Way beyond ordinary

“They thought I was a Surrealist, but I wasn’t. I never painted dreams. I painted my own reality.” 
— Frida Kahlo

Namma ooru is seeing a spate of art shows back to back, month after month. What has been impressive is that several women from the city have come out in huge numbers with  stunning works of art, and have donned the hat of a curator, and been instrumental in curating some important shows.   

This beautifully curated show by Jayanthi Shegar, one of the few gallerists who has been consistently curating meaningful shows, features some of the finest artists of Karnataka. Beyond the Ordinary is a group show by senior and renowned artists of Karnataka Chandranath Acharya, Jasu Rawal, PS Kumar, Bhaskar Rao, Ramesh Rao, Kuppanna Kandgal and Suri Ramaiah. Often, the truest form of art is discovering something extraordinary in the ordinary. It is about going beyond the exaggerated flamboyance of a moment, and stepping into the banality of everyday beauty, of life that happens between the moments, and of art that pulses through it all. 

Beyond the Ordinary celebrates and spotlights what is often perceived as ordinary, as predictable, as regular, and shifts the angle to give you an experience that is deeply personal and intensely relevant. The show presents multiple narratives and viewpoints that weave themselves into a tapestry of the unfamiliar familiar and, sometimes, familiar unfamiliar. Chandranath Acharya has been probably one of the most underrated artists from the state. 

In his trademark style he depicts The Larger than Life characters drawn from Karnataka’s folklore. Jasu Rawal’s works are often simple depictions of life. His background takes inspiration from the abstract expressionist Mark Rothko. The show is on at Art Houz until 31 July. 

Another artist who has  been scaling up the charts is Shirley Mathew. After recent successful solo shows, a home décor store too had her solo showing, with a peek into her versatile oeuvre. Her repertoire has always been something like a colour palette. Vast and aesthetic. Speaking about it, Shirley says, “After a few suggestions from the ‘brain’ behind the project, I chose works that would enhance and compliment the arrangements and I was very involved in setting them up.” 

Out of the astonishing works, 20 paintings and only one small mural called Urban Story Board has been showcased. It is an attempt to visualise the growth of a city, using teak wood pieces from a historical home in Bengaluru, along with a silver painted metal mesh symbolising modern structures that are a quintessential outline of a metro.  

The show is going to be held at a venue in Indirnagar. Other recently concluded shows were an Open House event by photographer Roshini Kumar and a solo show by Baroda-based artist Retika Nambiar. Women of the city are stepping out and making it big in art. We hope it gets better from here. 

— The writer is an art expert and curator.