Soulmate: Bringing together maestros and promising artists

Twenty art maestros are coming up to present a plethora of artwork at a group exhibition titled 'Soulmate'. Curated by Renu Khera, Director of National Institute of Fine Arts, the show illustrating art as the reflection of the soul, will be held from June 1 – 4 at Visual Arts Gallery, New Delhi.

The exhibition puts forth the various facets of Indian mythology, religious thoughts, vintage theme, culture, life and nature. An amalgamation of artworks by the artists of Indian origin from across the world, the exhibition features names like Sujata Bajaj, Niladri Paul Bratin Khan, Arpan Bhowmik, G Subramanian, Swati Pasari

and Sandeep Chhatraband among others.The event will also bring together promising upcoming artists to showcase their work.

"All the 20 different artists have different mediums of work and different thought processes. So to see them together under one roof is truly going to be an unforgettable experience for the spectators", says Renu Khera, curator of the show.

Bratin Khan, one of the artists and the master of traditional and folklore themes, will bring alive the themes of Indian mythology. Fragile, emotive and rich in colour, Bratin's works use the traditional method of tempera painting, which goes back to the Indian miniatures. Seven to eight coats of transparent color are put on the surface, one after another to get a complete tone. Simple but evocative, Arpan Bhowmik's art is a study in contrast. Bhowmik's paintings showcase the vintage theme of a heritage city, Kolkata bringing the city and its humdrum affairs to life with his brushstrokes. Whereas, a painter and a collagist, G. Subramanian uses the medium of collage, and layers it along with acrylic paint and ink washes in brilliant hues to create mixed media works.

Niladri Paul's work bears ample testimony to his talent, integrity and awareness of his surrounding reality. Deriving inspiration from everyday life, he captures vividly the mood and spirit of his subjects. The young and vibrant artist from Kolkata, Swati Pasari, describes her latest collection of sculptures as 'Celebrating Life'. Through her collection, she has made an attempt to understand her own personality and life around her. "My paintings are a reflection of my thought process. When I paint, I think and feel inner peace and beauty, serenity and calmness. So my paintings manifest these feelings. As I go along with the creations, I build on the idea of what the painting should look like", says Swati.

"They say that you have to be lost in order to be found. Every artist strives for inner peace, and art is only a method of finding inner wholesomeness", adds Swati.