9th India Art Festival was recently conducted at Nehru Centre in Worli, Mumbai from 15th – 18th Feb 2018. The entrance to the venue itself is a great start to the whole event for me. the exhibition was spread on two levels separating the gallery booths and individual artists.
We were greeted by beautiful paintings and a life-size sculpture of Kathakali by artist Prashant Yampure which set a perfect tone for the rest of the day filled with artistic treats for the eyes. The life-size sculpture of Kathakali by Artist Yampure was a great example of artistic mastery of aesthetics & anatomy.
We visited India Art Festival early on 15th Feb so few stalls were still getting set up, none the less we could interact and meet all the artists in some leisure time before the opening ceremony rush.
The ground floor was bursting with galleries showcasing their member’s works from various parts of India majority coming from Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata & Bangalore cities. It was a delight to see some original artworks of well-known legends like M. F Hussain, Raza, Hebbar along with well-established artists from the industry. Galleries from Dubai, Myanmar, & Qatar were also showcasing their countries best talents in the show. Baroda Heritage Art Gallery exhibited some beautiful original artworks of Raja Ravi Varma of Kilimanoor’s works. Limited edition prints of the paintings along with a certificate from the gallery were also available for the art connoisseurs. Few artworks show were just amazing especially these hand-carved wooden showpieces made in early 90s by craftsmen from Jaipur city was a show stopper for us.
There were more than 500 artists’ works on display at this grand India Art Festival, so we have shown few selected artists in our blog who works really stood out for us because of their unique quality or story behind their works. Apart from the artists shown below, there were few artists who came all the way from Tokyo, Tanzania, Dubai & Singapore to showcase their own works.
Shivanand Shagoti was the first artist we met at the entrance of the second-floor exhibition area. He had a very interesting theme of works which showed life circles through the balcony of our homes. There were various paintings and wooden sculpture showing a life of a person living in College Dorm; a life of ageing parents whose children are living away for work and other life journeys all shown through the changing views from the balcony door. All the artworks were so expressive and engrossing that there was hardly any requirement for any title or art notes. Yet Mr Shagoti was very keen on sharing his artist statement and profile with us.
Mrs Amrita Basu has taken photos of her son while swimming and has turned them into work of arts. She has even created a painting of such image in crochet medium, which was really outstanding for us. Mrs Basu being an HR professional has recently turned in to a fulltime professional artist.
We met this beautiful Bengali artist (it annoys me to forget her name) who was visiting Mumbai for the first time was showcasing some beautiful works made from embroidery on fine white textile fabrics. Again we found this style of work as very engrossing and creative.
Nachiket Shah from Solapur showcased the best realistic paintings of wildlife which was very encaptivating for the viewer. His work really stood out when we realised that he has done Engineering degree and worked in his industry & then turning in to his passion fulltime.
The minute we saw the beautiful Gold & Red painting of Goddess Mahalaxmi we felt very lively and blessed at the same time. Shubhangi Gade is the artist behind these beautiful bright works based on the theme of Indian Goddess.
Kiran S Hotkar is a trained artist showcasing some beautiful miniature paintings on small pebbles, marbles and some really small objects. His recent work of Ajanta paintings on small pebbles was really inspiring. Each pebble was framed in a box attached with a magnifying glass to see his masterworks. The experience of viewing his work really stood out for me.
Vineeta Rupani was showcasing tribal arts of India with a twist. She created fusion works by mixing tow different tribal art forms to create unique work of arts. The fusion was done elegantly without disrespecting the individual tribal forms originality. Some of her mixed media works were very cleverly executed and made the viewers take a pause while viewing the works.
Nandini Verma artists from Chattisgarh was showcasing some beautiful paintings based on the tribal life of Chattisgarh people and their lifestyle. She also handpainted carved wooden bell made by tribals as a home decor piece.
These amazingly realistic paintings of Lord Ganesha & Goddess Ambabai of Kolhapur by artist Sachin Juvatkar were a mind-numbing moment for me. Both the artworks looked so real and the detailed work of jewellery and accessories was a highly commendable piece of work.
It was nice to meet second-generation artist Mr S. N Potdar showcasing his and his father N. B Potdar’s classic realistic paintings based on Maharashtrian Culture. Mr N. B Potdar was a well-known calender artist from the 60s era in Mumbai.
As if watching 5000 works of art was not enough for us, we decided to head towards Jehangir Art Gallery to visit the annual show of Bombay Art Society which had some amazing works by artists from across India. Unfortunately we couldn’t take any pictures for the blog as photography was prohibited, but nonetheless, the experience was truly worth it. So finally the day ended with 3 hours train trip back to Pune with heart filled with content , eyes filled with colours & shapes and mind filled with more creative thoughts.
We highly recommend all art lovers , students and professionals to attend India Art Festival next year in Jan 2019 in Mumbai.
Do share your experiences with us in the comments below. If you are an artist who wishes to be part of such exhibition and not sure where to start, then contact us for step-by-step guidance for growing your art career.
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