Artistic universe

Saumya Singh

Artworks by students as well as professionals from all over tricity have been shortlisted and displayed at the annual art exhibition organised by the Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi. Inaugurated by Banwarilal Purohit, Governor of Punjab and Administrator UT, Chandigarh, the CLKA declared the awards in the Professional and Student categories, on the opening day of the prestigious event on July 22.

In the Professional category, the awardees included Parvesh Kumar — Sculpture (Wood-Bronze), Rashmita Kanojia — Painting (Mix-Media) and Rahul Dhiman (Relief Print on Paper). In the Student category, the awards were bagged by Sukhwinder Singh (Painting), Aarti (Woodcut-Print), Himanshi (Linocut-Print), Nitin Kumar (Etching-Print) and Shilpa Roy (Sculpture).

Bheem Malhotra, chairman, CLKA, said, “The aim of the exhibition is to encourage talent and promote these works in a professional setting, where there is more interaction with art lovers.”

From paintings and sculptures to prints and photographs to installations, as many as 230 artists in both categories submitted 560 works, out of which 136 were selected. The three-member jury for the exhibition comprised eminent personalities from the field of art, including Viren Talwar (painter), Rajan Shripad Fulari (printmaker) and Bolla Srinivas Reddy (sculptor).

Amardeep Singh Gill, winner of the Special Jury Award, given to specially-abled artists, in the Professional Category, explains the thought behind his painting, Reawaken I and II, made in two parts, “In the first part one can see a person’s individual aura that one feels safe in, while the second depicts a part of a chair that everyone wants to possess; the lines show the rhythm of life, which can be smooth or broken because of obstacles.” He made the painting using acrylic on canvas with gold leaves. Rehnuma Rani won the Special Jury Award for her acrylic painting in the Student category.

Artist Sonam Jain, who is hearing and speech-impaired, won the Merit Award in the Professional Category. About her sculpture titled Peace Through Strength, her father MK Jain shared, “Through this sculpture, made using wood and stainless steel, Sonam wants to say that if all countries come together, there will finally be peace in the world.”

Apart from the two categories, three eminent artists from the city — Jaskanwal, Madan Lal and Ram Partap Verma — were also honoured with the Amrita Sher-Gil Samman.

(On till July 30)