Impressive artworks

“An artist is somebody who produces things that people don’t need to have.”  — Andy Warhol. 

The group show at Venkatappa Art gallery promoted by the Shenoy Art Foundation stayed true to its tremendous response, fanfare and seriousness. The late Shri GS Shenoy was the poster man for the establishment of the gallery, someone who always fought for young artists. His son Gurudas Shenoy along with his wife Amita have consistently continued their tradition of supporting young artists through the Shenoy Art Foundation. 

Little help goes a long way in nurturing the futures of these young artists, hence the title for the show “Nurturer and the Nurtured” is extremely apt. The artists displaying their oeuvres are Aishwaryan, Mohan Kumar, Naveen Kumar, Srinivasa Reddy, Pradeep Kumar and Sanjeeva Rao. All the artists mentioned above have always wowed audiences in the last few years or so with an exceptional repertoire of works. 

Most of them have been part of prominent art shows in India and Abroad and also have participated in residencies. Aishwaryan has always been someone whose works have impressed many. He perceives that there is no ‘self’ without the ‘other’. Thus he distinctly watches and alludes to works by several artists, incorporating aspects of their symbolism and strategies into his works.   

Mohan Kumar’s  works move between drawing and installation with the difference in media also reflecting a variation in the way he locates the self. While in his drawings he represents man and his vices using impersonal figures, in his performance there is a tendency to internalise these experiences and represent himself in the role of the culprit.  

Naveen Kumar has been at the helm for quite some time now. His uncanny creative artworks have been widely appreciated. Since childhood Naveen Kumar enjoyed listening to the tales spun by his grandparents. These stories and their memories form the subject of his art works. 

Srinivasa Reddy’s works are a take on the struggles of the common man against bureaucracy. Hence he often portrays figures of power to whom the ordinary public, dressed in labourer’s garments, pay obeisance.  

In Pradeep Kumar’s current works, drawing takes on a similar explorative role not through its grammar, which in essence has remained the same in recent times, but through the surface on which it is created.  

Motivated by the vision of craftsman GS Shenoy, the point of the Foundation is to support art activities and young artists through grants. Speaking about the show, Gurudas Shenoy said “We have stayed true to our father’s philosophies and tried to organise a good show. He always laid emphasis on creating catalogs and we have tried to retrace the journey of the awardees.” The show is a take into the future of artists who will sure rule the art world in days to come.

On until 20th Jan at Venkatappa art gallery

—The writer is an art expert and curator.