Soma Das shortlists three must-attend exhibitions across Mumbai that will enthrall every kind of art aficionado
Drummer-II
Flash
Jamaat is showcasing Flash, a collection of paintings and drawings by AV Ilango. The temple dancers and drummers in the villages of Tamil Nadu inspired the Chennai-based artist, who has created acrylic on canvas artworks, using a palette knife. The drawings have been sketched on paper using charcoal and dry pastels.
Drummer II (Triptych); acrylic on canvas
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Being a trained mathematician, Ilango uses the ideal composition for his creation: 2/3 of the space is occupied by the image and 1/3 is left blank, for the image to breathe. The figures are diagonal to indicate dynamism. There is also a frame within a frame effect to give depth to the composition. An element of the image, be it the edge of a dhoti or an out-flung hand, from the inner frame to the outer frame, gives the works a flow or continuity.
Pravina Mecklai, founder, Jamaat, observes, “The fascination for dancers and drummers comes from Ilango’s growing up years in rural Tamil Nadu. During the temple festivals, people would come to see the procession, taking the idols to and from the temple. This would be accompanied by a lot of fanfare, with dancers stepping vibrantly to the music of the drums. The vigour fascinated Ilango.”
Till: May 30, 11 am to 7 pm
At: Jamaat, ground floor, National House, Tulloch Road, Colaba.
Call: 22822145
Being and Becoming
The Turkish Consulate is hosting Devrim Erbil’s solo exhibition, Being and Becoming: The Paintings of Devrim Erbil. The artist has won numerous awards over six decades of painting. He has played a crucial role in the development of modern Turkish painting and held key administrative and academic positions as well.
Haydarpasa
The artist speaks of his journey: “I have stayed true to myself. There are many commonalities between the pictures I drew when I was 15, with colour Indian ink, and my artwork today: rhythmical vibrations, reflections of light, a passion for nature and works on life in rural towns in Anatolia, Turkey. Now, I am trying to write a visual poem of Istanbul in the form of a drawing, and with the use of colour.” Erbil’s works are inspired by his surroundings and feature images of Anatolian towns and Istanbul. “It befits me to draw the houses, roofs, towns from above, as seen from the skies.
Alicja Dobrucka | Nadia from Jerusalem; Thread work on Cotton (Cross Stitch); Ramallah, Palestine 2012
In the town paintings, there are no human figures but they give a sense of human presence,” he explains. The artist admits that at first glance, Mumbai reminded him of Izmir (a city on the western coast of Turkey). “Its climate, the people strolling along the seaside, art that has witnessed history, museums…I am wondering what I will think as I get to know Mumbai better,” he shares.
Till: Today, 11 am to 7 pm at Auditorium Hall, Jehangir Art Gallery, Kala Ghoda.
From: May 8 to 29, 11 am to 9 pm
At: Percept Art Gallery, Lower Parel.
Encounters
Tarq art gallery is hosting Encounters, an exhibition by Polish artist Alicja Dobrucka. It presents a cross-cultural dialogue between the traditional forms of Folk art and craft from different countries around the world. As part of the process, Dobrucka took a traditional Polish paper cutout of roosters on a journey to various countries, including Palestine, Turkey and India, collaborating with local craftsmen to reproduce the design using indigenous techniques.
Dobrucka recounts, “What concerned me was the idea of craft being an international language. The project is an experiment exploring modes of intercultural dialogue in the era of capitalism and globalisation.”
The image of the rooster was chosen, as it was a common design from Poland: “On one of my visits back home, I ended up re-discovering the design. I knew it from my childhood years when I was living in Poland. They are produced in the Lowicz area and sold in ‘Cepelia’ Folk-craft shops as a souvenir from Poland. They also make peacocks and abstract designs. It was a commonly known, yet overlooked design.”
Till: May 28, 11 am to 6 pm
At: Tarq, Dhanraj Mahal, CSM Marg, Apollo Bunder, Colaba.
Call: 66150424
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