Artist Profile: Devajyoti Ray

This week we profile artist Devajyoti Ray, whose cinematic works hold you captive and mesmerized as you struggle to keep a finger on the exact moment of life that a particular work seems to depict. Moment is what his works are all about. A particular glance, a sudden smile, a pondering look - infinitesimal moments that make our life so meaningful. A moment that is capable of telling an entire story.

 

Born in 1974, Ray has been associated with the Kolkata art scene for long time, working closely with and following some of the doyens of Bengal art, though never enrolling for academic degrees. A keen sense of learning had given him a different kind of edge as he freely mixed ideas from various fields into art, something that was not very popular then, but today has many followers. In 2004, Ray came up with a new style which immediately attracted the attention of the academic world – pseudorealism. He has since then exhibited in many countries and has been represented in several galleries, fairs and state museums.

Pseudorealism is a popular genre of art today and Ray’s works in this particular style is well known. But what many do not know is that, Ray also makes collages, installations, photographs as well, many of which are highly political and with clear socialist leanings. His series of “Transmigration of Soul” depicting figures from history and their contextualization in the contemporary reality has been very popular. One such work presently exists in the Havana Museum of Fine Arts.

Art Scene India now features artists on a regular basis. If you wish to be profiled on artsceneindia.com, please send in your submissions according to the UPDATED guidelines listed under Submit.

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Call for children to participate in Art1st's Artist Mentor Program

This programme from IFA looks interesting, you may want to check it out,

 

"Every child is an artist.
The challenge is how to remain an artist once we grow up”
Pablo Picasso

Here’s an opportunity for young artists from Bangalore to be part of an immersive programme which will take them through the world of contemporary art with artists who will mentor them and help bring their ideas to life.
India Foundation for the Arts (IFA) presents Art1st Partner a Master: Artist Mentor Program, an initiative that seeks to bridge the gap in arts education in secondary schools.
Starting from July 2014, master artists like Suresh Jayaram, Ravikumar Kashi, Surekha, C F John, Biju Jose, George Mathen and Suresh Kumar G will engage with students in their studios every week. They will work alongside them on projects, construct personal knowledge, share perspectives and experiences. At the end of the programme, an art exhibition will be organised, inviting students to display the finished pieces of art.

Art1st Partner a Master invites students of ages 13-17 to be a part of this workshop.
For more details, contact Shalini at +91 97399 91645.

Musings: Art, Books and Summer

“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald

It has been a while since I posted here and one of the reasons is that the microphone that I use for all my ‘speech to text’ articles got damaged and had to be replaced. The online vendor took a long time to deliver, and it’s only now that everything is configured and functional. I sometimes wish that I could type again with ease, but well!

Also, you might be aware that schools in Bangalore are closed in April and May, which essentially means that a lot of time and effort must go in keeping children entertained and occupied! Not an easy feat by any means!

Anyways, for this particular post, I thought of keeping it light and ‘summery’, while updating you on some of the things that I have been doing lately. For instance, I gave a talk on ‘Essential Tools to Promote and Support Your Art Practice’ to students of a newly established art college (I did post about it on FB). And, judging from the response, I felt it was received well. Then, I attended the inauguration of the art exhibition titled "Amrita Sher-Gil: The Passionate Quest" curated by Yashodhara Dalmia at NGMA, Bangalore. It’s an exhibition worth catching and has a good selection of paintings and also some letters written by the artist.

As you probably know I enjoy reading and we have amassed quite a large collection of books, well, it seems that way given the amount of space we constantly need to create for it! Some of the books that I’ve just finished reading and a few others that are on my side table – ‘I Am Malala’, couple of books from the Chicken Soup series (for writers and entrepreneurs’), and ‘Waswo X. Waswo Writings’ (which Waswo has sent for review). ‘Catch 22’ by Joseph Heller is another book which is lying unfinished and I hope I can complete it soon.

Let’s talk a little more about ‘I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban’- it is a memoir of Malala Yousafzai and is a fascinating autobiographical tale about the protagonist’s crusade on education, especially for girls in a land which is torn with violence and terrorism. The book is aptly described as a ‘remarkable tale of a family uprooted by global terrorism, of the fight for girls' education, of a father who, himself a school owner, championed and encouraged his daughter to write and attend school, and of brave parents who have a fierce love for their daughter in a society that prizes sons’. The book is definitely inspirational but the journalistic tone of the book, (Christina Lamb, a British journalist has co-authored it) and the over emphasis of precision in the narrative, unfortunately makes the story impersonal.

I don’t know about you but some of the Chickens Soup books can be quite overwhelming with their syrupy sweetness, but the Writers' Soul was actually quite interesting with a lot of insights and interesting anecdotes by well-known writers. I quite enjoyed it.

Summer is a great time to read books and spend time with your family, and to enjoy ice creams and iced tea and to go for walks in the evening! Bliss!!!

Let me know if you enjoyed reading this post and I would love to know how you are spending your time and what books you are reading now.

Also Read,
Artfelt Musings
Book Review: Folktales from India by AK Ramanujan  
26 Best Books: The A to Z Must Read Book List 
Book Review: Between the Lines: Identity, Place, and Power

Displaying Art in Home Interiors

Displaying art requires some creative effort and skill to spotlight the art and alter the dynamics of the space, writes art consultant Nalini Malaviya

Imagine having a large painting hung in the corner of a room, which is dark and dingy and one has to scan the entire space to find it, in such a situation is there any point in putting up an artwork? For all practical purposes the painting is invisible and serves no point. The intention of an artwork is to alter the dynamics of the space by introducing form, colour and a focal concept, while adding a new visual dimension. Hence, displaying art in a particular space requires some creative effort and skill to ensure that not only the art is highlighted but the entire space benefits.

  Framing

• Framing a traditional work of art such as a painting or drawing is one of the ways to demarcate the artwork and to highlight it. Black minimal frames, ornate and gilt frames, wide frame borders and mats are just some of the options in various materials which can be used for framing. Depending on the size, medium and colours in the painting the frame must be chosen accordingly. It is important to select a frame that visually complements the artwork, is made of good quality material and does not appear cheap.

• Using colour as a means to highlight the artwork is another trendy option, where either the entire wall or a square/ rectangular frame behind the artwork serves to draw attention to the art and integrate the space in its entirety. This can actually have a vivid effect, especially if colours are chosen appropriately to be in harmony with the painting. 

 

Lighting

If there is insufficient lighting, the nuances in the artwork are lost and tend to recede to the background. Therefore spotlights on the artwork can make a huge difference in highlighting the work. This is true for all kinds of artworks whether they are paintings, sculptures, murals or even installations. Direct lighting which can heat the artwork should be avoided as it can be damaging, especially in the long term.

This article was published in The Times of India-The Address recently. 
Images are sourced from the Internet.

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Artist Profile: Kalabhakesari

This week we profile artist Kalabhakesari, who holds a National Diploma in Fine Arts from Government Raja Ravi Varma College of Fine Arts, Kerala. His art reflects on contemporary issues arising out of urbanization and the pace of transformation in society, which is often in a detrimental direction.

As Kalabhakesari explains, "I am inspired by contemporary society. My paintings are about human emotions, inquiries and the anxieties of everyday life and my concerns about rapidly growing urban spaces, the aggressive invasion of rural spaces and thereby reflections of life." His art conveys the psychological and changing aspects of everyday life, the aspirations, desires and raw human emotions which accompany it. It is a comment on technology and the environment, and above all the struggle to find an identity in the urban cacophony.

Kalabhakesari won the State Award in Painting, Kerala Lalithakala Academy in 2011. He currently lives and works in Bangalore.

Art Scene India now features artists on a regular basis. If you wish to be profiled on artsceneindia.com, please send in your submissions according to the UPDATED guidelines listed under Submit.

Related posts,

Artist Profile: Manisha Vedpathak

Artist Profile: Spoorthy Murali

Artist Profile: Barbara Ash

Artist Profile: Asha Sudhaker Shenoy

Artist Profile: Promod Gaikwad
Artist Profile: Shruti Vij

Artist Profile: Aniqa Fatima

Artist Profile: Mini Arora

Artist Profile: Saurabh Turakhia

Consider sharing this post if you like it.