene depicting the pandemic: “My painting is part of a series I’ve made. For this particular painting, the inspiration came from my visit to Japan. I got to know that people had a concern about their surroundings and society more than themselves.”
Hues and emotions
Though the theme of this exhibition was ‘Storytellers’, a number of artists also interpreted this in their own way. Every canvas had something to say; it was all about who could connect with it. Talking to us about his process of making his piece, Tapan Dash said, “Making art is a spontaneous process for me. I don’t follow a rigid plan; I just start directly with my colours and keep my work going.”
The paintings in this exhibition speak a lot about the artist and their thought processes. With artists narrating personal stories through such works, these pieces reflect human experiences, which—knowingly or unknowingly—become a part of our lives and enrich our thoughts and beliefs.