Art for little hearts

“The principles of true art is not to portray but to evoke.”
— Jerzy Kosinski

Ganapati Hegde is as wonderful a painter as he is a creative mind. Hegde’s work resembles a motion picture from the Oscars. There is a sense of grandeur in the way he paints. With a deft use of delicate brushes juxtaposing it with undertones and several hues, there is a sense of emotion and movement in every work of his. Nature has always been a pure fascination for artists — a setting onto which inner feelings and progressive ideas can be translated through a new aesthetic language. Exploring the shifting light, and investigating the perception of colour, nature has been a starting point for major achievements which have forever changed the face of art. Born in the coastal region of Kumta which is an abode of nature, Hegde’s work flirts through the realms of natural terrain with a strong proximity and adulation for flora and fauna. His work is infused with fantasies comprising of lush green trees, flowers, living creatures and abstract thoughts which waver around his mind. His works are not only expressive, but are images which act like a map of the inner workings and thoughts running though the artist’s subconscious mind.

His works which show nature in action, little buzzing bees, scattered leaves have a certain relationship with mundane human life. Titled second spring, his new series depicts lush green forests in a personally accentuated style. The artist attempts to convey the message of oneness, the symbiosis between all forms of nature, in a holistic manner through his work. The intricate, deep and indispensable connection of different forms of life, their dependence on each other for survival is seamless. With an obvious affinity for his subject, the artist weaves natural elements together into ecstatic collages. His exhibition Second Spring is on at Gallery G.

This other intiative spread healing with its focus and objective. Art has always had a history of being a medium which is used for healing. If one can closely associate one form, the Thangka paintings are used as mediums to heal. With an ambition to create art as a medium to heal, the ambitious Antra Bhargava in association with Artmantram have come up with the NIMHANS Art project. It was Antra’s brainchild after a conversation with Dr Sheshadri, she put forward a suggestion that they use art to create a more welcoming and educational environment for children at the OPD. Art as therapy for mental health issues has been widely accepted as a technique that is very effective. Antra explains, “He warmly welcomed my suggestion but indicated his inability to obtain the requisite funding for the same as they had scarce resources in the hospital, for which priority allocation was towards staff and equipment. I was determined to lead the initiative, called the Rejuvenation Project for the paediatric department, by fundraising and working with groups of volunteers.”

There are two main parts of the space still untouched that require more formal work in terms of design and landscaping. Antra says that it is their ambition to create an aerial display in the indoor atrium and an outdoor covered play area for the children that visit the outpatient department. Antra adds that together they intend to create a legacy through art to heal thousands of children through this process project. Jija Harisingh, the president of Artmantram with her team has been actively involved to ensure this is a success story.

— The show is on till February 28.
— The writer is an art expert and curator.