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At the exhibition titled Assorted, the creations while treating the senses defy the popular belief that art is an expensive business
While most may entertain the general thought about art being expensive, there are others who like to break the class barriers along with a few stereotypes. An exhibition titled Assorted, at IFM Art Portfolio, Sector 9, Chandigarh, tenders a rather sweet perspective to the commercial aspect of art, absolving it of a classist dimension that often paints a very pretentious picture of art. With as many as 30 paintings on display along with craftwork, including handmade envelopes, sugar art and dream-catchers, priced less than Rs 15,000, this exhibition wont’ leave a hole in your pocket. So, just in case you are aiming at adding an artistic twist to your house or office, at Assorted you will find paintings starting at Rs 3500.
The venue opens to a series of acrylic on canvas landscapes by Harpreet Kaur, which paint a rather magnificent view of simplicity and precision. So, if you are the sorts who like the idea of having horses on your walls, well you got yourself a rather profitable deal! Also, for those of you who like the idea of conceptual paintings, Prabhnoor Kaur, a student at Government College of Art, splashes her affair with colours in concept-driven paintings, where she paints a view from the window and a red bicycle parked against the striking blue colour of the wall. “This one is inspired by Jodhpur, which is also known as the Blue City,” she shares. For those of you who fancy nature, paintings by Amita, a Ludhiana-based artist, feature bamboo trees painted in psychedelic shades with a little variation in the tones of colours used. Most of her paintings have a rather interesting texture, creating an illusion of fluidity and viscosity at the same time.
Meanwhile, Divya Dikshit, a Kathak dancer and artist offers a much needed respite from colours, brushes and canvases. She uses her artistic calibre to paint her interpretations of Madhubani art in pen and ink, while fusing it with her creative expression that is both intricate and intense. For Rs 3,500, her artworks are a steal! “I paint on traditional subjects like four fishes with their faces towards each other, which one can see in many Madhubani paintings. It’s considered auspicious or even mandala for that matter,” she says. Experimenting with craft and art while fusing the two together, Purnima paints a portrait titled Classical Mannequins and landscapes in acrylic along with painting dancers in water colour.
The exhibition also features paintings by mother-daughter duo, Alka Saxena and Aakriti Saxena. They use gold leaf and acrylic on canvas as a medium to paint African tribes and Buddha. “I grew up in Africa and most of my paintings are based on Feng Shui. For instance, the wealth tree and Love birds for a happy married life,” says Alka. Both Raminder Kaur and Nikita Mehandru use oil on canvas to paint landscapes. While Raminder’s paintings play on light, shadow and depth, Nikita’s are more abstract and psychedelic when it comes to her experimentation with colours.
Well, this exhibition makes for a must-visit simply because we like the idea of art travelling to masses from the classes, don’t you?
(On till September 5)
Catch them!
The exhibition also offers dream-catchers, which is a handmade object based on a willow hoop, on which is woven a loose net or web. The dream-catcher is then decorated with sacred items such as feathers and beads. Dream-catchers originated with the Ojibwe people (of Native American cultures) who have an ancient legend about the origin of the dream-catcher. Storytellers speak of the Spider Woman, known as Asibikaashi; she took care of the children and the people on the land. Eventually, the Ojibwe Nation spread to the corners of North America and it became difficult for Asibikaashi to reach all the children. So the mothers and grandmothers would weave magical webs for the children, using willow hoops and sinew, or cordage made from plants. The dream-catchers would filter out all bad dreams and only allow good thoughts to enter our mind. Once the sun rises, all bad dreams just disappear! Made by Gayatri Franklin, these dream-catchers start at Rs 200.
