Royals to radicals, Art of India show bridges eras with stunning line-up | India News

When we think of cat portraits in Indian art, Jamini Roy often comes to mind. His ‘Cat Stealing a Prawn’ remains one of the most enduring images of an Indian modernist. However, few are aware of RB BhaskaranThe artistic fascination with feline figures. An emblematic name in the 60s Madras art movementBhaskaran frequently explored themes involving both cats and couples.
His cats, often posed in varied poses, radiate agility and shape-shifting qualities. In contrast, his male-female couples remain deliberately rigid in their poses, a playful parody of the black-and-white wedding photographs commonly displayed on walls across India. One such work by Bhaskaran, displaying his signature elements (a cat, a couple and a fish), will be showcased at the Artworld-Sarala Art Centre, one of the oldest galleries in South India, in the upcoming edition by Art of India (AOI) of the Times of India. Festival, which will be held in Delhi and Mumbai.
Magic of Madras
“AOI Curator Alka Pande has selected pieces from our collection to reflect the eclectic range of artists we work with. While we specialize in mid-20th century art from the Madras Art Movement, we also represent stalwarts from across India who have contributed to the evolution of modern Indian art,” says Anahita Banerjee, director of Artworld-Sarala Art Centre. , a partner gallery. for the exhibition. Other highlights from the Chennai-based gallery include AP Santhanaraj’s oil on canvas from the 1980s. Known for his masterful explorations of line and form, Santhanaraj is considered one of the most influential artists of the second wave of the Art Movement of Madras, after KCS Paniker and S Dhanapal.
From teachers to self-taught artists working outside the gallery scene, AOI celebrates Indian art history in its entirety. Divided into five key categories: ‘Masters’, ‘Hidden Gems’, ‘Folk and Tribal Art’, ‘The Blue Chips of Tomorrow’, ‘Contemporary’ and ‘Inclusiveness’, the program explores themes such as social realism, nationalism and climate change. Partner galleries will showcase India’s evolving artistic narrative.
Manan Relia, director of Archer Art Gallery in Ahmedabad, describes his gallery’s 20 exhibitions as a comprehensive programme. The Masters section highlights works by artists such as KG Subramanyan, Manu Parekh, Jeram Patel and Bhupen Khakhar, offering glimpses of iconic creations that have shaped history of indian art. The second section focuses on emerging contemporary artists such as Alpesh Dave, Manish Chavda and Nabibakhsh Mansoori.
Surreal to traditional
Notable are Dushyant Patel’s surreal frames, inspired by Salvador Dali and René Magritte, and Bharti Prajapati’s paintings, often themed around Krishna, Kabir and women inhabiting nature. “Dave sews on canvas in his mixed media works. Her ‘In the Sea’ features a sewn figure diving into a pink ocean,” says Relia. The third category is dedicated to traditional art, with exquisite Nathdwara Pichwais on themes such as the Tree of Life, Gopashtami and Hanuman Chalisa, showcasing the depth and diversity of India’s cultural heritage. “They are unique and rarely seen in public exhibitions. They will please both experienced collectors and the general public,” says Relia.
For Uday Jain, third-generation owner of Delhi’s Dhoomimal GalleryAOI stands out for its unique format as a group exhibition. “Unlike other art fairs where galleries display independent collections in separate booths, this festival is a single, cohesive exhibition. It brings together the best works from several galleries, spanning centuries and multiple generations,” says Jain, whose 80-year-old gallery has contributed significant pieces, including a rare oil on canvas by AH Müller, who gained prominence as a ‘romantic realist’. ‘ in India at the beginning of the 20th century. It depicts a royal court scene with a sensual dancer and a maharaja in love. Jain describes it as “one of the most emblematic works in the exhibition.”
Other works in the gallery include a 1960s FN Souza canvas featuring one of his iconic distorted heads and an early J Swaminathan from his Color Geometry of Space series, illustrating his neotantric idioms and abstract symbolism.
Delhi’s Art Magnum gallery will also feature a wide range of media, from hand-cut paper on acrylic to digital prints mounted on a light box, in a category called ‘Tomorrow’s Blue Chips’, which identifies artists poised to become the next fashion. “The vision of the gallery has always been to showcase works that are creating a new language in art,” says Saurabh Singhvi, director of Art Magnum. “The idea is to present something in which the artist explores areas unknown to the viewer,” he adds.