www.aakritiartgallery.com
Different hues of Aakriti

Ashoke Mullick's solo exhibition, which was inaugurated on February 17, continued through March at Aakriti Art Gallery. Inaugurated amidst much fanfare, in the presence of the crème de la crème of the artist fraternity and the city's hoi polloi, including Dr. Silvio Pentrella, Hon'ble Acting Consul General of Italy in Kolkata, artists Jogen Chowdhury, Ganesh Haloi, and Lalu Prasad Shaw among others, 'The Lightness of Being Anxious' went on to complete a two-month long run, by popular demand and mutual consent.

In April, Aakriti has a double whammy to offer, with an exhibition of figurative painting and a separate sculpture exhibition which will be on view from 10th April.
Aakriti Art Gallery is going to host its annual show Gennext which is a platform for young contemporary artists. If you are an aspiring artist below forty years of age & wish to participate in the next show, you may send a C.D containing your recent works along with your detailed resume for Gennext V within 30 June to the Gallery.

Meanwhile, 'Art News & Views' completes three months of existence, with a slow but steady increase in subscriber bases and an increasing number of appreciating readers in the fraternity.
 

Tisha Mandal was born in 1982. She passed with a MFA in sculpture in Fine Arts from Vishva Bharati University, Shantiniketan in 2008. Trisha's work is inspired by a concern with the everyday, namely those mundane, unnoticed moments that constitute day-to-day life. The motivation comes from her own experience at Kala Bhavana, Santiniketan. Trisha has participated in various exhibitions, including the Annual Exhibition Kala Bhavana (2004-05), Departmental Exhibition (2005-06), Department of Sculpture at Nandan Art Gallery, Santiniketan, Exhibition at ALCHA, Santiniketan, 2007, Gen Next III at Aakriti Art gallery, Kolkata, 2008 and Art Against Terrorism at Aakriti Art gallery, Kolkata, 2009. She has also held a Solo Show at OXFORD Art Gallery, Kolkata, in 2008. Trisha has also performed under various theatre groups in New Delhi and Shantiniketan and has also worked at Emami Chisel art Auction House in Kolkata.
 

Asit Mondal graduated from Indian College of Atrs & Draftsmanship, Kolkata in 1970. Since 1970, he has participated extensively in exhibitions organised by Lalit Kala Akademi of Delhi, West Bengal and Orissa. Between 1970-74 he took part in group shows like the WBYAF, AUC, and others. Asit also had various solo exhibitions in 1973 & 1977 at the Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata. These were followed by shows at Alliance Francaise, Kolkata in 1980 and in 1988 at the Genesis Art Gallery, Kolkata. Asit has received a number of prestigious awards, including the Academy Awards of 1974 - 75 and the West Bengal State Academy Award of 1979-81. In 1989, he exhibited at the Sri Dharani Art Gallery and in1990 at Art Gallery of Habitat Foundation, New Delhi.

In 1999, an exhibition of his drawings of Kathakali was sponsored by Kathakali Art Centre and Max Muellar Bhavan. Presently he is a teacher at Julien Day School, Kolkata. He has also authored 'Funtime Draw and Colour', four volumes, published by Sishu Sahitya Samsad, Kolkata in 2002. Mahabharata Drawings of Asit Mondal, were published by Prof. P. Lal, Writer's Workshop, in 2002. His collection of work can be found with several private collectors and art lovers of India and abroad.
 

If you have visited the coffee shop at the Prithvi Theatre in Mumbai, and liked it, you are sure to find the Art Shop at Aakriti's Hungerford Street premises in Kolkata interesting. Only that the latter won't serve you coffee. But there are coffee mugs in plenty, and each one a masterpiece by its own right, in the sense that each boasts of an original painting by some of India's frontline artists, including Bikash Bhattacharya, Jogen Chowdhury and Satish Gujral.

Beside these, it also has a lot more unique offerings including monographs on individual artists, mouse pads, bags, reasonably prized small sculptures and paintings. The idea of the art shop was actually to bridge the gap between the art world and the potential connoisseur, and these are a few customized items that enables one to posses a piece of art without burning the mythical hole in the pocket that art is always associated with.

At the same time, the art shop also offers the latest issues of magazines like Art News & Views, Art etc, Gallerie, Art Journal, Depart, Art & Deal. Subscription of magazines like Art News & Views, Art etc and Gallerie are also accepted.

So come, visit the Art Shop. It's after all a different world, offering art, with popular zing.

 

A virtual meeting ground for artists, art collectors, art  enthusiasts, critics and connoisseurs.	Post your views on www.aakrititalkart.com

VANISHING GALLERIES

Posted by Prince Freakasso on December 9, 2009 at 4:57pm

With the art business booming until one year ago, all and sundry had hopped onto the art bandwagon seeking bonanzas, from a sucker crowd. Galleries mushroomed overnight, with rag tag failed artists, out of work curators, non subject savvy art critics and fake collectors at the helm of affairs. Those poor gullible buyers who hoped to cash in are today left cooling their burnt fingers. Most of these fly by night operators lacked vision and acumen to pursue in the business. Buying artists during a boom is sheer ignorance. The boom factor is normally the result of media and gallery hype, which of course in turn has you buying at outrageous prices. When the hyped artist moves from the art community glare, his art is going begging for a quarter of the price. It is always safer to buy an upcoming or emerging artist, because it's most likely you'll get him for a song. And no sweat as the price would have been real cheap, you stand to lose nothing in the long run of time. Galleries like Aakriti have been going great guns and that speaks well of their credentials, while most hop along have shut down and ventured into another gimmick, artist residency programs. All the best AAKRITI great going..... PRINCEFREAKASSO

(Spellings and grammar remain unchanged. Views expressed are those of the blogger)