Splurge
a mood board depicting its artwork through designs, paintings and sculptures. Each piece of art either on the floor or the walls or even the furniture is unique and especially commissioned for the theme of the room and each room is itself unique when seen in isolation. The Oakwood Premier Hotel in Pune recently inaugurated The Pune Art Gallery, conceptualised by singer Anaida in collaboration with Sanjay Sethia, a New Delhi based art consultant. Through monthly exhibitions in the Oakwood Premier Pune, TPAG aims to fuel the imagination and kindle the sensibilities of art enthusiasts in Pune. In Revelations I, the first of an annual exhibition, The Pune Art Gallery showcased 47 artists, different styles and mediums from the art scene today. Artists included icons from the Master Artist Group, such as M F Hussain, S H Raza, Manjit Bawa, V Gaitonde, Ram Kumar and many more. The work of these fine artists were showcased alongside young and flamboyant artists whose works encapsulate the constantly shifting paradigms and fresh vision that fine art engenders. In yet another initiative Watermark, an art fundraiser organised by The O Hotel and Ray Art Foundation, was recently held in
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Pune recently. In a special exhibition cum sale of paintings to raise funds and bring relief to the drought victims in Maharashtra, 42 popular Indian artists like Buwa Shete, Nitin Nangare, Dilip Kadam, Sudip Roy and Ketki Pimpalkhare, each donated a piece of their art to the fundraiser. The artworks showcased were sold at a discounted price so as to encourage Puneites to support this noble cause. Several hotels specially commission artists to create artworks to align with the décor these days, for example the ITC Grand Chola in Chennai has an amalgamation of paintings by very senior artists. Well known Chennai based artist Thota Tharrani’s major works are showcased in public corridors and on the walls of the hotel. Paramjit Singh’s well known landscapes are displayed in various areas of the hotel. Naresh Kapuria, Sheila Makhijani, Manisha Gera Baswani, Shalini Passi, K Damodaran, S G Vasudev, Shuddhasattwa Basu, Probir Gupta are other artists whose artworks can be seen at many levels of the hotel. A magnificent oil on canvas by M F Hussain and three
serigraphs by him are placed in the reception area. The Oberoi in Mumbai has art displayed at various places in the property. Two abstract paintings by New Delhi-based contemporary Indian artist Mrinmoy Barua, which have been specially commissioned for the hotel can be seen displayed in the lobby, one in Fenix, the hotel’s all-day dining, world cuisine restaurant and in each guestroom hang abstracts by the same artist. In the main lobby hangs an abstract work by Ram Kumar, a highly regarded post colonial contemporary Indian artist.
September 2013 / 53