Aditya Chawla, a 25-year-old artist from Sonipat, started painting four years back. A former engineering graduate from BITS Pilani, Chawla decided to call it quits at the age of 21 to pursue a full-time career in art. Painting in his signature style, which he calls 2Dealism—it represents reality in a 2D format—Chawla’s artwork features his societal observations and travel experiences often depicting a dystopian world from a utopian angle. A collection of these paintings will be at a pop art exhibition in Interstellar art gallery, Ghitorni. The show, which starts today, can be viewed till October 31.Titled ‘Lemonade’, curator Iqrut Kataria says that this show resonates with the fun and carefree nature of popular art. The show is a unique take on the artform, which also appeals to many of the gallery’s Indian clientele.
The exhibition—it promotes the 1960s pop art movement by American artist Andy Warhol—hosts several emerging artists from around the world, who work with different themes, mediums, and colour palettes. The artwork is handpicked by Kataria who will also showcase his collection of art on women's empowerment here. “Some of our artists resonate with different energies of the environment, of the universe, and the candidness of life while others focus on more social issues like women empowerment. We see if there is a fun kind of concept attached to the artwork before choosing it," says the 35-year old curator. These pieces presented at the gallery will also be on sale; with prices within one lakh.
An innovative perspective
Among the ten artists who will have their artwork presented at the show is Pooja Bansal, who has her roots in Delhi but now calls Mumbai home. A self-taught artist, who left her corporate professional job in early 2018 to follow her passion, Bansal’s canvas to paint on are hard surfaces like wood. References for her work include doors and windows from Mumbai’s old houses and mills, which she has repurposed and painted on. She believes in choosing a sustainable medium that will add to the circular economy. “All the wood that I use is Burma Teak, which has lost its charm because of [people’s] modern liking for shiny glass and metal. The purpose of bringing this artform on a solid medium is to bring these old doors and windows back into people’s houses, and bring a sense of connective and emotional attachment with the past,” points out the 43-year old Bansal. Similarly, Chawla, who is a few colour blind artists, mentions how he uses this artform to debunk the notion that colour blindness is a hindrance to artists.
Favoured by patrons
As an artwork that is often inspired by comics, pop art is a theme that resonates with these artists. Bansal speaks of how it brings out her inner emotions in an impactful manner. While the themes of her artwork might be serious, their representations are not confined with set rules and boundaries. Bansal says that while her theme might be serious, their representations are not confined within set rules. “As artists, we take pop culture and add a satirical twist to it. The art resonates more with the public as it is catchy and in a 100 paintings the pop [art] usually pops. Moreover, by representing popular culture, it is more relatable to viewers in comparison to traditional art,” concludes Chawla.