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Title: Visual Cultures of Kitsch: Art, Aesthetics and Design

Autorickshaws, cutting chai glasses, film posters and local comics come together in a riot of colour, imagery and shared culture, in an upcoming discussion hosted by Avid learning, in partnership with the Piramal Museum of Art and Curator, Farah Siddiqui. Anchored around the unforgettable legacy of Artist Raja Varma and his contributions to popular Indian culture, this talk will unwrap the multiple layers of Indian Kitsch with Artist, Atul Dodiya, Designer, Krsna Mehta and Art Patron, in conversation with Entrepreneur and Art Connoisseur, Sangita Kathiwada. Surround yourself with enthralling images of Indian iconography and understand how ’s best creative minds view Kitsch within a broader context of contemporary Indian art, aesthetics and design

Where: Piramal Museum of Art, Piramal Tower, Ground Floor, Peninsula Corporate Park, G.K.Marg, Lower Parel,

When: Thursday, 28th April 2016

Time: 6 PM to 8 PM

Capacity :

T&C: Same as previous Avid events

RSVP Email / Call: [email protected] / +919769937710 ; prior registration required

Press Email / Call: Dhwani Vyas on [email protected] / +91 9930134152

Link to the PPT Open file : https://www.wetransfer.com/downloads/dc476bd77bfa4e93627336b2db55cc9220160420082734/0b9 85710fae6c1783a281c32a19925e520160420082734/36c6b8

Panelist Bios

Anil Relia :

Life is been really abundant for a man who came to with nothing to someone who founded the Archer Art Gallery in 1978. Anil Relia is a man who wears a lot of hats but the common thing that keeps the hats connected is ART. Born in – , he graduated from the illustrious M.S. University of Baroda in Fine Arts Major [Applied Arts, Serigraphy and Photography] in 1978. Anil Relia began his career with being a graphics artist in an advertising firm in the city of Ahmedabad. He worked on the serigraph series of M. F. Husain and along with the use of technology, he could also come out with the largest serigraph ever done in India – Husain’s Mother Teresa, which was launched at Paris in the year 2004. He also works as Honorary Director at the art gallery known as , which was designed by artist Husain and architect B. V. Doshi. and serves as Trustee of the Kala Ravi Trust, founded by Kalaguru .

Atul Dodiya lives and works in Mumbai, India.

He is widely considered as one of India’s most significant artists, and was trained in Mumbai, at Sir JJ School of Art, 1982 and École des Beaux-Arts, Paris, 1991-1992. Trained in both Mumbai and Paris, Atul became known in the Nineties for hyperrealist paintings depicting middle-class Indian life and for his watercolour series on . His paintings are populated by diverse traditions, the written words, images from the media and of saints, legends, national history, political events, traumata and autobiographical narratives.His allegorical paintings on canvas or metal roller shutters and watercolours may be aggressive or poetic.

He has had more than 30 solo shows in India and abroad, which include, several private and public collections showcased at the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi, Mumbai, Tate Modern, London and Japan Foundation Asia Centre, Tokyo.

Sangita Sinh Kathiwada qualified as a graphic designer and further studied jewellery designing, interior decoration, photography, and silkscreen printing. A combination of inherent talent and design education led to the creation of Mélange, the premier fashion house of India which opened its door to Mumbai city in 1992. Mélange reflects Sangita's impeccable sense of style and aesthetic. With a commitment to incorporating the latest design with ancient Indian handicrafts, she went on to establish The Morarka Cultural Centre at the prestigious National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA).

Sangita Sinh Kathiwada drew the attention of the city to its magnificent heritage architecture by painstakingly arranging path breaking Fashion presentations at the Royal Opera House, Faramji Kavasji Hall and the Mumbai University Convocation Hall.

She also committed herself to the cause of redefining the role and reach of our national fabric Khadi and other Indian textiles. To innovate new threads from our tradition, while building professional platforms from which the artisan, artist and entrepreneur can create together is of great importance to her.

Sangita worked with Ketan Mehta as a creative director for his film Rang Rasiya based on the life of Raja Ravi Verma.

Krsnaa Mehta known world over for his quintessential taste in textiles and art is focused on nurturing relationships – spatial, material and personal – through his distinctive home décor designs, resulting in spaces and combinations that are bold, balanced and dynamic. Growing up in the hustle and bustle of the city life and in the midst of all the symbols, vibrancy, heritage and pride in Bombay, he started from a young age working with textiles in his family business ‘Zeba’, absorbing the inspirations that would later inform his striking designs.

Krsnaa Mehta has been associated with various brands like Godrej, Good Earth, The Elephant Company, Bombay Store, Celio and several other renowned lifestyle brands in India and all over. He has also featured in Vogue, Elle Décor, Inside Out, Architectural Digest and several other international lifestyle magazines and has an impeccable name for his designs in the industry. For Krsnaa Mehta, his design philosophy translates in “Taking Indian Contemporary to the World”

Ketan Mehta is a critically acclaimed Indian film director, who has directed several documentaries and television serials since 1975.During his career he has made many important feature films . His movies have been selected for various international film festivals such as Nantes (France) and the Moscow Film Festival, where they have won numerous awards over the years.Ketan is credited to have India'slargest film animation studio .

Rang Rasiya the Indian drama film based on the life of the 19th-century Indian painter is among his most recent film

About AVID

Avid Learning, is a public programming platform and cultural philanthropy arm of the Essar Group was started in 2009, and has since conducted more than 550 programs and connected with more than 55,000individuals, featuring the best of Indian and International Writers, Artists, Thinkers and Cultural Experts, in the fields of Arts, Literature, Culture and Heritage, Design and Innovation. Driven by the belief that Learning Never Stops, AVID’s multiple formats like Workshops, Panel Discussions, Gallery Walkthroughs, Master Classes and Festival Platforms are recognized as dynamic and interactive learning experiences that stimulate intellectual and creative growth among its diverse group of loyal audiences that comprise art industry practitioners, patrons and art enthusiasts alike.

To keep updated and attend our events, like us on www.facebook.com/Avidlearning, follow usonwww.twitter.com/Avidlearning and Instagram:@avidlearning or log onto www.avidlearning.in

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