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CULTURE |
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ARTSCAPE
A marriage between painting and poetry
Garima Pant  Two distinct genres of painting and music have come together in collaboration to produce a blend of poetry and painting and giving us to cherish ‘Haman Hai Ishq’. Noted painter Haku Shah and musician Shubha Mudgal have delved into our cultural roots of religious pluralism through art and medieval mystic and devotional poetry. Presented by Art Indus, ‘Haman Hai Ishq’ (We Are Love), is a solo exhibition of paintings, on view till December 27, at the Visual Arts Gallery.Over centuries there has been a range of responses and concerns to religious and cultural oppression. A classic example of this is the medieval devotional poetry, which was an important vehicle for the spread of syncretic and monotheistic traditions that gained popularity throughout India. Poets and seminal figures in this era spoke of devotion in a manner transcending barriers such as Hindu-Muslim. These movements have intimately addressed themes like love, humanity, life of the common man on the one hand and spirituality and religiosity on the other. It was for the peasants, for women, the members of low castes – it moved across social, economic and religious boundaries and questioned religious orthodoxy.  ‘Haman Hai Ishq’ is an attempt to revisit these ideas, themes and sentiments, which are still so relevant to the present nowadays.
Two eminent artists from different art streams have come together in a dialogue contemporising cultural traditions through, poetry, painting and music. Haku Shah, a painter, cultural anthropologist and author of international repute, has created works based on poetry by Kabir, Raidas and Sehjobai and other well-known nirgun poets. He has along with his paintings for the first time created digital works on the computer, bringing together different elements and material into the interpretation of the abstract. The noted classical singer and musician, Shubha Mudgal, who has been creating an interesting body of work based on medieval poetry, is composing some of these works. The synergy and confluence would result in an exhibition concert. According to Vijayalakshmi, owner of the Gallery Art Indus, “A significant objective of this project is to create an interactive synthesis between the cultural traditions of the community and change oriented technologies. It recognises the need to preserve tradition as also the need for new ideas, new combinations and original interpretations. It is also an effort to cross boundaries, to bring together two art forms in an effort to represent the non-representational, abstract and mystical urges expresses by poets in the medieval era.”
Reflections in watercolours ‘Images’, a unique show that brought out varied reflections in watercolour by Pradeep Aeri and his perception of the architectural splendours. A body of work where every line defined a character and each tone expressed a feeling. Like the golden-spired Bhimkali temple that sparkles majestically like a jewel in moonlight, becomes blushing pink during dawn and as the day fades away it reflects a fiery tint of the setting sun. It adorns a new look with the advent of every spring. Glows with joy when the sun is in full bloom during summers, looks weary and quiet as the leaves fall and seems peaceful and tranquillised with the winter’s touch.
A graphic designer, 48-year-old Pradeep Aeri worked for various leading advertising agencies from 1979 to 1990. He has won the exalted ‘Paean Award’ in 1994 for the best press campaign. Presently, he heads a design studio - ‘Aeri Creatives’, which looks after a spectrum of clients. Creativity has been an innate trait for Pradeep, who began pursuing his passion for sketching since his schooldays, winning awards at Shankars and inter-college competitions. According to him, camera and a sketchbook used to be his companions during his vacations
 Rajasthani artAn exhibition of paintings titled ‘Heritage’ by Shuchi Krishnan was held at the Lalit Kala Academy in the Capital. Her paintings show a distinct picture of the Rajasthani cult and culture as she holds a fascination for it. She has always been mesmerised by the beautiful and alluring Rajasthani art and architecture, which is very clearly evident in her works. Shuchi also has a passion for the human form and the human figures portrayed in her paintings are extremely true to life and reality. The perfect blend of lights and shades in her works give her paintings a very lively look.
Discovering new shades Samir Mondal, India’s well-known watercolour man, has made a mission to promote the medium of watercolour to the exclusion of all else!
His passion for watercolours knows no bounds and is very much hurt by the fact that the watercolour has become a misunderstood medium, under exploited, and completely neglected. He feels that sheer ignorance about the watercolours had led to misconceptions regarding its durability and costs facts in Gallery of Modern Art in Delhi and in Mumbai, state museums and art galleries and countless private homes. In his present exhibition presented by Art Indus (at Visual Arts Gallery till December 31), a major show in his 50th birth year, he has again brought forth the mystery of his huge watercolours. They are so big that only a master of his class could have controlled the waywardness of reds, blues and purples which move, mix, merge and confront each other leading to the discovery of some new shades.
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