Art News: Consortium by Fidelitus Gallery, Bangalore

Art exhibition celebrates senior art faculty from Bengaluru

Fidelitus Gallery kicks off 2022 with “Consortium - Art Preceptors of Bengaluru Art Institutions”, a unique art exhibition that draws attention to and features the on-going practice of active senior faculty members from 3 prominent Art Institutions in Bengaluru, namely, Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath College of Fine Arts, Kalamandir School of Arts and Ken School of Arts.

Sculpture by Vishal Kavatekar

These institutions are decades old and markers of history in the state that have shaped the art scene in the region. Several of their alumni have gone on to become prominent names in the art industry in the country. Fidelitus Gallery through this exhibition acknowledges and celebrates the contribution of these fine art institutes and their extraordinary educators. The exhibition features 10 eminent artists and teachers - A M Prakash, Babu Jattakar, Gopal Kammar, Nagappa Pradhani, Pratibha T S, Sridhar Murthy, T S Baoni, Vishal Kavatekar, Mallappa S Halli and Nirmala Kumari and presents their paintings and sculptures. The show offers an array of fine art in diverse styles, subjects and themes, and materials and media, for the discerning art connoisseurs.

The initiative is also aligned with the Gallery’s “Heritage Wing” project that facilitates educational programs with respect to Museum and Gallery Studies.

Painting by Shridhar Murthy

Fidelitus Gallery aims to create an inclusive platform for the arts - both performing arts and visual arts, along with curated art educational pogrammes for the community.

The gallery is committed towards creating world class art exhibitions by curating hybrid transformative spaces by following standards of the international committee of exhibitions. It also hopes to make a difference in the arts sector through sustained efforts, all of which will gradually create lasting changes in techniques and processes of exhibiting art in the city. 

The collection from “Consortium” will be accessible in a hybrid form - both physically and virtually on the gallery website www.fidelitusgallery.com. The gallery believes in giving back to society and follows the motto of Art For A Cause, whereby, part of the sale proceeds will contribute towards Shilpa Foundation, which works on providing a healthy environment and quality education for the underprivileged in Karnataka.

The 10 days exhibition will be formally inaugurated on Saturday, 19th February, 2022 at 6:00 pm. It will be inaugurated at the Fidelitus Gallery on 19th in the presence of Shri Alok Kumar, IPS, ADGP-KSRP, Shri Ashok Kheny Ex MLA Bidar South, MD NICE, Dr. Pramila Lochan- Art Historian and Critic, Shri Lahari Velu, and Shri Achuth Gowda, MD & Founder Fidelitus Corp Pvt Ltd. Artists and art connoisseurs are welcome to join the inaugural program.

Visit the show here www.fidelitusgallery.com and at the gallery address given below.

The exhibition, “Consortium - Art Preceptors of Bengaluru Art Institutions”, is open to everyone from 19th to 27th February, 2022.

Fidelitus Gallery, Brigade Software Park, No. 42, Ground Floor, B Block, 27th Cross, BSK 2nd Stage, 

Bangalore - 560070

Email: info@fidelitusgallery.com PH: +91 80 68073700

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Traditional Mysore Paintings by Shobana Udayasankar

An exhibition of exquisite traditional Mysore paintings by Shobana Udayasankar previews today at Chitrakala Parishath

The symbolism-rich, intricate Mysore style is a traditional art form, which once graced the temples and palaces of the centuries-old Wodeyar empire. Bangalore based artist, Shobana Udayasankar is committed to keeping the tradition of Mysore art alive and works not only on recreating the most unique of traditional designs, but also aims to innovate through the use of cultural influences from Asia and Europe, experimenting even with abstracts.

Having started out as an amateur enthusiast, spurred by her interest in preserving the art form, her journey has been a long and rewarding one. Shobana is now set to showcase her collection of traditional Mysore paintings in Bengaluru for the first time ever. Sixty artworks, ranging in size from 8 x 10 inches to multiple pieces that are 4 x 6 feet, along with many intermediate sizes, will be part of the show. Mysore paintings are characterised by high level of detail and fine intricate work and Shobana’s works stand out for their extraordinary rendering.

The works are based on tales and events occurring in various scriptural and mythological texts, including the Puranas. The ‘Samudra Manthana’ or Churning of the Ocean – a metaphorical depiction of the creation of the manifested world that features over fifty individual figures – and ‘The Wedding of Girija (Parvathi) and Shiva’ and ‘Kama-Kameswari’ are examples of deeper philosophical ruminations on the structure of the cosmos that have been presented and preserved for generations as art.

Also featured are depictions of gods and goddesses, following the symbolisms and descriptions set out in ancient treatises, including the famed Samudrika-Lakshana – the science of anatomical proportions. ‘Devi Chamundeswari’ serves an example of a more traditional representation of the patron Goddess of the Wodeyar kings.

Shobana aims to inculcate interest in the art form beyond the small traditional circles and make more people aware of the art and develop an appreciation of it. Her own interest was sparked as she grew up hearing many mythological tales from my mother, and growing up, developed a strong interest in spirituality - particularly the deeper meanings in scripture and philosophy - which gave her an affinity for various representations of the divine. “This deepened my interest in more traditional art forms, of which I found that Mysore art was not only less well-known, but it was also a delicate and intricate form, the practice of which was almost a spiritual experience in itself - not unlike meditation. Once I had caught a glimpse of this depth, there was no turning back,” she explains.

Comprising many stages of painstaking and intricate work, including the preparation of the hardboard, the initial sketching, the ‘gesso’ work that provides a subtle embossing, to the pasting of the extremely fragile pure gold leaf and the final painting itself, pieces made following the authentic Mysore school of art take many months of diligent and dedicated effort. It can even take years to finish a large, intricate piece of work. Shobana elaborates, “My recent large-scale work "Lalitha Durbar" is about 4.5 feet by 5.5 feet, and it took me nearly two years to finish.”

Based on the premise that India’s rich mythological heritage has a wider audience, as evidenced from the spread and survival of popular themes such as the Ramayana in art forms native to other Asian countries, including Indonesia and Thailand, Shobana has attempted to stretch the boundaries of this art by presenting new compositions that remain true to the original techniques and methods of this art form alongside traditional representations. ‘Rama and Sita’ (Thai style) is one such example of the artist’s contemporary vision. It is her way to appeal to purists as well as those seeking a more dynamic approach to heritage and tradition, thus bridging the gap between the ancient and the modern.

Shobana’s expertise and proficiency in the field was recognized jointly by the All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society and the Karnataka Lalitakala Akademi and she was conferred the Millennium Artist Award in the year 2000.

The exhibition is on at Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath from 21 - 26 December 2018

Images: Courtesy Shobana Udayasankar

You can connect with the artist on FB, Twitter & Instagram
sponsored post (based on the press release and conversation with the artist)
Updated: Dec 21

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A Tribute to Artist M.B. Patil

In this insightful article, H.A. Anil Kumar contemplates M.B. Patil’s artistic contribution to the arts, and discovers he has made a statement by just being the way he was and that for him, the act was more relevant than the product

It was already two decades since he had retired as an artist employed with the State Government (Department of Information and Broadcast), when M.B.Patil (born: Tikota, Bijapur, 1939-2017) passed away recently. When he had freshly retired in the late 1990s and held a solo show at ‘Images’ gallery, Bengaluru, another artist-friend of his, K.T.Shiva Prasad had inaugurated it and given a piece of advice to the exhibitor: “Patil has retired now as an employed-artist, let him be creative from now on”. Most in the crowd smiled, giggled and laughed at this tongue-in-cheek remark, while Patil himself had his usual smile, which was not easy to decipher. It was a prejudice that ‘an artist who is not a freelancer is not creative enough’ that was unveiled and vented out during this occasion. Artistic activities are bound to be defined by what art means in any given, specific situation.

Patil’s artistic works might be as mysterious as his smile was: his works can be broadly divided, style-wise, into three categories: the collages, folksy images and his demonstrations, mainly portraiture. The burnt-wood style, for which he has been often so remembered, squarely fits into his folksy style. Perhaps painterly folk representation was already a tradition among Karnataka artists. Like many of his contemporaries (Chandranath Acharya, R.M.Hadapad, S.G.Vasudev), he did meddle a bit with the art of art direction in a few docu-drama films. Often some artists of Karnataka have been so varied in their styles that any amount of categorization style-wise or otherwise, would become impossible (ex: the visual works of R.M.Hadapad and Shivarama Karantha’s literary oeuvre). On the contrary, some artists are so well known for their unique styles, that there are even too many imitators of them; and those who generated the style themselves get creatively imprisoned in this demand for the ‘politics-of-imitation’.

Review: ‘Torrents’ at Chitrakala Parishath, Bangalore

Art Review:  ‘Torrents’ - Conflicts of power, self and society at Chitrakala Parishath, Bangalore

Six young artists from Southern India, some of whom have recently passed out from art college and others who are still studying in their final year have brought together an exhibition of their recent works in Bangalore.

Although, it might be considered a tad early for them to think about exhibiting their works, I feel that it actually gives them a head start. Based on critical opinion and other feedback from visitors, these artists have an excellent opportunity to expand their oeuvre and fine tune their skills. How they choose to use these inputs is of course entirely up to them.

Gandhi as an image and an icon is revered universally, but at the same time the name is often racked by controversies and scandals by a certain segment of the population. Anthony Joseph explores and portrays these paradoxical elements. One of the works titled, ‘The Story of My Experiments with Gandhi’ is quite apt for most of his works on display. Collages made of currency notes folded in a manner similar to Origami question the relevance and interpretation of Gandhian values in today’s context.

Anju Acharya’s fantasy world imagines humans and mutants, symbolizing a mutating world perhaps the effects of environmental degradation. A glimpse into a future, which may well be taking shape. After all, we are playing God!

Vikas S draws inspiration from the simple beauty of patterns in nature and recreates the rhythm and form through shapes, symmetry and movements of primitive organisms such as snails and centipedes. Pleasant works!

P Ramesh has sometimes borrowed figures from Greek mythology to represent and emphasize contemporary urban issues. Male dominance, violence against women, literacy and again the burden of decay in environment are some of the issues highlighted here.

Ashil Antony's paintings appear to be spontaneous sketches of birds, placed stark and dark against a white background. Ebey Edassery paintings are based on human emotions - angst, greed and desire which are depicted through a few figurative works and others which on the surface appear to be constructed from repetitive patterns and motifs.

Overall, the exhibition is a good attempt to reach out to a larger audience and there are a few interesting works here. However, I feel the disjointed effect could have been completely avoided by careful selection of the works either through a self curatorial effort or with the help of an external advisor.

On view till August 31st at Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, Bangalore. 
Let me know if you visit the show. And, which works did you like?

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Art Buzz (Bangalore) Space the Final Frontier

Aspects of Contemporary German Photography

Real Space - Conceptual Space

To continue the exhibition series, 'Aspects of Contemporary German Photography', the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen now presents this show (curator: Ute Eskildsen) of German photo art from the 1990s. The title of the exhibition, 'Real Space Conceptual Space', subsumes three different working methods, the common content denominator of which is public space.

Real Space - Conceptual Space, an exhibition of the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen e.V. (ifa)/Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations, opens on March 11, 2011 at the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath and continues till March 27, 2011. We are proud to welcome Heidi Specker, one of the artists featured in the exhibition, to Bangalore. Heidi Specker will give a presentation of her work at the Inauguration on March 11, 6.30 p.m. The Exhibition will be inaugurated by Abhishek Poddar, Founder, Tasveer.

Event: Photo Exhibition: Real Space - Conceptual Space

Date: Inauguration with Talk by Heidi Specker on March 11, 2011, 6.30 p.m.

On Display: March 12 to 27, 2011

Timings: 10.00 a.m. to 7.30 p.m.

Venue: Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath

The following exhibition has ended, but as promised, here's a photograph & a brief about the works.

Charlotte Salomon– Life? Or Theatre?

Event: Exhibition: Charlotte Salomon – Life? Or Theatre?

Date: Feburary 25 to March 9, 2011

Time: 9.30 a.m. - 6.30 p.m.

Venue: Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan, Bangalore

Charlotte Salomon was born in Berlin in 1917 and grew up in a well-integrated Jewish family, the daughter of a surgeon and a singer, as a. The events in 1933 dramatically changed the life of the family and in 1939 Charlotte fled to her grandparents in southern France. In 1943 she was arrested by the Gestapo and deported to Auschwitz, where she was later killed little. Shortly before her arrest, she offered her work to a friend by saying, "C'est toute ma vie! This is my life! "life? Or Theater?

The 1325 gouache was painted between 1940 and 1942. In the despair and loneliness of exile projected Charlotte Salomon their lives in an imaginary inner stage, where she wrote her true story as a lyrical drama.

Of particular interest to students of German is the combination of Charlotte Salomon's personal history in pictures and brief written comments. The original exhibition is at the Jewish Historical Museum Amsterdam. The exhibition at the Goethe-Institut 62 shows gouache and comments.

Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath

A lot of readers have shown interest in knowing about 'Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath', Bangalore, either because they want to study art at this institute or would like to exhibit their works at one of the galleries on their campus.

Now, if you are considering pursuing an art course at KCP, please visit their website

http://karnatakachitrakalaparishath.com/college/admission.html for more details.

Visit http://karnatakachitrakalaparishath.com/parishath/index.html for information on their permanent galleries and the other 5 exhibition halls that are rented out...

"Apart from the thirteen permanent museum galleries, five other galleries are permanently rented out to quality exhibition of works of artists and art from various parts of not only India but also of international bearing. Max Mueller Bhavan, Alliance Francaise, consulates of various other countries find KCP galleries to be an ideally suited location to host exhibitions in Bangalore. Central and State Lalitkala Academy have been permanently hosting their exhibitions at KCP." ... lists their official website.

Do book in advance since their galleries remain much in demand as the halls are much sought after and rentals are also comparatively reasonable. All five galleries vary in size and are located in a way that you may prefer one over the other, so the best thing would be to physically visit the space before deciding. The staff does send out invites on your behalf to all those on their mailing list, but I would urge you to send out your own invites - generally theirs reach after the preview or even after the show is over!

A Veritable Treasure Trove - Art Collection at Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, Bangalore

How many people know that Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath houses collections of art from early 19th century onwards? I have been a frequent visitor to their campus and have often visited the art exhibitions that are organized here on a regular basis, but somehow never went upstairs, which is where the galleries are. So, last week, at the behest of Harish Padmanabha, who incidentally is an avid art collector, I went there in search of Krishna Reddy’s prints.

I found that the Parishath has permanent galleries that showcase paintings by the Russian painter Nicholas Roerich, his son Svetoslav Roerich (whose estate is in the news for all the wrong reasons!), HK Kejriwal’s art collection, traditional and folk paintings, and leather puppets from the private collection of Nanjunda Rao.
 

The Roerichs’ collections are quite comprehensive and one can see Nicholas’s brilliant landscapes, Svetoslav’s fascinating portraits including those of Devika Rani and Nehru, and the Himalayan landscapes.
The Kejriwal collection features mainly the Bengal artists and a few other prominent artists from across the country. Whether these are the best works from the concerned artists is debatable, but the fact remains that it offers a fantastic opportunity to students and art lovers to get acquainted with a cross-section of some of India’s finest artists. Amrita Sher-Gil, Jamini Roy, Rabindranath Tagore, Gaganendranath Tagore, AR Chughtai, MF Husain, SH Raza, FN Souza, Shayamal Dutta Ray are just some of the names on these walls. The gamut of works (1830 to 1995) offers valuable insights into the history of art as it evolved from modernism to contemporary style. And, the art of Bengal, in particular that ranges from its folk art traditional format to its contemporary form.


The abstract graphic prints by Krishna Reddy, an internationally acclaimed printmaker are spectacular and a must watch. They are placed towards the far end of the exhibit space and one must remember to see them.
By the time I finished the contemporary art gallery my energy levels were flagging and I could not do justice to the traditional artworks, so another visit is on the cards.

Incidentally, the Parishath also has an ‘Art Mart’ where it sells works by upcoming and fairly established artists. Priced between Rs 2000 to a lakh or so, it offers a variety of pleasant pictures at an affordable price. But, if you looking for art as an investment then you need to come here armed with all the information. Also, there are various publications on sale, such as from the Lalit Kala Academy and Marg, books on art and prints.

(Published in Bangalore Mirror)

Updated on 8th Jul 2013 for title tags and labels

Chitra Santhe - Art Fair (Bangalore) Dec 30, 2007

Most of the 'artists' this year too were hobby painters et al. However, there was a sprinkling of fine arts students from other districts of Karnataka. According to official figures there were 1,700 art stalls and at least a 100,000 people attended. I also heard that more than Rs 1 crore changed hands!

There were very few works that I liked, amongst them were pen and ink drawings by an artist from Chikmaglur and a couple of paintings by an artist from Hassan. Unfortunatley, there were many reproductions right from SL Haldenkar's 'Glow of Hope' painting (please visit Jaganmohan Palace, Mysore to see the original), to John Fernandes to even SH Raza! The different versions of Glow of Hope, which incidentally is on sale at every Santhe, was truly pathetic this year. At least all the copies I saw had no resemblance to the original except for the fact that they featured a woman holding a lamp. The magic created by Haldenkar was completely missing!


Prices were as high as Rs 5 lakhs (the painting of an elephant was priced at Rs 5 lakhs - see below). Here are a few images from the Santhe.








If you visited the Santhe, what did you think about it? Did you like the paintings on display? Did you buy anything? Were the prices reasonable? What is the best part of an event like this? Mail your comments to me.

Annual Art Event : Chitra Santhe - 2006

The annual art event held yesterday (Dec 31, 2006) inside the premises of Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath and on the road outside, was a bit disappointing. There seemed to be more hobby painters than artists exhibiting their works. Most of the paintings were reproductions or bad copies of works by other artists such as the late Raja Ravi Verma and other old masters. I saw at least five equally pitiful versions of the ‘Glow of Hope’ - a famous painting by Haldenkar. Incidentally the original can be viewed at the Jayachamarajendra Art Gallery in the Jagan Mohan Palace, Mysore. Watercolors on paper seemed to be very popular and were seen to be lying around everywhere. Mehndi and on-the-spot portraits also seemed to be much in demand. There were a few reasonably decent paintings in oils and acrylics - a couple of Ganeshas that I liked, a few abstracts and portraits. Overall, it was good fun seeing people enjoy the carnival-like atmoshphere, but sadly not much can be said about the art!

Art Buzz - 'Chitra Santhe'

The highly popular annual art event 'Chitra Santhe' will be held on Dec 31 at Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, Kumara Krupa Road, Bangalore. The day-long carnival will have artists displaying paintings, sculptures and drawings along the roadside and within the premises of the Parishath.