Ashok Bhowmick - Epic on Rock Shelters

EPIC ON ROCK SHELTERS

Ashok Bhowmick

EPIC ON ROCK SHELTERS Epic on Rock Shelters celebrates four decades of the creative journey of Ashok Bhowmick.

Ashok began his artistic journey with his first show in 1974. The art world has seen many changes since then, however Ashok's determination to express his art in a simple and uncomplicated yet distinctive style remained unchanged.

Ashok Bhowmick says, "I have tried to learn contemporariness from the people who lived in the caves of Lascaux, Bhimbetka, Altamira thousands of years ago. I strive to understand the meaning of 'simplicity' from those who braved a most complex and unkind world without any 'language' to express their emotions, yet communicated effortlessly with members of their society through lines, colours, forms and above all with a specific purpose!"

Noted Art Critic, Keshav Malik has rightly commented, "Whether organic or otherwise, the shaped forms of Ashok's compositions are, as if, engrossed in inner or outer reflection. They are like staged characterizations, artistic heightening. As such, they succeed in evoking empathy, that is, making us participate emotively in the lives of the dramatic personae".

Ashok is often called the master of cross etching; but more than his arduous technique that makes him inimitable, his simple and poetic forms are appealing to the eye.

Over the years his paintings have created a special mark, not requiring a formal signature for identity. The distinctiveness in all his works are actually his signature and represent the soul and purpose of the art of Ashok Bhowmick.

During the last four decades, Ashok has been constantly evolving with new subjects, new forms and new narratives, confirming his insatiable desire for change and his apathy towards repetition. In his words, "Mindless repetition has been the most significant aspect of the art of Post Independent India, which was inherited from Jamini Roy in particular. In today's art world success and courage to repeat are symbiotically wedded, and they unfortunately also ensure recognition! " Through the show Epic on Rock Shelters, Cymroza Art Gallery is proud to felicitate Ashok Bhowmick, one of the most seriously committed artists of our time. May his creative journey continue to enthral art lovers and fulfil the purpose of his being!

Bakhtawar Shroff Cymroza Art Gallery

Voyage | 22" x 30" | Acrylic, Pen & Ink on Archival Paper

Festival 1 | 22" x 30" | Acrylic, Pen & Ink on Archival Paper

Festival 2 | 22" x 30" | Acrylic, Pen & Ink on Archival Paper

Festival 4 | 22" x 30" | Acrylic, Pen & Ink on Archival Paper

Festival 5 | 22" x 30" | Acrylic, Pen & Ink on Archival Paper

Untitled 1 | 22" x 30" | Acrylic, Pen & Ink on Archival Paper

Magician 1 | 18" x 24" | Acrylic, Pen & Ink on Archival Paper

Voyage 2 | 19.5" x 25.5" | Acrylic, Pen & Ink on Archival Paper

Festival 6 | 18" x 24" | Acrylic, Pen & Ink on Archival Paper

Festival 7 | 18" x 24" | Acrylic, Pen & Ink on Archival Paper

Untitled 2 | 18" x 24" | Acrylic, Pen & Ink on Archival Paper

Festival 8 | 22" x 30" | Acrylic, Pen & Ink on Archival Paper

Festival 9 | 22" x 30" | Acrylic, Pen & Ink on Archival Paper

Festival 10 | 22" x 30" | Acrylic, Pen & Ink on Archival Paper

Festival 11 | 22" x 30" | Acrylic, Pen & Ink on Archival Paper

Festival 12 | 22" x 30" | Acrylic, Pen & Ink on Archival Paper

Festival 13 | 18" x 24" | Acrylic, Pen & Ink on Archival Paper

Festival 14 | 22" x 30" | Acrylic, Pen & Ink on Archival Paper

Festival 15 | 22" x 30" | Acrylic, Pen & Ink on Archival Paper

Festival 16 | 22" x 30" | Acrylic, Pen & Ink on Archival Paper

Untitled 3 | 22" x 30" | Acrylic, Pen & Ink on Archival Paper

Festival 17 | 22" x 30" | Acrylic, Pen & Ink on Archival Paper

Musician 1 | 18" x 24" | Acrylic, Pen & Ink on Archival Paper

Sisters | 18" x 24" | Acrylic, Pen & Ink on Archival Paper

Untitled 4 | 18" x 24" | Acrylic, Pen & Ink on Archival Paper

Untitled 5 | 18" x 24" | Acrylic, Pen & Ink on Archival Paper

Couple 1 | 18" x 24" | Acrylic, Pen & Ink on Archival Paper

Untitled 6 | 18" x 24" | Acrylic, Pen & Ink on Archival Paper

Untitled 7 | 18" x 24" | Acrylic, Pen & Ink on Archival Paper

Musician 2 | 18" x 24" | Acrylic, Pen & Ink on Archival Paper

Festival 18 | 22" x 30" | Acrylic, Pen & Ink on Archival Paper

Festival 19 | 22" x 30" | Acrylic, Pen & Ink on Archival Paper

Musician 3 | 18" x 24" | Acrylic, Pen & Ink on Archival Paper

Musician 4 | 18" x 24" | Acrylic, Pen & Ink on Archival Paper

Musician 5 | 18" x 24" | Acrylic, Pen & Ink on Archival Paper

Musician 6 | 22" x 30" | Acrylic, Pen & Ink on Archival Paper

Dancers | 22" x 30" | Acrylic, Pen & Ink on Archival Paper

Festival 19 | 19.5" x 25.5" | Acrylic, Pen & Ink on Archival Paper

Festival 3 | 22" x 30" | Acrylic, Pen & Ink on Archival Paper

Couple 2 | 22" x 30" | Acrylic, Pen & Ink on Archival Paper

Ashok Bhowmick (Born on 31st July, 1953, Nagpur) One Man Shows                

‘Ashok – 74’ - one man show at Kanpur, 1974 ‘Sun & the Beggar’ - one man show at Nehru Hall, Azamgarh, 1980 ‘Sun & the Beggar’ - one man show at Academy Of Fine Arts,Calcutta, 1980 ‘Amidst the Darkness’ - one man show at Senate Hall, Allahabad University, Allahabad, 1983 ‘Recent paintings’ - one man show at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, 1991 ‘Ganesha’ - one man show at Artists' Centre, Mumbai, 1993 ‘Undulations’ - one man show at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, 1994 ‘My city, my childhood’ - one man show at Academy Of Fine Arts, Calcutta, 1996 ‘Manushi & other paintings’ - one man show at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, 1997 Works On Paper, - one man show at Admit One Art Gallery, New York, USA, 1999 ‘Recent Works’ - one man show at Katayun Gallery, Calcutta, 2001 Selected Works - one man show at Kumar Gallery, New Delhi, 2004 ‘Warli in Me and other paintings’ - one man show at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, 2004 ‘Streetchildren’ - one man show at Hamail Art Gallery, Lahore, Pakistan, 2005 ‘Retrospective 1997-2007’ - one man show at Kumar Art Gallery, 2007 ‘Recent Works’ - Museum Art Gallery, 2008 (Organized by Kumar Gallery)

Group Shows                

Annual Art Exhibitions of State Lalit Kala Akademi, U.P. in 1973, 1974, 1978 and 1980 All India Exhibition of Paintings, organised by Academy Of Fine Arts, Calcutta, in 1980 &1981 All India Exhibition of Contemporary Arts organised by Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Calcutta 1981 Art of Uttar Pradesh' organised jointly by the Central Lalit Kala Academy and State Lalit Kala Academy under Inter State Cultural Exchange Programme, 1977-78 Silver Jubilee Exhibition of State Lalit Kala Academy U.P. in 1990. This exhibition was organised at Lucknow, Goa, Chennai, and Delhi 4th National Art Fair at Delhi ,1991 Art of Bengal , jointly organised by Art Today Art Gallery and Gallery Katayun at Delhi 2001 Art Access-V exhibition, organised by Birla Academy of Art & Culture at Mumbai, 2001 Autumnal Applauds, organised by Katayun Gallery, Calcutta, 2001 Jewels of Contemporary Indian Art , organised by Concern India Foundation at Mumbai 2001 Spirit of the Century, Kumar Art Gallery, 2004 Four Contemporary Artists from India' at Hamail Art Gallery, Lahore, Pakistan, 2005.

Celebration' - Kumar Art Gallery, 2007, Celebration' - Kumar Art Gallery, 2008 Celebration', - Kumar Art Gallery, 2010

Other Participations              

Delivered a lecture on 'My Time, My Art' to the students and staff of the department of paintings at the National College of Arts, Lahore, Pakistan, 2005.

Delivered a lecture on 'Commercialization and Contemporary Art' at the Department of Paintings at Allahabad University, 2006.

Attended the international seminar on 'Gender perspective in Asian Art' on the occasion of Asian Art Festival in 2006, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Member of Jury in the All India Exhibition, 2007 organized by State Lalit Kala Academy, U.P. Member of Jury in the All India Kalidasa from the paintings submitted for the All India Exhibition, 2007 organized by Kalidasa Academy, Ujjain, M.P. Lecture on “War Paintings” at Indian Institute of Mass Communications New Delhi, 2nd Lucknow Film Festival, and many other cities Ujjain2008-09 Lectures on Art at Jawahar Lal Nehru University, Delhi University ,Satyavati College, Technia College of Arts, Delhi and in other cities like Ujjain, Bareilly, Ara, Gorakhpur. Nainital, Jabalpur, Bhilai, Patna, Jaipur and Bhopal, Lecture on “Theatre and Painting” at Bhartendu Theatre Academy (BNA) , Lucknow Lecture on “Paintings of Rabinrda Nath Tagore” at Technia College of Arts, Delhi and at the CHAUPAAL. Mumbai.

Lecture on “Paintings of Rabinrda Nath Tagore” at Press Club , Indore , Lecture on “Paintings of Chittaprosad” at Press Club , Indore , Lecture on “ART TALK” at Government Degree College ,Kota Lecture on “Paintings of Rabinrda Nath Tagore” at Vikram University , Ujjain.

Lecture on “Paintings of Rabinrda Nath Tagore” at Law Bhawan , Chandigarh.

Publications A collection of short stories ‘ Aais – Pais’ A novel ‘ Monalisa Hans Rahi Thee’ A biography ‘ Badal Sircar – Jeevan Aur Rangmanch’ A collection of essays on contemporary art “Samkaleen Bharatiya Chitrakala : Husain Ke Bahaney” A novel ‘ Shipra Ek Nadi Ka Naam Hai’ A biography ‘ Akaal kee Kala Aur Zainul Abedin ‘ A collection of essays on contemporary art “Chitrakala ka Sansaar” is under publication .

Articles on art and theatre appeared in all major periodicals and magazines.

Contributing regularly with the articles on paintings for children in CHAKMAK (a monthly magazine for children.)  Monographs on Rabindra Nath Tagore ,Chittaprosad , Somnath Hore, and Kamrul Hasan are under publication         

72, Bhulabhai Desai Road, Mumbai : 400 026 Phone : 022 2367 1983 | cymrozaartgallery@gmail.com | www.cymroza.com