by Mrinal Ghosh

'Tracing the Invisible Points of Origin: A Meditative Search'
Recent Works by Shekhar Roy at Aakriti Gallery

16 February to 29 February, 2012

Despite the title of the show the points of origin of the present series of paintings in watercolour by Shekhar Roy is not very much unknown. Those acquainted with evolution of his painting since the beginning know, he has a rebellious attitude against the decay of human conditions. In the present series he has dissected the life and brought out its pathetic inner turmoil. His use of watercolour is very matured and different from the general trend. He has extracted all the sobriety and lyricism of this soft and transparent medium and introduced in it a kind of virile strength and structural elements. The paintings through expressionist analytical dissections of figures and forms and cubistic structural boldness have brought out the extremely tragic human conditions. There is, however, some respite, some suggestions of the positive but that too comes out of engulfed darkness. In addition to paintings there was one installation concerning the dilapidated condition of urban existence

'Nightshade': Works by Natasha de Betak
Experimenter

7 February to 31 March, 2012

Curated by Aveek Sen in this show through photographs and video Natasha experiments with the apparently invisible elements of existence. She photographs sleep, dreams, memory, madness, desire and death, all the invisible dark elements of life and thus reverses the attitude of photography, whose basic intention was to bring out the truth of visible reality. Introducing poetic and meditative inwardness, rooted in the depth of the irrational, she very successfully unveils the mystery of time. Born in Madrid to an Argentinian father and a French-Polish Jewish woman, Natasha de Betak has grown up in Paris. She has attended film school in Budapest and New York. She has also lived in Russia for her immersion in Dostoevsky. Her sensibility contains the confluence of many histories of European modernity. That is revealed in the present series of her works.

'Enduring Legacy': Paintings based on the Ideas of Tagore
Presented by Akar Prakar Gallery at ICCR

18 February to 5 March, 2012

Literature of Rabindranath has been illustrated by various artists through out the world since late nineteenth century. The first instance of such illustration was published in the journal 'Balak' in the month of Baishakh, 1292 Bengali era (1885). It was done by Harish Chandra Haldar. Since then the legacy of illustration is going on unabated. The nature of form and content of such pictures has been changing with time. The exhibition presented by Akar Prakar is not in that sense illustration of Tagore's work. The 13 artists from Bengal have created paintings, sculptures, installations according to their own inclination based on the ideas of Tagore. His thoughts and philosophy have been their points of departure. The exhibition actually brings together a diverse range of artists to gauge the impact of Tagore's cultural legacy in India and the rest of the world. The participating artists are Aditya Basak, Chandrima Bhattacharya, Jayashree Chakraborty, Manjari Chakravarty, Chhatrapati Dutta, Adip Dutta, Debraj Goswami, Rima Kundu, Debanjan Roy, Samir Roy, Shrabani Roy, Paula Sengupta and SK Sahjahan.

'Mythologies, the Meaning of Science': Recent Works by Anirban Ghosh
Studio 21

24 February to 16 March, 2012

In the post-modern globalised world myth takes a different meaning and connotation. In all societies dominated by capitalism and consumerism advertisement is the key of every kind of business and public relations. Advertisement generates its own sign system and symbols that dominates and thrashes away all the conventional meanings contained in mythology. Anirban Ghosh through photography, digital prints, video and installation explores the world of advertisement and public relation, thereby posits the tragic void contained in contemporary living. The alternative form of art that he has practiced shows the depth of his feelings and dexterity of execution.

'The Idea of Space and Rabindranath Tagore': Research & Concept by Samit Das
Victoria Memorial

27 February to 25 March, 2012
The entire creation of Rabindranath is based on two components: sense of rhythm and idea of space. Incorporating rhythm into space is the essential feature of his painting. But not only spatial art, his literature, especially music, also in an abstract way projects his concept of space. Apart from these kinds of creativity, idea of space was best expressed in his concept of architecture. Architecture was integrated with his life. Samit Das has thoroughly researched on these aspects and presented through photographs and written statements the evolution of the concept of space of Tagore, which enlightens and helps the spectator to enter deeper into this aspect of Tagore's creativity

 
'Time Past Is Present': paintings by Sudip Roy
Aakriti Gallery

2 March to 20 March, 2012

Sudip Roy works meticulously and with dexterity in naturalist style both in watercolour and oil. The present exhibition showcases his landscapes in watercolour, portraits in charcoal, nudes and semi nudes in oil. In every genre though contrast of light and darkness he has tried to bring out an atmosphere of mysticism. From naturalist and fractured execution he has shifted to abstract and semi-abstract and created a new sensibility through amalgamation of his contemplative past with the sonorous present. Through this diversity of execution he has proved not only his skill but also his commitment towards life and reality.

'Tramp': Photographs by Naveen Kishore
Seagull Arts & Media Resource Centre

3 March to 18 March, 2012

Naveen Kishore is well known as a connoisseur of art, a lighting designer and publisher. That he is also a very sensitive photographer was known to only a few very close to him. The present exhibition exposes the artist in him, who has an exquisite aesthetic sense about space and composition. Presented by the Norwegian Embassy, New Delhi and Seagull Foundation for the Arts the exhibition showcases black and white photographs of Naveen taken during his sojourn through out different countries of the world. Yet Kolkata is a special subject for him where he has bestowed all his sincere love. What attracts the spectator is the selection of the decisive moment of taking the shot, where he has shown exceptional brilliance. The gravity of black and white space division and insight to bring out the rhythm and harmony of the subject elevates the photographs to the level of high quality visual art.

'Green Below Blue Above': 6th Solo Exhibition of Sumana Ghosh
Academy of Fine Arts

7 March to 13 March, 2012

Naivity is the essential feature of both form and content of the paintings of Sumana. She paints out of her simplicity and innocence of mind, where reality and fantasy merge together with each other to posit the dream for the unfathomable, dream for the sky. 20 works have been showcased in the exhibition, among which one is drawing, rest painting. The comparatively large format paintings have been done in tempera and a few on paper. The small works are acrylic on canvas. She has built up her own technique of applying earth colour positing lyrical and sonorous chromatic effect. Her persona as a woman and mother is very sensitively expressed in her works.