JANUS ART GALLERY PRESENTS KALA BHAVANA: THE LEGACY OF INGENUITY Visual expressions of the artists from Kala Bhavana Santiniketan SHRIDHARANI GALLERY Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi 2nd to 10th September, 2019 11am to 8pm daily 842A/1, UPEN BANERJEE ROAD, PARNASREE, BEHALA KOLKATA: 700060, INDIA www.janusartgallery.com | email: [email protected] +91 9830060206, +91 9331840678 Kala Bhavana: The Legacy of Ingenuity Rabindranath Tagore established Kala Bhavana appreciate today has its seed sown in Kala Bhavana to instil a cultural practice that was embedded about a century back, and thus was the vision of in the society: fairly novel and genuine, with its the founder. underpinning in the freedom of expression. Tagore’s idea of art was not limited to Nationalism alone but The current exhibition Kala Bhavana: The Legacy may be seen, in Santiniketan, as a meeting point of Ingenuity, showcase the works by twenty of universal practices-in its holistic manifestation, young artists/students from Kala Bhavana with nurtured with passion. Under the academic an objective to trace the progress, through its leadership of Nandalal Bose, Indian modern started rendering of subjects and styles, and alongside, taking shape in the natural environs of Kala Bhavana, the current practices and pedagogy. These works Santiniketan, where the students were encouraged continue to bring us closure to the similar artistic to respond to the immediate nature through their responses with a contemporary vocabulary; through art, unlike the revivalists, who consciously held back cognizable and abstract forms-redefining feeling of upon the classical subjects and motifs. From the joy, ecstasy, freedom, conflict and contradictions days of Nandalal Bose, Benode Behari Mukherjee of life etc., as much a century past. The increasing and Ramkinkar Baij, Kala Bhavana has produced disintegration of the society provides stimulus to the numerous artists, scholars and teachers in the field minds of the artists, providing them with numerous of art those went on to create their independent concerns and subjects like contemporary incidents, visual language. The environment that was to memory, childhood, gender, space and also traverse nurture the art was flexible and ever pragmatic. And the contemporary experiences and psyche. The this environment incidentally provided a scope to works presented here signify a blend of traditional the artists to express freely, without any restriction and contemporary perspectives, which continue to of the medium or style. The change that we much explore freshness with unsettled energy. Nishant These works by the select twenty artists, participating in Kala Bhavana:The Legacy of Ingenuity, represents their view of contemporary Indian Art and contribution“ to current cultural practices.It is a course of life, one turns outside the institutional boundary that has trained him/her with idea and skill, to face the challenges in the field of creativity. However, it is observed in the past years, the students have shifted increasingly out of their probable career. While this may benefit the students/young artists individually for a short term, it will presumably have an adverse impact on a comprehensive journey for themselves, as much for the art world. At Janus Art Gallery, as part of a major project, we are committed to bringing in young and upcoming creative minds together, for the last 20 years, providing them with wider viewership and equal opportunity. This allows the graduate students/artists from well-known art institutions, to showcase their art and creating a niche for themselves in the contemporary art field. Till recently, the prevailing practice of the Galleries, Auction Houses, Collectors etc. are not showing any sign to go beyond the obvious. And this is not at all an encouraging factor for the art world. One sees no increment in a wider pattern in the context of art; for example, no reasonable start-ups in the art world have been taken up till now, while it can encourage the young minds to think out of the box. Janus is grateful to the artists, who have generously contributed their works for this exhibition. Our acknowledgement is especially due to Prabir Kumar Bera for his technical support and catalogue designing, Suvajit Samanta for his artistic inputs, Damayanti Debnath, who has coordinated the project with impeccable professionalism, without the support of whom, this project might not have been possible. Kallol” Bose “Kala Bhavana: The Legacy of Ingenuity” Visual expressions of the artists from Kala Bhavana, Santiniketan ARTISTS Anirudra Mondal Arindam Sarker Anup Let Asish Kumar Maji Gargi Ghosh Braja Balak Pal Intaz Ansari Enjamul Islam Koustav Nag Santosh Kumar Patel Santanu Banerjee Suvajit Mondal Portia Roy Shweta Naik Pradip Sengupta Sukanya Sumantra Sardar Subir Das Suparna Mondal Tuhin Mondal Anirudra Mondal Born: 01/04/1993 Between Spaces, Mixed Medium, 48 x 60 inches Anirudra Mondal obtained bachelor’s degree in Painting from Kala Bhavana, synthetic materials. The rural life of Santiniketan is embracing the pros and cons Santiniketan. He has participated in several group exhibitions. In 2014 and of rapid urbanisation. The juxtaposition of natural and industrial materials in 2017, he was part of the workshops on calligraphy that were held in Kolkata and his work depicts these drastic changes and its alarming consequences on the Santiniketan respectively. Santiniketan landscape. During his stay in Santiniketan, he noticed the chaotic reality of organic and Arindam Sarker Born: 31/08/1987 I’M Alive Wood, Aluminium and Feather L17X B 7X H 29 inches Arindam Sarkar obtained bachelor’s (2010) and master’s (2012) degree in Fine Arindam’s works stand for the soul that seeks freedom. A soul that is trapped in Arts from Kala Bhavana, Santiniketan. He has two solo shows to his credit with a his own dilemmas. Life has become synonymous to ambition, determination and recent one at the Bangkok Art and Cultural Centre, Thailand. In 2010, he received action. And in fulfilling each of these, humans trap themselves in the shackles of the National Cultural Scholarship from the Government of India. despair and dejection. Asish Kumar Maji Born: 10/11/1981 Dreadful deathlessness Bronze, 25X37X13 inches Asish Kumar Maji, a post graduate in Sculpture from Visva Bharati University, His works explore the relationship between nature and the physical world. Asish Santiniketan, has exhibited his works in many group shows in the major art tries to visualise the aspects of an event which changes with the change in time galleries across the country. In 2006, he was accorded with the Best Exhibit to create a completely different scenario. His works are deeply inspired by human Governor Award in All India Fine Arts Exhibition organised by Academy of Fine nature. Arts, Kolkata. Anup Let Born: 19/03/1992 Introspection, Mixed medium, 12X12 inches each Anup Let has graduated in Painting from Kala Bhavana, Santiketan. He has sexual identity, in his case, and its reaction towards any defiance to the norms. showcased his works in several group exhibitions. His participation in the Being a representative of the LGBTQ community, he portrays his own experience workshops on gouache, tempera, pata-chitra, performance art etc. has provided of being ‘other’ and how, in the society, only the sexual identity prevails over his him with the imperative exposure to varied visual languages. primordial identity as a human. His work talks about society’s stereotypical construct of identity, gender and Gargi Ghosh Born: 08/04/1994 The Devoted Housewife Wash on paper 24X36 inches Gargi Ghosh received her bachelor’s and master’s degree in Fine Arts with The influence of popular culture on a middle-class household interests her. Its specialisation in Painting from Kala Bhavana, Santiniketan. Her paintings have prominent presence in every corner of domestic space is what intrigues to create been part of a number of group exhibitions, held across the country. The popular her current pieces which can be considered as painted installations. She tried to images and visuals which she encounters in her everyday life frequently appear in explore the possibilities of incorporating single or multiple frames in and around her art-works only to depict her response to the immediate surroundings. the image. Braja Balak Pal Born: 09/02/1995 Bird, Terracotta, 20X20.5 inches Braja Pal received Bachelor of Fine Arts with specialisation in sculpture from Kala innermost essence in his own style. The sense of energy/rhythm is apparent in Bhavana, Santiniketan in 2017. In this work, the form of a bird is rendered in a his way of dealing with figures in a semi-abstracted framework. stylised manner. He picks up a motif from his surroundings and represents its Enjamul Islam Born: 02/05/1997 A Thinker’s Mind Bronze & Wood 9X7X7 inches Enjamul is presently pursuing M.F.A. in Sculpture in Kala Bhavana, Santiniketan. toughest challenges the country has been facing in the post-independence He has received the Merit Scholarship from the Visva Bharati University in 2015, era. And consequently, people are distressed with irregular distribution of 2016 and 2018. His work was featured in the 52nd Annual exhibition (2019) of resources. The artist tries to capture the threat of this situation in his sculptural Birla Academy of Art and Culture. representations. Enjamul’s works deal with the issues of over-population in India, one of the Intaz Ansari Born: 16/09/1992 Seller, Tempera on Paper, 42X96 inches Intiaz Ansari completed both B. F. A. (2017) and M. F. A. (2019) from Kala Being born to a father who makes ends meet by working as a labourer has Bhavana, Visva Bharati University, one of the prominent art institutions in India. developed in him a sense of respect for physical labour and made him more He has been exhibiting his works since 2014 in the leading art galleries in Kolkata empathetic to this class of people.