According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, man’s ultimate need or desire in life is to live to his highest potential; to actualize or to become everything that one is capable of becoming. And one of the most potent ways that man can come close to this elusive self-actualization is through artistic expression. As John Lubbock once said, “art is unquestionably one of the purest and highest elements in human happiness. It trains the mind through the eye, and the eye through the mind. As the sun colours flowers, so does art colour life.” Art elevates us mere mortals beyond the cares of everyday life into a realm of beauty and wonder. Art captures moments and emotions that are frozen fresh on canvas for centuries. Reason why, Frida Kahlo once said, “I paint flowers so they will not die.” Art is not just the creative expression of the artist’s soul, it is also an aphrodisiac for the art lover who gets to live and relive the experiences created by the artist, time and again. And that is exactly what happened at the first edition of the India Art Festival that was held between 5 May and 8 May 2022 at Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, Bengaluru.
India Art Festival is a contemporary art fair that serves a cultural bridge between Indian artists, art galleries, art collectors, connoisseurs and art lovers. This year’s festival featured over 3000 artworks including paintings, sculptures, drawings, installations, photographs and editions as well as video and digital art by 25 art galleries and 400 artists in 80 booths. And what an eclectic collection of artworks, it was! Be it impressionist landscapes on canvas or abstract art installations or exquisite ceramic engraving on wood, or charcoal on paper, you name it and you saw it all, in their unbridled splendour. For one, Ranjit Sarkar’s Ghoomer series, acrylic on canvas was a visual treat with bright celebratory colours and revelled in the joie de vivre of traditional Rajasthani dancers. Hyderabad based artist, Vimala Devi Maroju’s pseudo-modernist representation of women in pensive and introspective moods was offbeat yet inviting.
Upasana Goenka Kedia’s Nature simply took one’s breath away with its abstract array of vivid colours and patterns that seamlessly blended together. Krishnaprakash V Martand’s intricate line art mixed with traditional surpur art was mesmerizing with its detailed tapestry of ornamental Gods and Goddesses. Manoj Aher’s Radha has the charm of mythology intricately woven into the contemporary. Deepali Kayal’s colourful depiction of Lord Krishna’s life and times is yet another noteworthy mention. Lord Ganesha’s versatile form seemed to be favourite with several artists creating myriad inspired versions of the elephant God. Zentangle artist, Suparna Sen’s Intuition was stunning in its artistic vocabulary and conveyed a wide range of emotions through its well-defined layers. The exhibition also featured ceramic art, metal art and even cross-stitch art. The creativity, the details and the free flow of imagination in each of these artworks was simply spellbinding.
Of course, a festival like this would require one to visit time and again and relish the intoxicating array of creativity on display, lest art fatigue sets in. With the festival held in the city for only four days, this was not feasible for most art lovers and this was one big drawback for this one-of-its-kind event. However, the India Art Festival did manage to democratize the process of art viewing by bringing it from the confines of unapproachable art spaces to the reach of the common man on the street. The festival was an amazing opportunity to delight in some truly alluring art and delve deeper into the richness and fullness of life.
Published in Together, June 2022
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