Gallery Time & Space and ArtenBlu

presents

SADIYAAN

India is home to more than 50 types of traditional forms of paintings, once thriving and prosperous, is now facing extinction. Several of these art forms are dying due to complexity of the work, time consuming techniques and lack of proper channels to consistently support and promote the art and the artists.

As an ongoing effort to create awareness and provide a platform to showcase these indigenous art forms to art patrons, Gallery Time & Space in collaboration with ArtenBlu presents Sadiyaan, meaning centuries. One can witness centuries of culture and labour in this show through featured folk arts like Pichwai, Pattachitra, Gond, Mysore Traditional Art and Kalighat. The show presents old craft forms with a contemporary twist like Pichwai in its unique form and exquisite colours like teals and pastels.

Some of the folk-art forms and artists featured at the show:

Pichwai

The word Pichwai comes from ‘pichh‘ meaning back, and ‘wai‘, meaning textile hanging. They are made by members of the Pushti Marg sect, founded by Shri Vallabhacharya in the 16th Century

Pichwai (pichvai) is a style of painting that originated over 400 years ago, in the town of Nathdwara near Udaipur in Rajasthan, India. Intricate and visually stunning, pichwai paintings, made on cloth, depict tales from Lord Krishna’s life. Lord Krishna is often depicted as Shrinathji in Pichwais, which is the deity manifest as a seven-year-old child. Other common subjects are Radha, Gopis, Cows and Lotuses. Festivals and celebrations such as Sharad Purnima, Raas Leela, Annakoot or Govardhan Puja, Janmashtami, Gopashtami, Nand Mahotsav, Diwali and Holi are frequently depicted in Pichwais.

Pichwai Artists include:

A team of 3  viz. Father – Sharad Soni and sons Kuldeepak and Naveen Soni, are Practising Artists from a family of traditional artists in Bhilwara, Rajasthan. Kuldeepak Soni is a third generation Artist. Trained by his grandfather Shilp Guru Shri Badrilal Chitrakaar, a renowned National Awardee. Kuldeepak was recently invited to participate in the launch of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) in Mumbai, 2023.

Abhishek Joshi – Pichwai and Phad paintings with a vibrant depiction of the Indian tribal scene, are his forte. His subjects incluce Pabuji and Devnarayan. He has done contemporary series on Save Girl Child, Abhigyan Shakuntlam, based on the play written by great poet Kalidas, ‘Haldi Ghat’, the battle between Maharana Pratap and Akbar and on the song Sare Jahan se achha…. Hindosta hamara, to name a few.

Sushil Soni – Graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Drawing and Painting from Nathdwara College, Rajasthan, tutored in  miniature paintings by Ghanshyam ji Nimbark and introduced intricacies of miniature into folk Pichwai paintings. His work has also been regarded in high esteem by the Government of Rajasthan for keeping alive the long-established style.

Gond Art

Paintings from folk and tribal art that is practiced by one of the largest tribes in India, THE GOND TRIBE. Gond comes from the Dravidian expression, Gond which means ‘the green mountain’.

Choti Tekam – a well-established Gond artist from the Mandala district in Madhya Pradesh.  Artist Ram Singh Urveti initiated her into the contemporary Gond genre. Her subjects include Flora and Fauna, her imaginative and unique take on it characterises a vivid style. The artist currently works at the National Museum of Mankind, Bhopal.

Pattachitra

A general term for traditional, cloth-based scroll painting, based in the eastern Indian states of Odisha and West Bengal. The name Pattachitra has evolved from the Sanskrit words patta, meaning canvas, and chitra, meaning picture. Pattachitra is thus a painting done on canvas, and manifested by rich colourful application, creative motifs, and designs, with simple themes, mostly mythological.

Akashaya Kumar Barkiri –  A native of Odisha, and palm-leaf Artist, Barkiri’s ritualistic works are depictions of time-honoured culture of The Eastern Indian state on the Bay of Bengal, known for its tribal culture and ancient Hindu temples. He imparted his knowledge across highly recognized art institutes like National Science Centre, New Delhi, Crafts Museum, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi & SPEC MEC. He has also received National Merit Award, Gold Medal 2017 from Prafulla Dhankar Art Foundation, Mumbai & UNESCO Award 2014.

Kalighat Paintings

Kalighat paintings originated in the 19th century West Bengal, India, in the vicinity of Kalighat Kali Temple, Kalighat, Calcutta, India. It was initially given as souvenirs to the visitors of the Kali temple, the paintings over a period of time developed as a distinct school of Indian painting, subjects include Hindu gods and other mythological characters.

 Rup Sona and Sumana

The couple is based in a remote village close to Calcutta. From a young age Rup Sona was tutored by her grandmother and father and first exhibited at the age of 12. Colors are extracted naturally, yellow from turmeric, blue from flowers, black by burning rice and powdering it and red from a pan. The couple has strived hard and travelled to a lot of places like Delhi, Pune, Chennai and Denmark to participate in exhibitions and spread awareness on Kalighat painting.

Tanjore Paintings

The dense composition, surface richness and vibrant colors of Indian Thanjavur or Tanjore Paintings.with embellishments of semi-precious stones, pearls and glass pieces further add to their distinct appeal. The relief work gives them a three dimensional effect.

Praveen Kumar

Trained at Chitrakala Parishat, Bangalore, artist Praveen Kumar has been painting for more than 22 years. He has painted more than three thousand Tanjore paintings. He is also proficient in Mysore style of Painting.

Mysore Paintings

A  form of classical South Indian painting that evolved in the Mysore city of Karnataka, patronaged by Wodeyars. Mysore paintings are often mistaken for Tanjore paintings. However, Mysore paintings have finer brush work & more delicate colours, while Tanjore paintings have a rougher, more bold style with broader brush strokes. They are known for their gold leaf paint and often depict Hindu gods, goddesses or scenes from mythology. Gesso paste made with zinc oxide and Arabic gum is used in low relief, helps to bring out details.

 Josheela S V

Josheela S V from Karnataka, India, specializes in miniature artworks of gods and goddesses where she beautifully captures the facial expressions. She received her training in Mysore Traditional Painting at Chitrakala Parishath, taught by senior artist Sri B B Raghavendra. She has been a 3 time winner at the Mysore Dasara Exhibition, Lalitha Kala Section.