Solo Exhibition of Sculptures by Reghu G

Bangalore based sculptor, Reghu's solo exhibition of sculptures is upcoming at Gallery Sumukha. Details are posted below.

You may also want to read 'Ceramic Art (Sculptures by Reghu)', which I wrote in 2008:

I first came across Reghu’s sculptures about four years ago. Tiny ceramic figures that were based on groupings of men, women and children in animated postures caught my eye. Simple, earthy and quite minimal...read more

Ananya Drishya presents Suresh Kumar G

Ananya Drushya, an initiative by eminent artist SG Vasudev is a Bangalore based organization - a cultural trust that promotes music, literature and art that aims to create awareness about visual arts in schools and other sections of the society. Readers will remember that a few years ago, the visual chapter of Ananya had started with a group show, where seventy artists from the city had contributed their paintings. It was immensely successful and helped to raise funds for their activities.

According to Vasudev, “Ananya Drishya aims at a three-pronged approach. We conduct regular lecture and discussion sessions on art and art appreciation programmes. Then we have outreach programmes for school children to develop awareness in them about visual art and culture. Simultaneously, we are developing archives of Karnataka art from pre-Independence period onwards. So, while discussion sessions connect with the present, archives and working with children bridge the past and the future.” (quote from Bangalore Mirror, October 09, 2011)

Since then Ananya has been organizing monthly talks and presentations by artists, which have been very well appreciated and well attended. Last year, I moderated a presentation and interactive session with artists Murali Cheeroth and Ravikumar Kashi. Continuing this series, next is artist Suresh Kumar G making a presentation on Jun 11, 2013.

 Do drop in at Venkatappa Art Gallery if you are in the vicinity.

Review - Ravikumar Kashi

Bangalore based artist Ravikumar Kashi's recent set of paintings previews in Bangalore on Dec 20, 2006. The exhibition will then travel to Chennai, Palo Alto - California (USA) and London, UK.

Since, I had to do a write-up for the Sunday Times of India, on a bright Sunday morning I braved the by-now ill-famous Bangalore traffic and met him at his studio. Over a cup of coffee, we discussed his art, the process by which he arrives at his compositions, his poetry and writings, Bangalore's promising art scene, contemporary Indian art in general and a lot more. The works were refreshing (and, so was the coffee) and I came away impressed with his interpretations of 'urban experiences'.

The following article was published today in TOI, Bangalore (Dec 17, 2006)

Paradox of Urbanisation

Bangalore based artist Ravikumar Kashi’s works offer remarkable insights into the paradoxical aspects of modernization and urbanization. The layers on his canvas reveal the intricacies and dynamics related to media excesses and social paradigms. Ravi takes inspiration from current events and his surroundings; he collects images and text that interest him. A look into his scrapbook reveals a fascinating collection of assorted images from advertisements, photographs and text from magazines and even email ids. His notebook is filled with rough sketches and scribbled notes, which then form the basis of his artworks.

Ravi has continuously evolved as an artist; over the years, he has experimented with various mediums - he has worked with paper pulp, found art, printmaking and glass painting in the past. And, now in the current series of paintings there is greater maturity where the visuals are more open-ended and encourage further viewer interaction. Incidentally, he has a Masters degree in printmaking from MS University, Baroda, and in English from Mysore University. A writer and a poet, Ravi has also published interviews with artists for newspapers.

What he is particularly adept at is in presenting the contrast or conflict between accepted norms as he combines unrelated images to magnify the non-apparent similarities and differences. The unraveling of layers and arriving at the inter-relation of separate frames in his paintings forms an exciting process by itself. ‘Happily ever after’ explores the relationship between a couple, where a pile of boxes on the lower side of the canvas hints at revealing new surprises in the relationship when pulling out each box. ‘Say something’ depicts a corpse like figure completely still and static with an overlapping flight map that talks about movement and connectivity. The irrelevance of tickers on the television screen on news channels talks about segmented viewing, and compartmentalization of our lives in general. According to Ravi Kashi, “Often we see an advertisement of a beauty product on one page of a magazine with a model turned out exquisitely, while on the opposite page is an image of a young girl suffering from draught.” The incongruity of events and images in media is what influences Ravi in his art.


On one hand the society abhors violence and killing, and at the same time most videogames (even for children) allow them to score points based on the number of killings made! His large 10 x 5 feet work titled ‘Go Play’ deals with this theme. The painting raises issues of morality and the society’s response in varying scenarios. The other works are also along similar lines; they deal with notions of power, urban stress, expectations, consumerism, materialism and so on. Most of his paintings have textual messages that highlight the absurdity of urban patterns. The text varies from Morse code, Braille, sign language, email ids and even banner ads.

Another set of visuals made in paper pulp forms a separate collection akin to pages from a journal. These combine images and text in random order and are also based on contemporary topics. Occupying an informal space in the exhibition, these are equally thought provoking and raise pertinent questions on urban trends.

The exhibition begins on December 20 at Gallery Sumukha, Bangalore.

Review - Paresh Hazra

Paresh Hazra’s recent works are influenced by rural Bengal - the paintings are colorful and have a lot of folk motifs. This particular series is based on deities from Hindu mythology such as Krishna, Ganesha and Durga. Most of the works are in earth tones with golden highlights, and the result is quite stunning if over-embellished. The colors and textures in this series are toned down as compared to his last exhibition in the city.


Born in West Bengal, Hazra came to Bangalore in 1981 as an art teacher at the Military School. In his early days, Hazra worked with watercolors using the wash technique popular in the Bengal School. Fond of experimentation, he constantly tried out different mediums such as watercolor, graphics, oil painting and mural. He recalls that when he was learning the fresco technique and egg tempera – where egg yolk, linseed oil and mastic varnish are mixed, he discovered his preferred medium. He writes, “…I completely transformed it (egg tempera technique) into my own way intending to bridge the traditional and contemporary themes and motifs of India.” He also experiments with the texture of surfaces by using bits of string, jute or gauze on canvas. Incidentally, egg tempera medium has its origins in Europe and a number of famous paintings by old masters were done in this medium till the fifteenth century. Once oils were discovered, artists found the freedom to paint outdoors and egg-tempera became less popular over the centuries.
There are a couple of abstracts in paper pulp and a few charcoal drawings also. The charcoal portraits are pleasantly minimalist and stand out amongst the profusion of colorful paintings.

The exhibition is on till December 8 at Right Lines Art Gallery, Bangalore.

Review - Shankar Kendale

Art director to painter. Shankar Kendale gave up a successful career in the advertising world to become a full time artist. The transition happened about ten years ago, when he took a year-long break to explore his painterly skills. His works are mostly figurative, although he has done a few abstracts in the past. The current series features portraits of men and women amidst rural settings. Kendale places his subjects against rustic settings, adds pots and other rural bits and pieces to create a pretty picture. He is technically sound and has a good sense of light and shade. The backgrounds in general are fairly abstracted apart from a door or a step against which he props his subject. Traces of his design background are evident in all his works – in the composition and choice of colors. Overall, pleasant works and reasonably priced.

Prices range between Rs 25,000 and Rs 70,000.

The exhibition is on till Nov 30 at KYNKYNY.

Review of SG Vasudev's Paintings

I was at the preview of Vasudev’s exhibition of paintings last week (which by the way was very well attended with the city’s arty crowd turning up in large numbers). Here’s what I wrote for TOI, an excerpt…
The Vriksha (tree) has been a dynamic element in Vasudev's paintings and has also been a protagonist in some of his works. In this series too, the Vriksha and the mask like face are very much evident. In fact, his early paintings did not have the mask. In the present series, the themes in the paintings remain similar to the earlier works with a few changes. For instance, the protagonist is still a female in the ‘She’ series, but now she takes on a more complicated existence. An elaborate hairdo reveals complex detailing when you look at it closely, suggestive of a whole new world and a gamut of intricacies.



Now, the tree becomes a more dynamic form, it acts as a nurturer where birds find comfort but on the other hand it itself lives in fear of being destroyed. Vigorous brushstrokes blur the existence of the tree. In all his paintings the characters narrate a story whether it is about pretensions - holding up a mask before the whole world, female power or more serious issues about environmental concerns. The emphasis is on the narration and the works themselves are fairly abstract despite being figurative. On the other hand, the drawings on black canvas are a stark contrast to the paintings and are minimal and free from any embellishments.

Interview with artist SG Vasudev

I met Vasudev at a pre-preview of his exhibition of paintings titled ‘Past Forward’ where he revisits his earlier series. The show kick starts in Bangalore and then moves on to other Indian cities. We discussed his art, his passion for promoting art education in Karnataka and also the hype surrounding investments in contemporary Indian Art. Some excerpts...
Q. What made you decide on this series?
A. I have been planning a major retrospective of my works for some time now. About two years ago, I started collecting my paintings from art collectors, galleries and from my private collection. Looking at them, made me feel, it would be interesting to take a fresh look at them. And, to recreate them now. Remember these paintings are also from the 60s and the 70s. In the present series, I find the forms are more defined and the detailing has also increased.

Q. In general, what inspires you to paint?
A. What I did yesterday inspires me today. And, what I do today will inspire me tomorrow. I draw inspiration from different sources – what I read, books, art, happenings around me, they all influence me.
My earlier series have been inspired by poetry, where the Kalpavriksha became central to many of my paintings. Maithuna (Act of Love) was inspired from romantic poetry, Earthscape is about deforestation and the growing ecological imbalance – how people destroy themselves by destroying nature. Theatre of Life came about seeing villagers watching television through the day.


Q. What is the idea behind the mask like faces?
A. I feel all of us wear a mask before the world. To get to know the person, you need to go behind the mask. Whether it’s newsreaders who wear the same expression on every channel or you, we all present a mask to the rest of the world.

Q. You work with only oils…
A. My style of painting is such that oil suits my temperament. I like to finish a painting from start to finish in one go. And, I need to finish it before the paint dries. I work for about 8-12 hours a day when I start on a series.

Q. Do you plan or sketch your paintings beforehand.
A. No, I don’t sketch for a painting. My drawings are meant to be just that – minimal lines that give an idea about the skill and strength of an artist. My paintings evolve as I paint. I start off with an idea, but I don’t plan out the details. I build upon it as I go along. Sometimes accidental effects in one painting become intentional in the next one.

(More on art investment and education later. Watch out this space...)