KALA BHAVANA CLASS OF
THE SHAPE OF THINGS 30th July - 31st August
2017
THE SHAPE OF THINGS 30th July - 31st August 2017
arni sarkar I arpita akhanda I d srinivasa rao I ghanashyam latua janhavi khemka I lalhunkima I mantu singh I payel sutradhar rajdeep das I samiksha I suneesh ss I ujjal dey
Ganges Art Gallery 33A, Jatin Das Road, Kolkata 700029. Tel: + 91 33 2465 3212 Email: gangesart@bajoria.in www.gangesart.com
Curator’s Note
A compelling motivation behind working with emerging artists, especially those recently graduated from art school and standing at the cusp of imminent professional careers is that youthful creative fervour and infectious positivity never fails to inspire. More importantly, it is quite exciting to identify artistic practice as a process of growth; something not yet fully formed but loaded with promise. It is no different for the twelve aspiring artists in this show who all belong to the Kala Bhavana, MFA Class of 2017. Although, this here is not a definitive list as many had already left the fold of their alma mater; however, these artists are, to an extent, representative of the pedagogical diversity existing in Kala Bhavana today. Kala Bhavana, the Visual Arts Institute at the Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan, founded by Rabindranath Tagore, has rightfully earned its place in the annals of history. However, if the measure of any institution, especially one that will celebrate its centenary two years hence, is whether its philosophy can adapt to changing times then one cannot but agree that it has indeed been able to posit itself at the vanguard of fine arts education in India. Kala Bhavana has been able to build upon its past pedagogy through a relaxed yet structured approach to art teaching that also taps into the best features of Tagore’s vision such as eclectic learning experiences outside the classroom, inter-departmental porosity, proximity to nature and an exposure to inclusive community-based art praxis. This multi-pronged approach with concomitant interests towards skills based classroom teaching along with exposure to new media/methodologies, and encouraging and implementing a research-based attitude towards contemporary issues while developing strategies of reflexivity inculcate a sense of contemporaneity in students. It would not be wrong to point out that if artistic creation is a thought process, then works of art are possibly the physical manifestations of art teaching and theoretical discourse that students imbibe. The twelve young artists here (some of whom have also graduated from Kala Bhavana before pursuing their post graduation in art) and their works (all selected from their final post-graduate degree display) embody the afore-mentioned multifaceted approach. Taken as a whole, these youngsters impress with the versatility of their practice and seriousness of intent. They also bring a refreshingly innocent bravado to the table that is yet untouched by dictates of commerce. Their courage, one can hope, will mature into promise as they give us a glimpse into the shape of things to come.
Ushmita Sahu Santiniketan, July 2017
Arni Sarkar
Complexion complexities Mixed media on paper 18 x 21 Inches x 4 2016
Arni Sarkar is a young performance artist working with body, image and gender issues that challenge cultural pre-conditioning. She also looks to religious symbolism/iconography to assist her in breaking down mindsets. For the past several years, her research into Indian mythology and feminine iconography has provided her with a platform to compare the revered and the reviled in contemporary society. She says that on one hand, we Indians worship the dark skinned Goddess Kali and on the other, matrimonial sites and advertising world exhort the Indian woman to associate light skin with a successful/happy life. Arni tries to address this hypocrisy through her performative and drawing based works. Arni Sarkar born 1993 has completed both her Under Graduation(2015) and Post Graduation (2017) in Fine Arts (Painting) from Kala Bhavana, Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan. She has participated in several group shows, performance art festivals and workshops such as Colorothon Art Fest” New Delhi 2017/ Performance art in Group show “I AM” A.M.Studio Kolkata 2017/ Dual show “Spring Collection” Hotel Hindustan International 2017/ JLF group Rajasthan,January 2017/ Performance art “ Gendered Land” Asian Art Biennale, Dhaka, Bangladesh 2016/ Young Artists” Kala Kendra Gallery ,Dhaka, Bangladesh / West Bengal Charukala annual art exhibition, Academy of Fine Arts,Kolkata 2016/Cartist Art Residency and workshop Jaipur,Rajasthan 2016/ KIPAF), Kolkata 2016/ “Matheran Green Fest”, Matheran,Maharashtra 2015. Arni has also worked as an art director in pocket film “Caged Bird” by Arijit Kundu,Kolkata2016. She is a recipeient of ‘Best Contemporary ‘ by 27 Art Point Online Art Competition in January 2017. Arni Sarkar lives and works from New Delhi, India.
Arpita Akhanda
A walk over senses Installation Variable 2017
Arpita Akhanda works in a series of performance, installation and video pieces, which use her own body as a site for exploring the fragility and strength of the human condition under the stress of contemporary life and its conflicts. She is presently engaged in an inter-mediatory dialogue along body, process and interactivity by exploring the female body as a multifaceted encounter of memory, as well as the liminal physical encounter between past and present. By engaging with different social situations, issues and translating them into multi sensory interactive experiences, Arpita narrates important political sentiments and a poetically charged oeuvre where the medium becomes the metaphor. By engaging the viewer she tries to evoke unheard or ignored stories and to bring back what is forgotten. Born 1992, Arpita Akhanda has studied painting (B.F.A. 2015 and M.F.A. 2017) from Kala Bhavan, Visva Bharati, Santiniketan. She has participated in several group exhibitions such as Fragments of Cities, international photography exhibition, festival MORPHOS, Venice Architecture Biennale 2014 / Potpourri, ICCR,2014 / Prarambh, Twin Art Gallery, New Delhi 2014/ Where science meets arts, Kolkata 2015/ Kala Kendra Gallery, Bangladesh / White Field Art Collective, Bangalore, 2017/ China Bot : the magician , Nandan Art Gallery Santiniketan 2017. Arpita has also participated in workshops such as - KIPAF 2014 Kolkata/ Ebong Alap , Jadavpur University ,Kolkata / Gendered Land, JNU Delhi 2016/ CARTIST Festival, Jaipur 2016/ Cultural exchange in Yunnan University,China 2016/ “Gendered Land’’, Asian Art Biennale 2016 , Dhaka Bangladesh/ Ordinariness of things, Art and Aesthetics Gallery, New Delhi 2016. Arpita is also a recipient of the Govt. of India National Scholarship 2016, in Painting, YOU scholarship, Telegraph 2016 and MOYTREE award from AIR 2016 among others. Arpita lives and works from Cuttack, Odisha, India.
D Srinivasa Rao
Untitled Drawing on paper 44 x 55 Inches 2015
D Srinivasa Rao belongs to a lineage of coastal fishermen from Vishakhapatnam, and has observed the experiences of the fisher-folk inhabiting the coastline from close proximity since his childhood. His works are based on his interactions with the fishermen, their struggle of day-to-day existence inhabit a psychological no man’s land, where the pull between his heritage and a desire to escape the relentless hardships is quite apparent in their autobiographical bent. Rao has a penchant for a limited colour palette, especially in his pen and pencil drawings, which help capture the raw emotionality of his subject matter with an ease born of familiarity. Born 1986 in the state of Andhra Pradesh, D. Srinivasa Rao completed his B.F.A in Painting in 2011 from Andhra University, Visakhapatnam and M.F.A in Painting in 2015 from Kala Bhavana, Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan. He has had several solo shows at various galleries such as: State art gallery Hyderabad, 2014 / Telugu world artist society, Vijayawada 2014 / NIV Art Centre, International Artist Residency program, New Delhi, India, 2013 / Chitra Santa, Chitra kala Parishad, Bangalore 2011. His group exhibitions include: Birla Academy of Art and Culture (Svikriti) 2016 / Varna Chitrakar 2015, Visakhapatanam / Visakhapatnam Art Fair 2015 & 2014 / Hawa Mahal Visakhapatnam 2013. Rao has also participated in camps and workshops such as: Cartist automobile art festival in Jaipur / Art camp, SCZCC Nagpur/ Lalit Kala Academy Delhi 2015 / Kalakrithi Art Gallery camp Hyderabad / Kochi Muziris student biennale) 2014 among many others. He is also a recipient of scholarships and awards such as Sri Kalakshetra, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh Award 2010 / S.D.Ahuja Foundation, Kolkata 2015 / Arnawaz Vasudev Charities Trust, Bangalore 2016 /Birla Academy of Art and Cuture 2016 / Praffulla Dahanukar art foundation (merit Award in Painting)2017. D Srinivasa Rao lives and works from Hyderabad, India.
Ghana Shyam Latua
Destruction of soil - I Tint wash and pricking with needle 60 x 42 Inches 2017
Ghana Shyam Latua is a young artist with a rural background. The values of respecting nature, which he gained in his upbringing in a remote village in West Bengal are in direct contrast to the uncontrolled predatory urbanisation that he sees everywhere. To him this rampant urbanisation is like a deadly virus, which promises to wipe out what he holds dear. His recent works are a commentary on this rapid transformation of landscape in his surroundings. In his tinted watercolour based landscapes, which mimic the rawness of freshly excavated red earth, Latua repeatedly pricks away at the pristine surface of the paper with a sharp needle, defacing it with hundreds of tiny pockmarks. This repeated, staccato act of violence echoing the blows of urbanisation invests his works with a tactile urgency. Born in 1992 West Bengal, Ghana Shyam Latua studied painting (B.F.A. 2015 and M.F.A. 2017) from Kala Bhavan, Visva Bharati, Santiniketan. He has participated in several group shows such as The Lair, The Egg Art Studio 2017(New Delhi) , Sensuality and intimacy,The Egg Art studio 2016(New Delhi) Whitefield VR Mall 2017(Bengaluru) , Nandan Art Gallery 2015 (Santiniketan), Academy of Fine Art 2014 (Kolkata), Russian centre of science and culture 2013 (Kolkata). He has attented several workshops prominent among which are - Cartist automobile Art Festival 2016(Jaipur), Eastern Zonal Culture Centre 2014, Painting workshop organised by State Bank of India at SSVAD 2013 (Santiniketan). LAtua is a recipent of the 2017 Garhi scholarsip from Lalit Kala Akademy New Delhi and the Kala Bhavana Merit Scholarship for the years 2012 &
Janhavi Khemka
Away from the pain, Life is beautiful Woodcut (edition 2/4) 72 x 48 Inches 2016
Janhavi Khemka’s concept of life, which is also reflected in her work is - “where there is a will, there is a way.” Janhavi overcomes her hearing disability through her creativity, which is her way of communication with the world. She is extremely passionate about art because she feels it is a gift from her mother, whom she calls her first teacher. She lost her mother when she was very young, so in a way being able to create is her way of feeling her mother’s presence in her life. As a printmaker, Janhavi feels that working with woodcut puts her in touch with her inner self, however, she constantly experiments with various genres and mediums such as installations, performance, glass sculptures, sound and light based works, and videos among others. Although, her subject matter remains very autobiographical in nature, her physical challenges do not give her a dark worldview. Instead, an inspiring joie d vivre clearly marks her use of colour, subject and form. She inverts her struggles and makes it her strength. Born in 1993 Uttar Pradesh, Janhavi Khemka studied painting (B.F.A. 2015) From Faculty of Visual Arts, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi and Printmaking ( M.F.A 2017) from Kala Bhavan, VisvaBharati, Santiniketan. She has participated in several group exhibitions such as “ChhapAnkan”, Lalit Kala Academy, Lucknow 2013/ “Diversity”Ahiwasi Art Gallery, Varanasi 2014/ “National Art Gallery”, Shilp Kala Academy, Bangladesh 2015/ “P.R.I.N.T”, Academy of fine art, Kolkata 2016/ “I AM”, Am studio, Kolkata 2017 /“The Bombay Art Society”, Mumbai 2016/ “Young Artist in Santniketan”, Ssvad, Santiniketan 2016/ “Academy of Fine Art”, Kolkata 2016/ “4th Annual Exhibition”, Emami Chisel Art Gallery, Kolkata. She lives and works from Varanasi, India.
Lalhunkima
Rainbow cloud Resin and fibreglass 36 x 18 Inches 2017
Lalhunkima is a young artist from Mizoram, who explores forms that lie within the realm of his own childhood and the memory of innocence. Childhood memories are both quantitatively and qualitatively different from an adults as cognitive schemas change between childhood and adulthood. So, when Lalhunkima focuses on marbles and bubbles which are usually associated with happy carefree memories one wonders whether there is a difference in recollection of the details associated with these objects. In capturing these in three-dimensional form, and in using colour as a metaphor, it appears as if Lalhunkima, has used sinister spells from fairy tales to petrify the innocent. Perhaps the artist equates this act of metaphorical ossification with preservation of innocence in view of the unknown struggles and challenges life will bring. Born in 1987, Mizoram, Lalhunkima studied sculpture ( B.F.A 2015 and MFA 2017 ) from Kala Bhavana, Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan, West Bengal. He has participated in exhibitions in Mizoram at Vanapa Hall in 2009, in Kolkata in 2015 and Eastern Zonal Craft Council Exhibition, Nandan Gallery, Santiniketan, West Bengal in 2016.
Mantu Singh
Exercise Time Oil on canvas 4 feet x 5 feet 2016
Mantu Singh’s own body is her own intimate muse. The physical disability of her lower limbs and pain that she lives with, is the source of her creativity that invest her works with a touching honesty. Mantu tries to create a dialogue based on the drudgery of her daily medically prescribed routines. For her this describes her emotional understanding of memory, space and time. For instance, when she uses the texture of pin punching on paper, it emerges from the pain of the pricking needles of the electromyogram (EMG) tests for nerve damage. At other times her exercise chart or prescription of the medical document for her disability become the backdrop of the painted space over which she creates overlapping layers of dialogue with the self. Born in 1992, Kanchrapara West Bengal, Mantu Singh studied painting (B.F.A. 2011 and M.F.A. 2015) from Kala Bhavan, Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan. In 2015 she undertook a project of beautifying an old building with natural resources like flowers, herbs, fruits under the supervision of artist and teacher Sanchayan Ghosh. Her work was part of Pune Biennale, 2017 and All India Women Artist (Artscape), Chandigarh, 2016. She also participated in the national Workshop “Cartist Automobile Art Festival” Jaipur, 2016. Her works ahve also been shown at SVVAD Art Gallery, Santiniketan, West Bengal in 2016. Her international shows include “The ART Arena” Arterie Fine Arts Gallery, Chicago, 2015 and “The ART Arena” The Nehru Centre, Indian Cultural Centre, London, 2015. Her work was selected and exhibited in Gorky Sadan, Kolkata by Camel Art Foundation, 2014 and “Art Gallery”, Kolkata by All India Camelin Color Contest,2012. Mantu lives and works in Kanchrapara, West Bengal, India.
Payel Sutradhar
Journey Mixed media installation 12 x 18 Inches x 4 boxes 2016
Payel Sutradhar has been working on the concept of female feoticide, which she feels is a major problem in India, therefore she wishes her art to speak out loudly against this crime against womanhood. For the last couple of years she has been researching this concept before developing it in her work. Female feoticide is something unnantural and horrific, however, Payel feels that as shocking and disturbing as this practice may be, one needs to change mindsets and cultural contexts in order to eradicate it. Attitudes are deep rooted in a complex set of social, cultural and economic factors. Her practice is her personal way of spearheading gender equality, and to find ways to connect social activism and artistic practice. Born in 1989 West Bengal, Payel completed her bachelor degree (BFA) in 2015 and master’s degree (MFA) in 2017 from Kala Bhavana, VisvaBharati University. In 2014 she recieved Charpak exchange scholarship from the French embassy scholarship award to study at Ecole Superior Des Beaux-arts Angers, France. Payel has shown her works at Emami Chisel 3rd annual exhibition, CIMA award show 2017, SSVAD annual exhibition in 2016. She has also participated in young artists workshop held at SSVAD by State Bank of India in 2015. Payel is also the recipient of the 2017/18 Charpak Masters Scholarship to pursue her Masters in France. At present Payel lives and works from Krishnanagar, West Bengal. India.
Rajdeep Das
Untitled Batik on goat leather 22 x 29 Inches 2016-17
Rajdeep Das has looked to local concerns to feed his art practice over the past several years during his tenure as a student of Kala Bhavana. He has developed and fostered a relationship with the local leather batik cottage industry in the nearby village of Amarkutir, Santiniketan. He has extensively researched on and documented the tradition, process as well as the plight of the craftsmen involved in making this craft. In his own practice, by exchanging canvas/ paper for leather and paint for batik technique, and in making the leather craftsmen his subject, Rajdeep inverts the paradigm divide between traditional craft and contemporary art in a meaningful way. Born in 1987 Assam, Rajdeep Das did his graduation (2015) as well as post graduation (2017) in Painting from Kala Bhavana,Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan . Rajdeep has several group shows under his belt prominent among these are - Group show in Assam Barak Art and Craft Society Silchar (1998,99,2000) / Academy of Fine Art, Kolkata 2012 / State academy ICCR Govt. of West Bengal / SSVAD Santiniketan in 2013 / Camlin art foundation in Academy of Fine Art, Kolkata in 2014 / Kalpasutra, ICCR Kolkata 2014. He has also participated in the Pune Biennale 2017. Rajdeep lives and works from Silchar, Assam.
Samiksha
Curtain Toilet paper on G.I wire, nylon thread 54 x 66 Inches 2017
Samiksha’s recent works engages with the idea of domestic space as an interface between the ‘outside’ and ‘inside’ with specific reference to gender identity. She tries to explore/ represent this from a collective point of view, where past and present memory along with historical reference points connects the feminine body with material and objects. Samiksha, creates imagined textual reconstructions of furniture, bed, curtain, photo-frame etc. with toilet tissue bandaged around G I wire. The calligraphic text accords her objects with a shape-shifting fluidity that has sinister undertones for all their delicate appearance. One wonders about the futility of fragile tissue paper trying to keep the garrote-sharp metal ligature at bay. Samiksha born 1993 completed her B.F.A and M.F.A (painting) from Kala Bhavana, VisvaBharati University. Notable amongst her show participation are - “Student Biennale, Kochi ”2016 / 80th Annual Exhibition of Academy of Fine Arts Kolkata 2016 / “Kala Kendra” Bangladesh 2016 / Birla Annual exhibition 2017 / Bashudha Art Fest Odisha 2016 / New Earth U.K Ceramic Dome International Workshop 2015 Kala Bhavana / “Kala Sakshi” workshop Delhi 2016 / Site specific workshop Andhra University 2016. In 2016 Samiksha was part of an installation based architectural performance conceived and conducted by Sanchayan Ghosh (The Gendered Land lll) at Dhaka art Summit Bangladesh. She is also the recipient of “Young artist National scholarship”2017 .Samiksha lives and works from Jharkhand, India.
Suneesh SS
Untitled Oil on canvas 72 x 144 Inches 2016-17
Suneesh SS calls his works a visual diary of non-linear structure. Inspired by Santiniketan, he gathers non-photographed images from his mind onto his canvases. Working in a slow painstaking process, He takes months to complete a work, going over details with minute attention to textures. He wishes to address the viewer coming from a busy, cluttered life, and wishes to give them a moment of reconciliation when faced with his works. Suneesh adorns the humble farmer with the halo of divinity, drawing attention to the toil and sweat that feeds the world. Suneesh SS hails from Kerala. He has completed his ADFA from Kala Bhavana Santiniketan and BFA from Collage of Fine Arts Trissur Kerala. His Born in 1990 to a family of artisans and artists Suneesh showed his interest in arts from early childhood. He has bagged several national and state level awards. He has also secured scholarships for painting. His expertise in painting also marks his past experiences of assisting several artists of Kerala .
Ujjal Dey
Memory map Screen print with pigment colour, drawn/painted with natural dyes on cotton cloth 76 x 32 Inches 2015-16
Ujjal Dey is a young artist, experimenting with various possibilities in natural dyes and weaving. His artwork emerges out of the memory he associates with daily life, surroundings and the natural environment around him. In Memory Map Ujjal interacts with the space in and around the campus of Kala Bhavana -the people, objects and surroundings are expressed in the form of a narration connecting different places with each other. The work is the reimagined memory associated with the use of slippers from mismatched pairs and the ensuing experience. The impression of the two slippers slowly fading with regular usage becomes symbolic of student life and the personal experiences and memory associated with it. Ujjal Dey specialised in Design Textile (B.F.A 2015 and M.F.A 2017) from Kala Bhavana, Visva Bharati, Santiniketan. He has participated in several group exhibitions in Kolkata, Odisha, Jharkhand, New Delhi, Bangalore and Santiniketan. He has also participated in various national workshops and camps such as - Indo-Norway collaborative textile workshop 2014 / All India Art Camp in Goa – 2014/ Dance Movement Therapy – 2015 / Tana – Bana 2015, Sambhaavnaa Institute, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh / IN-FIELD STUDIO – 2017. Ujjal is the recipient of National Scholarship, Visual Art 2016, Ministry of Culture, Government of India as well as the National Winner , Camel Art Foundation 2014 - ALL INDIA ART CAMP 2014-GOA. At present Ujjal lives and works from Ranchi, Jharkhand, India.
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