Anpu Varkey's Solo Show in The Guild Art USA Inc.

New York: The Guild Art USA Inc. will be presenting Anpu Varkey 's solo exhibition, Dead Souls from May 27, 2008 onwards. Anpu's works encompasses varied subject matters from portraiture to landscapes of both the real world and that which unfolds within our mental and emotional psyche.

While paintings such as Village on Top of the World, expresses a sense of loss in a vast open hard terrain articulated through her meandering brushstrokes, a sense of anonymity being imposed on the self is expressed vividly in Caught in Someone Else's Dream. The strength in her works lie in her ability to convey the complex emotional and psychological states that belie our understanding of the physical.

Interestingly Anpu is able to express the idea of a somber zeitgeist with the use of bright colors that conversely, exude a joyful energetic vibe. Works such as Packed like a can of Sardines and Bringing down the Dead, are profound insights that evoke fury and wrath over the pathetic cultural dilemma we have brought onto ourselves. They serve as contemporary visual manifestations redolent of age old prophecies such as the Kalyug and the Armageddon.

Anpu's portraits also seek a certain deep penetration into the individual's consciousness. It is as if she explores with each brushstroke the complex layers that have defined and continue to mold each of her sitters. As a viewer, engaging with Anpu's works leads us to believe that she is seeking to conceive the idea of liberation. By doing away with personalized life like portraiture that is reminiscent of classical Western art or even some of her contemporaries such as Chuck Close, Anpu is closer to discarding the notion of singularity and embracing universality instead.

The Guild Art Gallery Presents Landscapes from Memory

Mumbai: The Guild Art Gallery is currently hosting Ng. Bidyut Singha 's solo show, Landscapes from Memory . Born in 1974, Shillong, Bidyut Singha studied at St. Anthony's College in Shillong. He obtained a BFA in painting from Sir JJ. School of Arts , Mumbai in 2001. The minimal and almost zen-like quality of Ng. Bidyut Singha's art-works belie his artistic concerns which are from the shifting political scenario around himself, extending from the regional to a national and global level. They hint not only to the unrest in the northeast but also to the condition of the farmers in India.

The Lotus as a motif appears in his meticulously executed paper-cuts. Bidyut's ancestors, the Ngangam were fishermen who originated near the Loktak lake in Manipur which brims with lotuses and islands. The lotus thus becomes a symbol for him of his community, a bridge to his ancient roots. It is a living practice of the Manipuri people to cut white cloth and to use them to make flags, which are then hung during festivals. Borrowing from this tradition, replacing white cloth with white paper he articulates his own memories and personal experiences.

Bidyut is also intrigued by postcards in the way they depict only what is beautiful, what we call, 'scenic beauty'. The mundane reality remains untold, concealed. These paper-cuts act as a window to the red-reality which has a dual meaning, the red symbolic of the vitality and quiet strength of the hill-people and in complete contrast, it is also symbolic of failed socialist ideals.

Coming from a family of Cartographers, (his father worked for the 'Survey of India',) forms the basis for his installation of paper tubes, where we see an elevation of a landscape. He says,"I wanted to create a memory of the hills I've left behind."

"Making these art-works allows me to create a parallel reality, to construct a sensibility other than the one which prevails. I want people to experience some serenity when they walk into this Utopia of Lotuses and abstract landscapes."

Ng.Bidyut Singha's shows include: 2008, a group show by The Bombay Art Gallery at Jehangir Nicholson art Gallery, N.C.P.A. He was one of the first participants of the Peers Project conducted by Khoj in Delhi in 2003. His solo shows include 'Blues' at Birla Academy of Art & Culture, Mumbai in 2007; 'Breathe' at The East India Company Art Gallery by Chatterjee & Lal, Mumbai.

LN Tallur, Ablution After the Spiritual Path, Mixed Media

Sakshi Gallery Presents Interface

Mumbai: Sakshi Gallery presents Interface, a selection of works from our gallery collection, on view from May 13 to June 7, 2008. The show will exhibit a range of works from important artists such as Bhupen Khakhar, Chuck Close, L.N. Tallur, N.S. Harsha, Ravinder Reddy, Shahzia Sikander, and Young Sun Lim. The works have been culled from our stockroom to reflect a breadth of artistic expression, including paintings, sculpture and photographs.

Bhupen Khakhar: The accountant turned artist is well-known for his works that inspired a generation of artists. A social-minded painter, Khakhar's works delved into issues that were close to his heart, especially about gender identity and definitions. His social and personal narratives threw light upon the norms and challenges of his immediate environment, and often cast him in the dual role of actor and commentator. A self-deprecating artist, the Padma Shri winner apparently had so little faith in his craft that he continued to be an accountant well into his 50s. Khakhar died at the age of 69.

Chuck Close: Close is a renowned American painter and photographer who is best known for his photorealist work through large-scale portraits. The Yale graduate has shown in prestigious precincts such as the Whitney Museum and New York Museum of Modern Art. A quadriplegic since 1988, Close now paints with a brush strapped to his hand. A Couple of Ways of Doing Something is a volume of 20 daguerreotype portraits by Close. Over a two-year period, he worked with daguerreotype expert Jerry Spagnoli to produce pieces that are of exemplary detail and complexity. Each photograph is accompanied by a praise poem by Bob Holman, a celebrated New York School poet, reflecting the personality of each subject. This collection is a brilliant example of portraiture and collaboration.

L.N. Tallur: The symbolism of the Indian way of life is never lost on Tallur. A student of Bhupen Khakhar, Tallur's mainstay is rural imagery, which he interprets within the context of contemporary art practice. In the Evolution of the Spiritual Path, Tallur once again investigates the multifarious ways in which religious sub-texts form a crucial part of everyday Indian life, and how these practices have evolved to iconic proportions.

N.S. Harsha: The winner of the Artes Mundi Prize is well-known for his extra large canvases that depict minimalist expressions. A documenter of the ritualistic aspects of everyday Indian life, Harsha's works combine social and political commentary within a single frame. His canvases and paper drawings in this show reflect a five-year trajectory of his art work, and reflects where's he's been as much as where he's going.

Ravinder Reddy: The popularity of his works defies post-modern constraints of space and volume. Women are his favourite subject; always well-rounded and common but distinct at the same time. From the flamboyant coiffures and flowers, to the wide eyes and full face, Reddy's women are an ode to the Indian sculptural tradition, while their gold leafing and exuberant colours are certainly pop art. The work we have on show is one of Reddy's pieces from the early ‘90s and a particularly distinct form.

Shahzia Sikander: A student of Lahore 's miniature traditions, Sikander's work is richly embossed with the notations of the sub-continent. The US-based artist uses miniature techniques but adds several dashes of personal context and experiences in her works. In one striking action she termed as a performance, Sikander wore a veil in public, after moving to the US —something she had never done before. Her etchings in this show are a perfect blend of Eastern aesthetics combined with Western subjective expressionism.

Young Sun Lim: This artist has always been concerned about the social strictures of his native Korean society, and the travails of the human condition. A staunch critic of Korea 's former military regime, Lim used his works to depict the cold, stark, conformity of a society under totalitarian rule. His eerie kinetic installations are often multipart ensembles with a single element that repeats in slight variations, “as if to subject to endless, unfeeling manipulation,” according to Art in America .

Atul Bhalla's Solo Show at Aicon Gallery

London: Aicon Gallery will exhibit Atul Bhalla 's solo exhibition ...Within/Without... on May 22, 2008.

For many living in Delhi , the reality of water in recent years has become that of a bottled and sterilized brand, a far stretch from its sacred place in Indian tradition. Atul Bhalla's work is an attempt to understand the water within this urban environment. His practice engages with many of its physical, emotive, historical, religious and political manifestations, and participates directly in many of the worldwide politics surrounding water today. Working in a variety of media, Bhalla's work returns to light many of the meanings and associations with water that in an industrialized society have become muddied or lost.

In this, his first UK solo exhibition, Atul Bhalla will display six water tanks, each engraved with a different word, such as ‘Space', ‘Grief' or ‘Beauty'. Always unique, Bhalla fills the aquariums with water to the same level, submerging within it a cast (or casts) of a water carrier or conduit. Composed of a mixture of cement and sand from the Yamuna river (bonded by Yamuna water), the submerged casts become, in effect, water that is both buried within, and held by, water. By so representing these usually unseen and water-filled voids, attention turns to their purpose rather than their appearance, giving a face to some of water's lesser-considered religious and sociological roles.

The series Wash/Water/Blood documents the artist slaughtering a goat in order to make a traditional water carrier, or mashk, from its hide. A bhishti (or ‘life giver') is the name of the Islamic caste whom traditionally carried and worshipped the mashk (whose importance in India today is exemplified by Bhalla's failure to find a halal butcher willing to kill the goat on his behalf). Thus, this series not only considers the religious notion of the taking of a life in order to preserve it, but additionally, that of water spillage, transferal and preservation in doing so.

Other works exhibited at Aicon include Bhalla's photographs of the piaus (public drinking water stations) in Old Delhi highlighting the state of filth many of them are in, and the video projection “Sap”, which documents from close the felling of a tree branch. While ostensibly Bhalla's works explore the roles of water within the city's fabric, by doing so, they also reveal an undercurrent of violence or neglect in man's involvement with it. It is at this level that Bhalla's works are at their most powerful, beautiful, and ominous

Bhalla's work was first seen in the UK at the Frieze Art Fair 2007. There, he exhibited with the New Delhi based artist association KHOJ, who were exhibiting at the fair as part of its not for profit programme. In 2006 Bhalla's work was exhibited at the Fotographie Forum Frankfurt as part of the Watching Me Watching India, New Photography from India exhibition (his piece I Was Not Waving but Drowning was chosen for the catalogue's cover). Bhalla studied Fine Arts at the College of Fine Art in New Delhi , and then travelled to the USA to study for his Masters in Fine Art in the Northern Illinois University .

Sensitive Surfaces by Akbar Padamsee on May 22, 2008

Paris : Galerie Hélène Lamarque will presenting a show by Akbar Padamsee titled Sensitive Surfaces from May 22, 2008 onwards.The gallery will show works from the artist's oeuvre in which two very different mediums, drawing and photography, come together as complements in Padamsee's mental universe.

These photographs of nudes, originally studies, anatomical explorations for his paintings, captivated him and drove him to explore this medium. They present us with walls, a sheet of cloth, a body, skin and a studied dramaturgy, where gestures, movements and points of view give the composition tension and interiority. He plays with transparency, shadows and reflection. The contrasts between blinding luminosity and absolute darkness come together in the contours of the body, creating an abstract space – an image all the more striking for the absence of a face.

The forms in Padamsee's drawings are given substance by lines whose points of origin seem to burst out almost haphazardly. The subject – a face, a body – is a pretext submerged by the initial randomness that guided the relationship between lines, points and forms.

As always in his oeuvre, at once austere and savant, theoretical preoccupations take a human form. In his work we discover an artistic and intellectual exploration, as well as a quest that is both transcendental and undeniably physical.

Born in 1928 in Bombay , Padamsee was one of the pioneers who, in the 1940s, began what would be modern Indian art. He is also a thinker and a philosopher who has never stopped reflecting on the relationships between form and color, as he studied, analyzed and confronted Western, Asian and Indian aesthetic theories. After his studies at the Sir J.J. School of Art in Bombay , he left for Paris in 1951 where he would live and work for several years. In 1965, he was invited to New York by the J.D. Rockefeller foundation. He then spent time as an artist-in-residence at Stout State University in Wisconsin . In 1967, in India , Padamsee received the prestigious Nehru Fellowship prize; he also founded VIEW, a workshop for studying and creating cinema and art, and was affiliated with the revolutionary Progressive Artists Group. Through this entire period, his works were exhibited in many museums, including the Centre National des Arts Plastiques in France in 1985. He participated in the Biennials of Venice (1953, 1955), Sao Paulo (1959), and Tokyo (1959).

The exhibition will be on view till June 28, 2008.

Just a bit more, Hand-molded Beeswax, Pigments, and Thread Dyed in Tea, 2006

Ranjani Shettar's works are on display at 55th Carnegie International

Pittsburg : A selection of Ranjani Shettar 's works are on display at the 55th Carnegie International (Life on Mars) at the Carnegie Museum of Art.

Widely known as one of the pre-eminent international surveys of contemporary art in the world, the Carnegie International was founded simultaneously with Carnegie Museum of Art at the behest of industrialist Andrew Carnegie. Unparalleled in longevity and influence, it has consistently been among the most innovative and challenging such exhibitions of contemporary art—the only regularly scheduled global survey seen in North America, and the only one anywhere presented in a museum. The 55th Carnegie International curated by Douglas Fogle explores the important, yet continually perplexing, question of what it means to be human in the world today.

The display which started on May 3, 2008 will last through January 11, 2009.

Ranjani Shettar's works are currently on view at the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA)/ Boston till July 13, 2008.

ICIA Presents Recent Works by Hindol Brahmbhatt

Mumbai : Institute Of Contemporary Indian Art (ICIA) is currently showcasing recent works of Baroda-based artist Hindol Brahmbhatt titled A Moment in Time .

“I treat my work as a documentation of historical reality in contemporary context. While doing so, I look for clues of social changes in various aspects and domains of life. Thus, emerges a universe that the viewers can identify with, albeit from a completely new perspective! However, I leave it to them to interpret my work and let them draw their own conclusions,” states young and talented artist Hindol Brahmbhatt, explaining his artistic philosophy.

Hindol Brahmbhatt belongs to the breed of assertive, inquisitive Indian contemporary artists who not only ask questions but also challenge prevailing notions of reality. No surprise, this dynamic albeit sensitive artist has received critical acclaim in a short span of time. His pointed observations coupled with his imagination impart a contextual dimension to each of his creations. He reveals, “I believe in the truth of opposites. For every argument there is bound to be a counter-argument that can be equally valid.”

Hindol Brahmbhatt's oeuvre is noteworthy for a touch of nostalgia and sense of history it carries. His work not merely pleases the eye but touches the soul as well. He elaborates, “Before I start working, I experiment with the images drawn from present and past references till I deduce the desired effect.”

Hindol Brahmbhatt's unique artistic process revolves around thematic and stylistic unity. Its broad objective is to form a language that calls for continuity and intuition. This infinity of composition reminds us that each work is a part of a larger body of images and ideas. These are schematic images of evolution, growth and creativity and their secret messages do not demand to be opened and solved. Instead they are allowed to exit quietly.

The artist is known for his exquisite blending of carving and painting techniques that strikes a beautiful balance between wood and canvas. The artist transcends the limits of his preferred element of wood to extend it onto the canvas. It may be a diptych or triptych, combining the wood and the canvas. He works over the wooden surface with a blowtorch to char and crackle it and impart it an ashen look. Once the burnt wood attains desired texture, he traces the outline, and carves his low relief on a wooden panel that he paints with oil colors, accentuating and highlighting the relief.

Using the low relief technique, the artist anchors his patterns to the wood background by the visible intersections. He uses shellac, which according to him, is an excellent ground to prime with since it facilitates usage of oil paints directly on the textured surface, and it also retains the clear wood finish.

Collectively, Hindol Brahmbhatt's creations resonate with an outward simplicity of subject matter that subtly hides and progressively heightens inherent complexity of the message and drama that the artist wishes to convey. He chooses to distill his visual vocabulary to a minimal level for the maximum effect.

Hindol Brahmbhatt recreates and relocates the known and the imagined visual references, filling them with alternative meanings.

The exhibition is on view till May 15, 2008.

Mirchandani + Steinruecke at Baumwollspinnerei Factory Complex

N.S. Harsha wins third £40,000 Artes Mundi Prize

The prestigious Artes Mundi Prize has been awarded to Indian artist N.S. Harsha, it was announced this evening at National Museum Cardiff. The £40,000 Prize was awarded to Harsha by Jack Persekian, Chairman of the Judging Panel and Chinese artist Xu Bing, also a judge and the winner of the first Artes Mundi Prize in 2004.

N.S. Harsha is a skilled storyteller, combining details of everyday life in his native India with world events and images we have seen on the news. He has turned the Indian tradition of miniature painting into a form that enables him to mix the specific with the universal. He uses it to draw our attention to the whimsical, the absurd as much as the tragic and to the internationally significant. He could be described as an artist/philosopher and without judgement, enables us to reflect on the world around us.

“The panel of judges acknowledged the work of all the artists and found coming to a decision extremely challenging” said Jack Persekian. “We based our decision on the artists' work over the last 5-8 years and were particularly interested in work that added to our understanding of humanity and the human condition.

In awarding the prize to N.S. Harsha, the panel were impressed by the scope of his work and its range and variety of approach, from painting and installation to community activities. Basing his work upon his locality, cultural traditions and the shifting world of today, Harsha engages and connects with an ever-broadening public. The panel stressed the strength of the exhibition at National Museum Cardiff and admired the outstanding presentations by each of the short listed artists.

The Prize Awarding ceremony, sponsored by St David's 2, was attended by nearly two hundred people from the international arts and business communities. Rhodri Glyn Thomas, Wales ' Minister for Heritage said "I am delighted to congratulate N.S. Harsha on receiving this prestigious prize, it is a great achievement. Artes Mundi is an important initiative that brings together artists from across the world to engage in cultural debate and its theme of humanity allows it to capture the public imagination. The public response to the exhibition here in our National Museum, the artistic activity in communities across Wales and its work with schools and colleges is testament to that and it has become one of the highlights in Wales' cultural calendar.” Sir Robert Finch, Chairman of Liberty International and representing St David's Partnership, also congratulated the winning artist and Artes Mundi. “This exciting Exhibition and Prize adds a powerful vibrancy to Cardiff and as a sponsor, St David's 2 is delighted to be part of this cultural development of the city.”

Awarded every two years, the £40,000 Artes Mundi Prize is the largest international art prize in the UK and one of the largest art prizes in the world. It recognises outstanding emerging artists from around the world who discuss the human condition. This is the third Prize. Xu Bing won the first Artes Mundi Prize in 2004 and Eija-Liisa Ahtila was awarded the second Prize in 2006.

YFLO Felicitations Mithu Sen

New Delhi , April 23, 2008 : The Young Ficci Ladies Organisation (YFLO) awarded 11 women achievers in a star studded ceremony in the capital Wednesday, saluting their exemplary achievement in their respective fields - be it sports, journalism, fashion or business.

The awardees, all in the age group of 25-39 years, were honoured by Renuka Chowdhury, minister of women and child development, and then environmentalist Sunita Narain and Bollywood actor Kiron Kher.

"It's electrifying to be amid so many young women achievers who prove that you don't have to grey to prove your mettle," Chowdhury said while giving away the awards.

Amid the awardees was Delhi-based artist Mithu Sen who was felicitated for her achievement in the field visual arts.

YFLO is the ladies' youth wing of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci) which works on various subjects like education and entrepreneurship programmes, concentrating mainly on women.