Solo Show of M.Sovan Kumar in Delhi

Dear Friends.
Pl do join in opening my solo show 18th sep 6.30pm.

sovan/helen

Slums in Neighbourhood is the subject to highlight on Indian Art Fair Mumbai 2009 said Kantakishore

Kanta Kishore has picked the popular slum with a different perspective that essentially deals with the core of the subject


KANTAKISHORE MOHARANA represented by Ashok Art Gallery

Slums in Neighbourhood

Artists are exploring new media and techniques to convince the viewer in the present day. The range of subjects that the artist deals with today is intriguing and relevant. Indian art seems to have transformed from modesty to market and the journey has been interesting too. The turning points of art here depend heavily on the attitude of the artists and what we have noticed is the increase in the intellectual input with passing time. This has carried us forward from the agreement of the narratives in mythology and epics to negotiating society to human awareness of several factors. Our surrounding and social concerns have always motivated us to a new high. Kanta Kishore is no exception.

Kanta Kishore has picked the popular slum with a different perspective that essentially deals with the core of the subject. The effort by the dwellers to construct the beautiful and magnificent in the city remains in the most neglected part of the earth. Their struggle for existence depend on adversities of life and in the process, they sometimes smile up to their success, which is rare, and rest of the times, lament over their survival. In all these conditions, a pair of sleepers perhaps allows them to retain the honour of human while addressing the rough patches leading to life. The chaos of arrangement also depicts the lifestyle of people inhabit. However high or low they might go individually but collectively they remain intact to the nails that bind them to the ground. The insiders story of constructing a world imagined for the other rightly develop the concept of living.

The composition has deliberately caught our concern for the slum and its dwellers. The symbolic is apparent, expressive and transformed; it suggests the simplest of material in high coordination with installation art. The painting complements to the installation by making it look obvious and illustrative. Kanta Kishore has seemingly taken a defensive position in portraying the subject though several aggressive pointers are available to us. The approach to the subject is worth admiration. The awareness to uplift the downtrodden needs more application both politically and socially. The change is coming at a slow pace and it would appear significantly in future. The makeover through the artistic expression is to the concern is remarkable.
Sculpture Review by Dr. Pradosh Kumar Mishra(Art Historian)
Watch out for this growing talent in Art Expo India: Kantakishore Moharana

Pradosh Swain has attempted global issues in simplest and readable visual term.

Any work of art for that matter has certain ideas to deliver, but this seems to have engaged the viewer with more than one implication. Initially aimed at presenting the environmental issue, that is one of the phenomena, quite clearly depicted by many artists of the present day. It is uniformly received by the politicians, sociologists, scientists and artists as well. ‘The habitation in nature’ an exhibition showing Pradosh Swain’s recent works at Ashok Art Gallery.

Concrete Demon illustrates a typical and unusual scene, amazing and interesting too. The manuscript unfolds to release Lord Rama with his attributes, bow and arrow, to kill the concrete mixture that is commonly seen at the construction sites. It has several layers of implication: dwelling between tradition and modern, oppression and liberty, nature and environmental hazard, mobility and stillness and so on. It presents a feeling of awareness and concern.

Rama, the maryada purusha, as he is commonly known and we believe had a genuine understanding of nature as he lived his significant part of life within nature, interacting with various aspects and adopting several laws of natural world. He is seen liberating the self to take on the direct fight once again with the demonic form (concrete mixture = Ravana) to bring back peace to the mankind unaware of the fact that in this corrupt world, what wins is not the environment but the brokers of nature, while the sufferer is entire world.

In the present day, Rama has become the source of inspiration to many; politically, environmentally, culturally, as people have conveniently adopted him. Now he has been reduced to a manuscript as an abode, cultivating the nature within the parameters of palm leaf. A simple narration that recreates the Rama in Odissi Pata painting form and symbolically covering him with the foliage, to relate nature in him; palm leaf as a major and popular medium in Orissan traditional art is placed intelligently to show the manuscript and a horrifying background depicting the uncertainty of human life. The composition is poised with intellectual input and social awareness.

The world is changing and also the attitude of man. Travel is part of human being’s life. With every passing day more and more information regarding the destinations are reaching us motivating us to explore the new area of substance. Reasons of such moves are many, ranging form family holidays to corporate leisure. Many natural sites are revisited and new sites introduced to us. We move from place to place encroaching the nature’s domain and without even being careful. Often we ignorantly spoil the nature and sometimes become more adventurous in misusing the resources. This has resulted in the natural devastation and we can feel the heat of global warming all through the globe. We have started paying the price for someone else’s fault. Towards Wind seems to present before us the nature that is supposed to nurture us, our lives and motivate our minds, inspire us to face new challenges, has now started throwing new challenges to us pointing its protection and expecting a little compassion and love for itself. We have reached a pitiable condition, where no road leads ahead.

A time would arrive when we would need a fan painted with nature (allegorical) in a hill top (station) to satisfy us from heat. The extent, as the artist has pointed, might go up to reaching near to the fan blades to occupy the most of air the fan delivers. The message is clear and loud, save it (nature) to be a part of it or stay alone to die hard.

The cities are now developing fast and at a disagreeable pace. The requirement of man is getting wider day by day. To achieve these desires one makes compromises with the nature, its habitants and the balance. We have significantly converted the animal’s bay purposefully to suit our ideals. So every other day we hear news about tiger creeping in to village and start shouting about the facing new danger. Rationally we have threatened their habitation in nature. The spread of the cities never care about the essential ‘other’. Fisher in Metro is just about that. In the image showing the kingfisher (namesake) sitting on a basket ball net (replacing the tree branches) and concentrating on a swimming pool (replacing the village pond), which is temporarily set on a spatula (showing its position), while a young woman is diving into the pool. This visual narrates the reality; of how the cities are facing structural conversion everyday, the danger of scarcity facing us today and its horrifying future and similar struggle.

Pradosh Swain has attempted global issues in simplest and readable visual term. What interests me is his concern about nature and its protection in order to avoid the Global Warming. ‘The message is not new’, as he explains, ‘and it is not educating too. I just paint to define my understanding of the subject’. He adds, ‘much has been spoken and delivered visually by the NGOs and similar volunteer organisations to mass through electronic and print media. But artist has his own creative view point that sometimes visualises the imagined future’. Let us not make big promises that are difficult to keep but small acts that are easy to follow in order to upkeep our environment. Is someone practising! Pradosh Swain works and live in Delhi, India.

Dr. P. K. Mishra (Art Historian)
Presently Serving as Associate Professor, BHU

Artists at Work, AlumniBKCAC organized a sketching workshop at Bhubaneswar Orissa

AlumniBKCAC organized a sketching workshop, as its second event in the series of Silver Jubilee celebration of the Bibhuti Kanungo College of Art & Crafts, Bhubaneswar. The workshop was planned in the foothill of Khandagiri in Bhubaneswar on the eve of Odiya Nava Varsha (New Year) celebration in the sculpture studio of Saroj Bhanja, a young and enthusiastic sculptor. This workshop was a gathering of the old students and present young artists to develop harmony and co-ordination amongst each other.

The event began with a congregation by the artists that was formally introduced by the president of the alumniBKCAC Adwaita Gadanayak. Subrat Mullick, the secretary of alumniBKCAC vividly projected the programmes that are scheduled to take place through out the year. Sculptor Anjan Kumar Sahoo, joint secretary AlumniBKCAC, invited constructive suggestions from all members, who were present, to make Silver jubilee celebration an extraordinary and special. AlumniBKCAC Executive member Ashok Nayak, who is director of Delhi based Ashok Art Gallery has updated about construction of organization website which is running as beta test now, the members were informed that it would be back with a new and attractive look with lot more features and interactive options. and it will lunch officially on the month May. Another alumni Durga Patnaik has mentioned about a proper documentation of all alumnus in college register which will provide a right information to all the students and as well as to visitors. Executive member M. Sovan Kumar informed about his Mega Art Exhibition project that is coordinated by him for the silver jubilee project.

The formal discussion was followed by a workshop of drawing and painting, wherein the artists present participated. These events were regularly organized and managed by the local alumni in order to make a meaningful presence in the contemporary art field. The events might just seem usual but they carry the emotion of the former students and their commitment towards the art college that has nurtured them to achieve the present feet. This workshop and interaction turned successful with the presence of Kamalakshya Kanungo, Subhranshu Panda, Meenaketan Patnaik, Shyama Prasad Tali, Lipishree Nayak, Ashok Nayak, Rabinarayan Sahu, Saroj Bhanja, Siba Prasad Patri, Rajiv Pradhan, Debadutta Naik, Niroj Satapathy, Harekrushna Ojha, Lalata Kishore Pradhan, Divya Ranjan Rout, Subhadarshi Swain, Lalit Swain, Gautam Sahoo, Satyajit Das, Manas Moharana, Kanta Kishore Moharana, Biswa Ranjan Kar, Satabhama Majhi, Nilanshu Bala Sasmal, Chanda Kishore, Chandra Sekhar Sethi, Smrutikanta Rout, Somanath Rout, Abakash Martha, Gopal Krushna Rath, Niranjan Mangaraj, Niranjan Ojha and Sukant Moharana.

The event was convened by Veejayant Das, member of the alumni and Pratap Jena, Executive member of alumni. The space was provided courtesy Saroj Bhanja which literally fused the environment with artistic ambience.

MhaBisubhaSankranti and Odia Nua Barsha celebration by AlumniBKCAC

AlumniBKCAC invites you to celebrate Oriya New Year on 14th April 2009 at Saroj Bhanja (Bhanu) Studio

An open disscussion on contemporary art practice about different problems artists are facing now a days and how to overcome.

Address: Kolathia Chowk, Near Andhra Bank Khandagiri, Bhubaneswar. from 3pm to 7pm

Special Attraction
Oriya Dalma n Bella pana

Chitra Murchhana: art and friends workshop at Bibhuti Kanungo College of Art & Crafts

Bibhuti Kanungo College of Art & Crafts, Bhubaneswar has completed its successful 25 years, creating a revolution in art education in Orissa. The alumni of the college have joined together as a group to celebrate the occasion of Silver Jubilee. A series of events like art interaction, symposium, film shows, exhibitions, conference, workshops, public art etc are planned to take place spread over the whole year. The alumni BKCAC, comprises of the artists those have passed out from the college and have contributed significantly to the world of fine art in various capacities. Several art events in the state, in the recent past, have been organised by the alumni independently and it has considerably taken over the past controversies in the art field of Orissa. Now we have come up to the match of the national and international demand in the art field.
On the occasion of Utkal Divas the alumni BKCAC decided to begin its Silver Jubilee event with Chitra Murchhana: a workshop for students, teachers and friends of BK College, where the 100 feet canvas was commonly painted by the artists on site at the college premises. This event was formally inaugurated by Shri Bijay Jena, Commissioner, Ministry of Culture, Government of Orissa in the presence of Dr. Alekh Charan Sahu, Principal, B K College and Shri Adwaita Gadanayak, President and Shri Subrat Mullik, Secretary, alumni BKCAC.

Speaking about the objective of the organisation Subrat Mullik said, ‘the alumni BKCAC aims at inspiring the young and talented students to participate and interact in the global sphere and to introduce them to the latest art education in fine art.’ Principal of B K College, Dr. Alekh spoke about the noble effort by the alumni for the development of students and the college as a whole. ‘The alumni has transformed the college atmosphere and charged it with enthusiasm and creativity’, expressed Alekh on the occasion of inauguration.

Veteran artist and retired teacher Shri Siba Panigrahi was nostalgic and passed through the memory lane to recollect about the barren land where the present is located and how much effort has gone into its making. He mentioned about how the effort of the first Principal Dr. Dinanath Pathy’s constant follow-up made it possible. Further he impressed upon the formation of the college at Cuttack in the name of Bibhuti Kanungo and its transformation into the art college in Bhubaneswar through the political efforts. He also suggested preparing a bronze statue of Bibhuti Kanungo and place in front of the college. Mr. Bijay Jena in his deliberation as chief guest spoke about the contribution of the college and its function in the last few years. He spoke about the state participation and realising the dream of a Modern Art Gallery in Bhubaneswar. The initial move has begun and he requested the college authorities to cooperate in the venture so that one step could be taken toward the achievement. ‘I appreciate the collaboration by the alumni in growth of the Orissan art situation and hope the proposed events would be beneficial to the young and upcoming artists in Orissa, concluded Shri Jena.

Adwaita Gadnayak said that, ‘let us move from here and make Bhubaneswar a global hub for art activities instead of going out to the cosmopolitan cities and search out a niche, which is not only difficult but sometimes disgusting too.’ He was speaking about the resources in Orissa and the art activities. In his presidential address he invited the young artists to collaborate and make the silver jubilee event successful. The support was acknowledged by Dr. Pradosh Mishra, an alumnus, who was participating in the event from Banaras Hindu University. On this occasion, eminent artists like Shri Siba Panigrahi, Shri Pramod Mohanti, Shri Gouranga Bariki, Shri Kashi Jena and Shri Jayant Das, Shri Tarakanta Parida, Ashok Nayak and many others were present. The event was coordinated by Shri Bijay Nayak.
Following the inauguration, all the artist members including Chief Guest Shri Bijay Jena sketched on the 100 feet canvas and made the workshop colourful. Every member participated in the event enthusiastically and contributed to the stretch of the canvas. Alongside the sketching, they interacted and alumni exchanged their memory about the college and the art field in Orissa. The beginning of the event was marked by a chorus of Vande Utkala Janani by young children that impressed the audience. The first event by the alumni BKCAC on the 1st of April, 2009 the independence day of Orissa thus became meaningful and would keep the artists inspiring for long time to comoe.

The Hindu

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Chitra Murchana, Orissa Day celebration by AlumniBKCAC

CHITRA MURCHANA

A sketching workshop and get together

by BKCAC friends

Organized by AlumniBKCAC

Venue: B. K. College of Art & CraftsTapovana, Khandagiri, Bhubaneswar

Date: 1st April 2009 at 9am onwards

WILL BE INNAUGURATED BYSECRETARY CULTURE, GOVT OF ORISSA

Visit us: www. alumnibkcac.org Email:almnibkcac@gmail.com

Ph- +91 9238106608, +91 9238362627