BLOOM AND BREATHE

“Bloom and Breathe” is an art show that celebrates the beauty of florals and living beings. The title reflects the idea that these two elements of nature are interconnected, as they rely on each other for growth and survival. Through this exhibition, the artworks on display capture the essence of this relationship, as well as the individual beauty of each flower and living being. Whether it’s through vivid paintings of blooming flowers or intricate illustrations of animals and insects, the artworks in “Bloom and Breathe” invite viewers to take a moment to appreciate the wonder and diversity of the natural world.

A self-confessed stubborn romantic, Bakula Nayak noses out the magic stifled in the everyday, and elevates the mundane into something bright, dreamy and unique through her art.

Forever charmed by the old world as a little girl, she collected vintage letters, legal papers, and old bills. She could weave a story from that piece of junk about the era gone by, that most of us would hardly look over twice.

Bakula’s passion for collecting vintage paper, fused with her love for imagining the life stories of people who owned them, translates into tangible works of art. She breathes new life into the now forgotten pieces of beauty by illustrating on them. Gorgeously aged vintage papers form the perfect canvas to interpret the realities of Bakula’s world.

Bandana Kumari is a contemporary Indian artist known for her vibrant and thought-provoking works that explore social, political, and cultural issues. The female body in her painting have been decorated with different elements such as flower, grapes, fish, moon, stars, fox, lioness etc, which symbolise the nature of a lady.

In our society, where on one hand, people pray to the power of goddesses, on the other, they consider a lady to be weak and helpless. But these people fail to understand that when the time comes, the lady can show the power and determination of the otherwise worshipped goddess.

And hence, most of my artworks have the face of a lioness which depict a powerful woman.

His most recognizable works are his black and white compositions, against brightly painted backgrounds such as red, green and yellow. On these bright backgrounds, we see absolutely stunning sketches of people; men, women and children, of the village chit-chatting and living their daily lives. Though he doesn’t use much colour, he plays with texture in his paintings. Laxman draws various designs on the women’s sarees, such as flowers and polka dots, along with other patterns, and changes the patterns of stripes and checks among the men’s clothing.

Recently, he switched over from using white, black and shades of grey to using vivid colours to depict flowers, jewellery and traditional clothing.

Most of us growing up have heard about how more than half the species currently occupying earth will go extinct by 2100. The current epoch popularly termed Anthropocene, in many ways articulates the negative human impact on earth’s ecology. It problematizes the issues of land use, human encroachment, excessive dependency on fossil fuels, and so on within the larger context of negative human impact. Artists have been responding to these challenges through various research-based practices, where the said research becomes the artwork in many cases.

Manisha Agrawal’s works in this regard take a different route. Her extensive research takes the form of intricately rendered details of the negative human impact on the fauna around us. The visuals take centre stage in her work. The tiger inside a jar, triggers a sense of urgency with which conservation and preservation strategies need to be adapted as well as adopted. With the portrayal of familiar objects, within indisputable situations, Agrawal’s works take the form of an instrument of ecological awareness.

Mrityunjay Mondal spent his childhood in a little village called Dhaltitha in West Bengal. It was a village is full of natural splendour, the Ichhamoti River flowed right by his home and was surrounded by green fields on every side.

Through all the changes and settings, Mondal has always tried to paint positive subjects. “There is enough strife and worry to keep us busy. But if I can bring even a moment’s relief, release or peace to the viewer, my painting has succeeded. Also, I try and keep my painting’s message simple and clear. To keep them where a viewer might perceive them easily and see the optimism shine through. In the process, sometimes the painting gets suffused by a glow of hope which comes from within the painting, shining through on its own.”

Oinam Dilip grew up in Bishenpur, a small town near Manipur and earned his BFA at Indira Sangeet Viswa Vidyalaya and then graduated from Delhi College of Art. In early years, Oinam experimented with abstract and realist forms of art, which were inspired by the metro cities of South Asia. However, gradually the artist felt the need to freely experiment with the culture and vibrancy of North East India, a place where he belonged. He wanted to portray his homeland on the canvas, they way he sees it. His work is inspired by archetypal images, the nature and surroundings and the tangible cultural objects. The artist found his muse in North East Indians, which inspired him to capture their beauty and simplicity on canvas. His portraits depict the integral understanding of social ethos and conditions of Manipur. His subjects cover most of his canvas forming a gorgeous, multi-layered splash of colours, lines and most importantly human feelings. His paintings have a balance of realism and abstract, with his subjects inclining more towards realism, set in a beautiful vibrant backdrop.

The richness of the jungles along with the richness of John’s colour palettes make a very interesting composition on the canvas. These works speak of the luscious nature that can be traced as an underlying thematic analysis of the human condition. His depiction of vegetation and flowers – such as lotus and lilies – are effective means to look at language that is generally used in visual cultures. The artist also portrays giant cultivation areas where trees are laden with fruits, such as jackfruits and bananas. Given the current looming threat to the environment, John’s works are an engagement with the essence of life and deforestation. His depiction of the various birds in these forests are a deep reading of the divine presence which he further elaborates in his alternative series by exploring the iconic human forms. Interestingly, these artworks vary so much in composition that it is easy to see the commandability his practice carries. All in all, some of his works are detailed in intricacies while some of them are potent in compositions.

The richness of the jungles along with the richness of John’s colour palettes make a very interesting composition on the canvas. These works speak of the luscious nature that can be traced as an underlying thematic analysis of the human condition. His depiction of vegetation and flowers – such as lotus and lilies – are effective means to look at language that is generally used in visual cultures. The artist also portrays giant cultivation areas where trees are laden with fruits, such as jackfruits and bananas. Given the current looming threat to the environment, John’s works are an engagement with the essence of life and deforestation. His depiction of the various birds in these forests are a deep reading of the divine presence which he further elaborates in his alternative series by exploring the iconic human forms. Interestingly, these artworks vary so much in composition that it is easy to see the commandability his practice carries. All in all, some of his works are detailed in intricacies while some of them are potent in compositions.

Known as the watercolour man of India, Samir Mondal, was born in 1952 in Balti, West Bengal. He graduated from the Government Art College, Kolkata in 1975. This was in many ways a critical period for the art of his region. There was turmoil in the air necessarily brought about by bold experimentation and a youthful rebelliousness. Mondal did exactly that and throughout his career since then, and he has never lost sight of them, has reached them and made them his own.

His most amazing contribution to the Indian art of modern times is a continual revival of watercolour. His watercolours have never lost their originality, their innovativeness and their classic elegance, yet they are truly modern paintings. Mondal’s most important contribution to the art of his generation is a sustained revival of that medium. He has been successful with his work by giving his paintings weight and depth, solidity and expressiveness. He has invested watercolours with the status of oils. Mondal has projected its personality such as was never visualised in this medium.

An artist and storyteller, Smruthi Gargi Eswar views the past with a sense of romance and mystery. Mythology and culture are alive and living to her; her perception of culture changing with every version of every story she heard as a child. A space that is usually associated with the past and used to control under the authority of culture, is also a space that one can use to liberate. And that is what Smruthi does with her remarkably refreshing Sister Misfortune series, created using the medium of digital art.

In India, there is a constant burden on women to be “Devi-like”. In the choice between Devi and other, society is inevitably drawn to the idea of the Devi (goddess). Through this series, Smruthi revisits the traditional narrative surrounding Indian goddesses, liberating them from the stiff beings of calendar art and mythological soap operas.

All artistic endeavors of man are symbols through which one communicates the deep and abiding feelings, the emotions, which are beyond ordinary speech. As the writer George Bernard Shaw says – “You use a glass mirror to see your face. You use a work of art to see your soul.” While ordinary people communicate through speech and simple action, an artist communicates through his symbol of forms & colour. Sonia’s painting is an endeavour of events that lie in the subconscious mind, that are etched out on my canvas giving way to forms in a very figurative style creating a mysterious aura sometimes fairy tale like, sometimes too secretive for comprehension. Her paintings are centred around a story of relationships. The tenderness of the human mind, body and soul. The meeting of human and organic forms of nature. This is the story of relationship.”

Suraj Kumar Kashi was born in 1976 in Jamui, Bihar. He loved to paint since he was a child and pursued B.F.A from Art College Patna and then went on to complete a Master’s degree from College of Art, Delhi University. Suraj was a gold medallist and opportunities came knocking. He started working for Ogilvy and Mather as an Art Director. Soon he realized that his passion lay in art and after two years of working, he began his full-time freelancing career as an artist. His experiences of rural, semi-urban and city life had an indelible impact on him. He focused his efforts on developing a signature style that is drawn from his various experiences of living in the village, towns, and cities. Suraj Kumar Kashi paintings are surreal, and each time he brings about a new theme which is a story full of interesting characters which morph into something entirely different. The viewer’s mind and eyes are always moving and capture the show that is his canvas! Suraj works with different mediums and textures, but his current canvasses have been painted in acrylic and oil on canvas.