Scion presents
OTHER ANECDOTES August 6 - September 3, 2011 Curated By
Niyatee Shinde & Ruchika’s Art Gallery
[Goa, India]
INTRODUCTION / “Other Anecdotes” scripts the fortitude and vigor characteristic of India’s current aesthetic endeavors. The exhibition unravels the way in which Indian artists probe critical and complex issues concerning ecology, gender, sexuality, politics and social engagement. Other Anecdotes subverts the established rhetoric to narrate a visual sensibility that embraces a more democratic and celebratory perspective. The featured artists are: Aadhi Vishal, Ajay Rajgarhia, Debasree Das, Dileep Sharma, Dilip Dhore, Gigi Scaria, Loknath Sinha, Manu Binny George, Murali Cheeroth, Prajjwal Chowdhury, Priti Vadakkath, Rajshree Thakkar, Saju Kunhan, Santosh Morajkar, Viraj Naik, and Veeranganakumari Solanki.
ABOUT THE CURATOR / Niyatee Shinde, an ex-Research Fellow, NMAH, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, USA, ex-Director Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Mumbai, is an internationally recognized photo-historian and curator. For over 25 years she has contributed on art and photography in leading publications. She has conceptualized, curated and organized many art auctions and exhibitions in India, and large group shows in Abu Dhabi - UAE, New York - USA and Seoul Korea. She was invited on several occasions as Nominator for prestigious international photography awards, and has presented numerous talks and illustrated lectures on photography and art. Currently she is an independent curator, consultant-curator with Ruchika’s Art Gallery, Goa and Director Turmeric Earth, Mumbai.
ASSOCIATED GALLERY / Ruchika’s Art Gallery, situated in the heart of Panjim, the capital of Goa, India, is a premier space dedicated to providing a platform for Goan artists, showcasing national currents in contemporary art and initiating a dialogue with i”nternational creative endeavors. The gallery has a sweeping space of nearly 10,000sqft where, besides the contemporary, folk arts and experimentation in art and craft are equally encouraged. It is a haven for young artists whose skills and talent are recognized and encouraged. The accent is on aesthetic exploration and visual dialogue. Ruchika’s Art Gallery promotes art through important exhibitions, retrospectives, publications, residencies and workshops that highlight the history and education of art and craft. Initiated by Jaywant Chowgule in memory of his wife Ruchika an adherent lover of the arts.
Aadhi Vishal /
[Goa] received his BFA from the Goa College of Art. The central themes to most of his works are women who in turn are a universal force with positive energy. The artist also draws inspiration from nature – the city’s peripheral surroundings.
Ajay Rajgarhia /
[New Delhi] is a self-taught photographer who has recently delved into exploring video art as well. Travelling with a restless energy on the streets, Rajgarhia is always looking to capture that “perfect moment.�
Debasree Das /
[Baroda] received her BFA and Post-Graduate Diploma in Fine Arts from M.S. University, Baroda. Her works overlap vivid pictorial references that comment on the changing situations and circumstances in the contemporary world.
Dileep Sharma /
[Mumbai] received his BFA from Rajasthan School of Art, and MFA from the Sir J. J. School of Art. His paintings contain a mix of urban pop & ethnic mythology. Sharma’s rendition of subjects is reminiscent of miniature painting & Kerala’s mural paintings.
Dilip Dhore /
[Mumbai] received his BFA from the Sir J.J. Institute of Applied Art. Dhore has been efficient in his pragmatic orientation, and now transcends that orientation to reach the sphere of contemplation where he transposes the generated photographic imprints to the photorealistic paper works.
Gigi Scaria /
[Bengaluru] did his BFA in painting at the College of Fine Arts, Thiruvananthapuram, and his MFA at the Jamia Millia University. His work focuses on issues of change, unsettlement, immigration, exodus and non-belonging. Scaria attempts to draw the viewer’s attention towards the painful truths of displacement.
Loknath Sinha /
[Baroda] received his Art Degree from M.S. University, Baroda before joining the clay animation industry and then returning to be a dedicated artist. The artist’s sculptures and paintings are based on the culture of his surrounding urban lifestyle.
Manu Binny George /
[Kerala] received his BFA in Painting from the Raja Ravi Varma College of Fine Arts, and his MFA in Sculpture from College of Fine Arts, Trivandrum Kerala. He is inspired by a market-oriented society and with sardonic humor reflects modern day existence wherein he describes his generation as a generation in transit with its constant conflict of ideas and ethics.
Murali Cheeroth /
[Bengaluru] received his BFA and MFA from Santiniketan, West Bengal. Cheeroth is inspired by elements prevalent in contemporary living. His works attempt to mirror the rapid transitions that modern “living characterize, wherein variously coded worlds surface simultaneously.
Prajjwal Chowdhury /
[Baroda] received his Art Degree from M.S. University, Baroda before joining the clay animation industry and then returning to be a dedicated artist. The artist’s sculptures and paintings are based on the culture of his surrounding urban lifestyle.
Priti Vadakkath /
[Bengaluru] received her BA in History from Stella Maris College, Chennai and a Diploma in Accessory Design from NIFT, New Delhi. In her watercolor works, the images are primarily sourced from her family albums; in using them there is a deliberate surrender of fidelity, and an abstraction that lies in bleaching out all characteristics of the original and juxtaposition of images to convey the central idea behind the creation of the image.
Rajshree Thakkar /
[Goa] received her Art Degree at the College of Art, Panjim. Though her earlier paintings revolved around visual motifs like scarecrows, her later works displayed mythical and religious themes with an ethereal touch. Currently her focus is on the female form painted in subdued gray shades against bright backgrounds. She was awarded The Harmony Excellence Award for the Emerging Artist of the Year 2001.
Saju Kunhan /
[Mumbai] received his BFA and MFA from the Sir J.J. School of Arts. Kunhan paints life kaleidoscopically reflected in the headlights of automobiles. While at art college he received the Camlin Award for Young Artists in 2009.
Santosh Morajkar /
[Goa] received his BFA from the Goa College of Arts, and an MFA in printmaking from the University of Hyderabad. In his paintings, the viewer is compelled to confront the subject of ‘erotica’, and even their own sexuality.
Viraj Naik /
[Goa] received his BFA from Goa University and MFA in Printmaking from University of Hyderabad. His works involve enchanting figures, which reflect his fascination with Greek mythology, and at the same time possess a distinct Goan feel – an influence of his strong roots.
Veeranganakumari Solanki / [Mumbai] completed her BA in English Literature, Postgraduate diplomas in Indian Aesthetics, and Art Criticism and Theory, and MA in History. Solanki was a participant in the first Gwangju Biennale International Curators’ Course, South Korea. Her curatorial experience has involved research on emerging Asian, and international artists and art practices, as well as Indian Modern and Contemporary Art.
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