HYDERABAD: Bringing out some of the best expressions of Lord Ganesha on canvas, these artists, some professionals and other art hobbyists, explore different mediums, techniques and content for this year’s Lord Ganesha art exhibition at Chitramayee State Gallery of Art at Madhapur.
Anjaya Naik makes contemporary art based on his experiences of Banjara culture. “My painting depicts the cultures of the Banjara (Lambada) people and the beautiful ornaments they wear, their romantic/erotic sentiments and their relationship with nature,” he said.
His 2 ft x 3ft, acrylic on canvas entry for the Ganesha exhibition depicts Lord Ganesha in unique geometrical symmetry. The idea comes from the story where sage Vyasa sat down to finish Mahabharata when his peacock feather broke and Ganesha offered his right tooth to be used as a pen to finish the epic. Naik works as a Special Vice Principal at Telangana Tribal Welfare Fine Arts School at Nadergul. Kota Prasanna Jyothi, a BFA graduate from Sri Venkateswara Fine Arts College and a personal art trainer, presented a similar entry.
Her 30X40 painting depicts Lord Ganesha as visible in the Khajuraho temple. However, an exciting entry where Ganesha was drawn using a gel pen on paper but drawing no lines or curves. Several dots were imprinted on paper in varying sizes to create a beautiful sketch. This sketch belongs to Nibedita Deb, who was born and brought up in Kolkata and moved to Hyderabad 11 years ago. “I have been deeply interested in art since childhood. I am a fourth-year fine arts student at Sri Venkateswara Fine Arts College,” she said. She also works as an art teacher. She adds that her family, including her son, continue to encourage her to pursue her creative passion for art.
Anusha Dandu, too, makes art purely out of her passion. A homemaker, she says she finds joy in her otherwise mundane life through art and by experimenting with different kinds of media. About her painting, she said, “Our most revered Ganesha - the remover of obstacles (Vighnaharta/ Vignavinayaka) is worshipped with various names and in multiple forms. My idea is to give an impression of the most natural form of the Lord, radiating positive energy and sustainability whose only jewel is haldi kumkum. This acrylic painting is done on a semi-abstract background which was created using spray technique along with pressed polythene sheet for the required impression.”
Among all the 75 paintings, there was an entry by Manasa Modepu, who hails from Batasingaram village on the outskirts of Hyderabad and is currently residing in Kashmir valley with her husband who is a CRPF officer. She was unable to pursue painting as a career but her interest and determination turned her into a self-taught artist. Her multi-coloured Ganesha painting is inspired by murals found on the ceilings and walls in Kerala, depicting Hindu deities from mythological stories.
Some of the other entries worth mentioning came from Konduru Nageswar Rao, whose ‘Joyful Ganesha,’ acrylic on canvas, 24”/24” painting evoked peace and harmony within spectators. Other remarkable works came from Bharati Kar, whose ‘Gajamukha’ acrylic painting visualised Lord Jagannath in the form of Ganesha. It is inspired by Pattachitra, a traditional art form of Odisha. Brilliant knife work on canvas was presented by Mahebub, whose antique colour combination in rusty shades and freehand work inspired onlookers in acute devotion to the Lord Ganesha.
Saritha Arra’s ‘Vakratunda’ depicted Ganesha a japmala in my hands with its 108 beads. “There are exactly 108 Ganesha’s in the background, symbolising the existence of multiple names used for Lord Ganesha and to connect it to a holy number used in prayer,” she said. Another different medium was used by Ramu Maredu, who hails from Peddapally village in Telangana. His ‘Naatya Ganesha’ sketch, drawn with charcoal on paper depicted the deity Ganesha after a war with Shiva. The exhibition will be open to all till September 20, 2023.