Place Your Bids on Contemporary Hindu Art

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS

BIKASH BHATTACHARJEEUntitled, 1984Pastel on paper pasted on boardStarting bid: Rs 1 lakh ($1,429)Est: Rs 10 - 15 lakhs ($14,290 - 21,430)

StoryLTD Auctions announces No Reserve Action of Modern and Contemporary Hindu Art available online, August 20-21. The auction features 120 works by modern and contemporary Indian artists, including F N Souza, Krishen Khanna, Lalu Prasad Shaw, Thota Vaikuntham, B Vithal, Bikash Bhattacharjee, Sudarshan Shetty, Rekha Rodwittiya, C Bhagyanath and many more. Auction begins: August 20 2019, 08:00 PM IST [More]

Rasa, Ravinder Reddy’s First One-Man Exhibition in Kolkata

THE HINDU
By Soumitra Da

A migrant labourer carrying her belongings. Photo: Special arrangement

The gopurams or pyramidal towers of South Indian temples bristle with thousands of figures of deities. Rural deities or grama devatas, occasionally stark naked, are the guardians of villages in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. G. Ravinder Reddy strips these figures of their divinity and turns them into icons of working women of our times, transformed in his imagination into empowered goddesses who can hold their own, irrespective of class and social status. Seven such mainly polyester resin fiberglass heads of goddesses of various sizes, mostly voluminous, are on display at Rasa, Reddy’s first one-man exhibition in Kolkata. It is curated by Anupa Mehta. [More]

The Printmaker: Raja Ravi Varma’s Artistic Legacy

DECCAN CHRONICLES

Raja Ravi Varma's placement of the dominant character is always on the left 

In the year 1894, the aristocratic Malayali painter, Raja Ravi Varma beloved in equal measure by the British overlords and the common man, ushered in a new phase of Indian art. This was the new age: art had reached the common man. Having enjoyed the patronage of the exceedingly wealthy House of Travancore, Varma acted on the advice of then Dewan T. Madhava Rao, to start a lithographic printing press in Ghatkopar. The press produced oleographs - the remarkable pantheon of Indian gods and goddesses churned out by the hundred. [More]

How an Ancient Indian Art Utilizes Mathematics, Mythology, and Rice

ATLAS OBSCURA
By Rohini Chaki

Kōlam festivals are one of the few remaining opportunities to showcase this slowly fading tradition.

BEFORE THE FIRST RAYS OF sunlight stream across the rice fields and mud roads in the Nilgiri Mountains, before they force their way through the high-rises in the urban jungle of Chennai and Madurai, the women of Tamil Nadu are up for the day. In the dark, they clean the threshold to their home, and, following a centuries-long tradition, painstakingly draw beautiful, ritualistic designs called kōlam, using rice flour. But the kōlam is not just a prayer; it is also a metaphor for coexistence with nature. [More]

Her Hint for Collecting Like an Artist: Use Instagram

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Shivani Vora

Ms. Buckman’s wall, clockwise, from top left: a print by Tim Sidell (2014); a portrait by George Hurrell; a portrait of her daughter, Cleo, by thnwblk (2017); a drawing by Toyin Ojih Odutola (2015); art by Cleo; and a vintage image of Krishna and Radha.

The artist Zoë Buckman’s loft-cum-studio in Dumbo delivers a sensory overload of paintings, photography and sketches from around the world. Yet Ms. Buckman, born in London, has never thought of herself as a collector. “I’m someone who lives with the work of artists I’ve been lucky enough to know or trade with,” she said on a recent afternoon, as sunlight flooded through the oversized windows overlooking the Manhattan Bridge. Contemporary artists are her favorites. Pieces like these are interspersed with representations of Hindu gods that Ms. Buckman picked up on trips to India, and some art by her daughter, Cleo. [More]

Scientific Symbolism in Ravi Varma’s Paintings

THE HINDU
By Ranjani Govind

The plant life depicted in Raja Ravi Varma’s paintings will be dissected this weekend

Art students can now gain a botanical perspective to Raja Ravi Varma’s paintings. ‘Encounters of his brush with the Botanical’ is a researched study where nearly three dozen works of this icon have been picked by The Raja Ravi Varma Heritage Foundation from an eductional viewpoint. A short video presentation on the topic and a 100-page booklet of the study will be released to commemorate the 171st birth anniversary of Raja Ravi Varma at the National Gallery for Modern Art (NGMA) in the city on April 28.‘Encounters With The Botanical’ delves into various botanical elements in 33 paintings by the renowned artist,” says Gitanjali Maini, Managing Trustee and CEO, The Raja Ravi Varma Heritage Foundation. [More]

Pace Gallery Opens an Exhibition of New Paintings by Raqib Shaw

ARTDAILY

Raqib Shaw, Allegory of Memories through Monozukuri, 2018-2019. Acrylic liner and enamel on Birch wood, 47-5/8" × 39-3/8" (121 cm × 100 cm) 49" × 40-3/4" × 2-3/4" (124.5 cm × 103.5 cm × 7 cm), frame © Raqib Shaw, courtesy Pace Gallery.

NEW YORK, NY.- Pace Gallery is presenting new paintings by Raqib Shaw. The exhibition showcases Shaw’s first work in the long tradition of landscape painting, signifying a new direction for the London-based Kashmiri artist. Drawing inspiration from his childhood memories of Kashmir and the nature and architecture of the Indian subcontinent, Shaw has mined and re-envisioned his own personal history through the compulsively-detailed, meticulously-painted, and emotionally-potent works. Raqib Shaw: Landscapes is on view at 537 West 24th Street from April 5 – May 18, 2019. [More]

Ramesh Mario Nithiyendranin New Powerhouse Exhibition in Australia

ARTDAILY

Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran, Head with many Snakes, 2017. Earthenware, glaze and resin.

CASULA.- Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre explores power in all its forms with a FREE launch day (2 – 4pm, Saturday 30 March, 2019, unveiling three incredible exhibitions from renowned contemporary artists. Launching will be: Creator, a collection of boundary-pushing sculptures by Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran; Penelope Cain’s provocative exploration of coal power in Interregnum; and Anatomies by Robert Hague, as part of his 2016 Blake Established Artists Residency. All three exhibitions run from 30 March – 12 May 2019. Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran’s Creator topples the traditional boundaries of figurative sculpture and traditional ceramic. Presenting a stimulating mix of Hindu temple iconography and museum displays, Nithiyendran directly challenges museum practices around Asian faith-based objects. [More]

The Creative Process of Manaku and the Pahari Painters: Layers of Memory

MET MUSEUM BLOG
By Marina Ruiz Molina

Rama Releases the Demon Spies Shuka and Sarana: Folio from a Ramayana 'Siege of Lanka' Series,ca. 1725 Attributed to Manaku

Three artworks now on view in the exhibition Seeing the Divine: Pahari Painting of North India provide an extraordinary glimpse into the creative process of the Pahari school of painting, especially that of the enigmatic painter Manaku, who was active at the Guler court of Northern India from around 1725 to 1760. These impressive large folios were part of an important commission that Manaku never finished—a series on the "Siege of Lanka" episode from the Ramayana. Because the three paintings were left at different stages of completion (see details above), they serve as invaluable time capsules of studio practice. Each artwork represents a specific stage within an elaborate painting method that transformed the narrative scenes of the Ramayana from bold sketches into exquisitely detailed color renderings. [More]

Seeing the Divine: Pahari Painting of North India in NYC

MET MUSEUM

Devi in the Form of Bhadrakali Adored by the Gods, folio from a dispersed Tantric Devi series,ca. 1660-70

NEW YORK---Focusing on early painting styles that emerged in the regional courts of the Punjab hills of North India during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, this exhibition examines innovative ways of depicting the Hindu gods. By juxtaposing devotional images with emotionally charged narrative moments, the paintings provided fresh means for royal patrons to forge a personal connection to the divine through devotion (bhakti). Highlights include an early nineteenth-century temple banner that has never been shown publicly. [More]

Updating Norman Rockwell’s ‘Four Freedoms’ for a Modern, Diverse America

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Fayemi Shakur

“Freedom of Worship” (2018) by Hank Willis Thomas, Emily Shur, Eric Gottesman and Wyatt Gallery. Image courtesy of For Freedoms

Norman Rockwell’s “Four Freedoms” series presented an image of America intended to bolster patriotic spirit during World War II. It was, however, a selective celebration. Using Rockwell’s paintings as a starting point, Hank Willis Thomas has reimagined the illustrator’s vision by recreating scenes that include faces that reflect this country’s complexity and diversity. Mr. Thomas — whose previous projects have examined race, commerce and advertising — enlisted the photographer Emily Shur, the video artist and activist Eric Gottesman, and the photographer Wyatt Gallery to produce the work exhibited in “For Freedoms: Where Do We Go From Here?” now at the International Center of Photography Museum. [More]

What Sustains Kalakshetra's Ramayana Series

THE HINDU
By Rupa Srikanth

Kalakshetra artistes performing 'Maha Pattabhishekam', a dance drama, at the Kalakshetra Art Festival | Photo Credit: M_Moorthy

The Bharata Kalakshetra Auditorium, a high-ceilinged structure, a Kerala Koothambalam-inspired design with natural ventilation — without fans or air-conditioners — was a dream performance space for dance-dramas built by the Kalakshetra founder-visionary Rukmini Devi Arundale in 1982. It fell into disrepair and the re-built auditorium was recently inaugurated on the eve of her 115th birth anniversary during the annual ‘Remembering Rukmini Devi Festival 2019.’ The concluding programmes of the festival, two gems from her Ramayana series of dance-dramas ‘Choodamani Pradanam’ and ‘Maha Pattabhishekam’ were staged there subsequently. [More]

Krannert Art Museum Hosts Exhibition Displaying Indian Art

DAILY ILLINI

Abhisandhita Nayika: Radha and Krishna estranged by a quarrel, 19th century. Northern India, Himchal Pradesh, Parahi school, Kangra.  Opaque color and gold leaf on paper. Gift of George P. Bickford, 1970-10-5 

CHAMPAIGN, IL---The Krannert Art Museum’s new art exhibit, “From Hand to Hand: Painting and the Animation of History in Northern India” will be unveiled for public viewing on Feb. 28. The art pieces in the exhibit consists of paintings created in India from the late 1500’s to the early 1800’s. The pieces include Hindu epics, love poetry and portraits of Rajput royals. Many of the Indian paintings were donated by well-known collectors such as Alvin O. Bellak and George P. Bickford. “We’ve declared 2019 the Year of the Collection, and Krannert Art Museum is using many of our exhibitions to shine a light on truly important artwork,” Julia Kelly, the communications director, said in an email. [More]

Gandhi’s Call for Self-Reliance is Infused With Meaning at Calligraphy Exhibit

THE HINDU
By Vangmayi Parakala

Myriad art forms: A visitor taking a look at one of the exhibits | Photo Credit: Vangmayi Parakala

It is this message of sustainable solutions that the Gandhi Virasat – Kagaz Kala exhibit at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) gives as soon as you enter its space. The entry has sheets of handmade paper, hung loosely on a large wooden frame. About a score of them, in various colours, are there for you to touch and feel their different textures. It's a subtle way of advocating for handmade paper as a green, multi-solution-driven supplement to mass-produced paper. Infusing this canvas with more meaning, is the work of 11 calligraphy, type, and calligram artists.“Calligraphy isn't simply an art form. It honours the beauty of script and language. We have 22 official languages and 13 scripts. Why haven't we ever promoted calligraphy?” Jaitly asks, explaining that the art of lettering has existed with both Persian and Hindu artists. [More]

India's Compass For Navigating Contemporary Art

THE HINDU
By Ruchir Joshi

Every year, Delhi’s art season throws up all sorts of odd things. Nowadays there are art events in the NCR all across the year but the so-called season is in the cooler months, from mid-October to mid-March. However, a bit like the magnetic North Pole that’s currently playing catch-me-if-you-can, the exact epicentre of the season can be hard to pinpoint. An early winter show can define a particular season, or a big retrospective of a big-name artist at a museum might yank the point into March, but one steady fulcrum is the India Art Fair (IAF) that usually takes place in end January/early February, with all the shows and events that are clustered around that sales jamboree. [More]

Rubin Exhibition Illustrates How Tibetan Buddhism Empowered Rulers Through Artworks

ARTDAILY

Panjaranatha Mahakala; Tibet; 14th century; steatite with color and gilding; 7 x 4 1/2 x 1 1/2 in. (17.8 x 11.4 x 3.8 cm); The Metropolitan Museum of Art; gift of Florence and Herbert Irving, 2015; 2015.500.4.18.

NEW YORK, NY.- Religion has influenced and empowered countless political leaders throughout history, and Tibetan Buddhism is no exception. “Faith and Empire: Art and Politics in Tibetan Buddhism” is the first exhibition of its kind to explore Tibetan Buddhism’s dynamic political role in the empires of Asia from the 7th to the early 20th century. The exhibition places Himalayan art in a larger global context and sheds light on a little-known aspect of Tibetan Buddhism related to power, one that may run counter to popular perceptions yet is critical to understanding its importance on the world stage. Tibetan Buddhism offered a divine means to power and legitimacy to rule, with images serving as a means of political propagation and embodiments of power. [More]

India Art Fair Closes Its 11th Edition With Reports of Strong Sales

ARTDAILY

India Art Fair 2019 featured 75 modern, contemporary and institutional exhibitors.

NEW DELHI.- India Art Fair, the leading platform for contemporary and modern art from South Asia, closed its 11th edition on 3 February 2019, with strong sales reported and growing confidence in the South Asian art market. The fair was attended by leading gallerists, collectors, artists, museum professionals and philanthropists, with galleries reporting new collectors entering both the contemporary and modern markets. India Art Fair 2019 featured 75 modern, contemporary and institutional exhibitors, an inaugural performance art programme, artist talks and the launch of India Art Fair’s magazine. [More]

The Chennai Photo Biennale in India Promises to be a Treat

THE HINDU
By Rohan Manoj

A work by 3rd Space Lab Collective | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

What do we see through a glass darkly? Mere reflections, or a façade hiding an eldritch realm that lies just beyond our ken, populated by demons plotting to invade the material world and devour all mankind? The ancient Chinese believed the latter, dubbing these creatures the ‘fauna of mirrors’ — and this concept has been adopted as the title for the second edition of the Chennai Photo Biennale (CPB). The Biennale, an international festival of photography co-founded and co-organised by the CPB Foundation and the Goethe Institut/ Max Mueller Bhavan, Chennai, will be open to the public from February 22 to March 24, and will feature works by more than 100 artists from 13 countries, with exhibitions in various venues across the city, including heritage sites. [More]

Art historian studies the makers of medieval India

YALE NEWS
By Michael Cummings

Two temples at Pattadakal in India.

Subhashini Kaligotla, assistant professor of art history, points to a photograph on her computer screen of elaborate sandstone towers at Pattadakal, a medieval temple complex in northern Karnataka, India. “I always ask my students if they see different architectural styles,” she said, seated in her office at the Loria Center. She points out two distinct types of tower: One is curvilinear and rises vertically while the other is pyramidal and tiered. The first style is associated with the architecture of North India, the other with South India. About the size of a New York City block, Pattadakal features nine Hindu temples and a sanctuary dedicated to Jainism — a religious tradition that advocates nonviolence as a pathway to spiritual enlightenment — as well as numerous smaller shrines. [More]

Priyanka Chopra Shares 'The Simpsons' Makeover Art of Her Wedding to Nick Jonas

COMICBOOK TV
By Jamie Lovett

Celebrities Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas were married earlier this month. Artists have now commemorated the event with depictions in the style of The Simpsons. Chopra and Jonas held two wedding ceremonies, one Hindu and one Christian, in Jodhpur, India. Chopra shared Simpsons-style artistic depictions of both ceremonies on social media. Both caricatures feature characters from The Simpsons in the background. Rino Russo created the Simspons-style depiction of Chopra and Jonas’ Hindu wedding, seen below. [More]