In the Visual Art Gallery leading to the Central Atrium at India Habitat Centre, you will find yourself immersed in a world of sculptural talent. For the first time in many years in Delhi’s art circuit, a diverse group of sculptors from Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai have come together with their transformative artworks that define the evolution of sculptors in India.
It is interesting to see that each artist, while exploring the intersection of tradition and modernity, has a different vision of what sculpture can be. The energy and diversity of the 14 sculptors is evident in each piece as the exhibition, The Forces of Imagination, takes viewers on a journey into the artists’ emotions, creativity and processes.
This is a rare show with 100 sculptures jointly displayed by Delhi Art Society (DAS), Calcutta Sculptors and Chawla Art Gallery.
Sculpture artist, Neeraj Gupta Photo: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar/The Hindu | Photo Courtesy: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar
“The wide-ranging, evocative and innovative artworks in diverse mediums such as marble, bronze and stainless steel reflect the growing mastery of our sculptors. His works are open to interpretation and are not mere representations; They stir the mind, body and soul,” says Neeraj Gupta, founder of DAS and expert on Makrana marble.
His new work in the show evokes surrealist fantasies, structured around the interactivity of individual parts in tight aural arrangements. They, he says, reflect the inequalities and mutual alienations stemming from their environment, a sense of an aggressive and turbulent past. Characteristics of the present day, Gupta has brought them to life with various layers of slips and glazes.
Artist Tapas Sarkar poses with his work at “The Forces of Imagination” exhibition in Delhi. Photo: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar/The Hindu | Photo Courtesy: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar
Tapas Sarkar’s work in bronze with many folk imagery achieves spiritual grandeur. In deeply carved style, the narrative is elaborate as seen in On the Bench and Way to the Dancing Ground. Sarkar, founder of the Bengal Sculptor Group, says the description is a form of embellishment that he uses as a metaphor for a wounded world.
Sculpture by Vibhor Sogani Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Vibhor Sogani’s installations in steel go beyond the limits imposed by geographical and cultural desire. A piece of the sky takes the form of floating lotus petals, with the soft metal slowly turning and forming a space where mirror-like droplets create a sense of peace and wonder. The light installation, Magical Bloom, is composed of countless polished stainless steel ornaments crafted into the shape of a flower, mimicking the beauty that nature provides in abundance. Intimate and penetrating, the reflective spheres interact with the sky above and the atmosphere reflecting surrounding activities. Each sphere represents its own world
In a mixed group of trained sculptors, stone carvers and installation artists, Chennai artist Narayana Lakshman is an exception, exploring Zen through abstract expressionism on canvas and he saw sculpture as a natural and organic extension of his artistic vision. Have stepped in. ,
Narayan Lakshman with his sculpture titled Protected at “The Forces of Imagination” exhibition in Delhi Photo: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar/The Hindu | Photo courtesy: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar
“It’s a huge leap,” he says, adding that it’s easier and a different orientation to put your thoughts and feelings on a two-dimensional canvas, but the same ideas of peace and quiet, focus are cast into three-dimensional stone. The work is completely different,’ says Narayan, who is the only participant whose two paintings are also on display.
The very nature of the material pushes the artist into different styles. My paintings are all about serene peace and deep happiness and I had to find a way to express this in stone, it is difficult to create the same feeling of energy flow within stone,” he says.
Narayan hopes discerning audiences will catch the sensory connection between his two art forms. His pink marble Makrana sculpture titled Protected depicts the interpersonal and communal aspect of love and peace. It is a paean to the power of human sympathy that leads to the steadfast protection of an individual by the community.
“You can see this in the context of asylum seekers or people who make treacherous journeys across turbulent seas and land on foreign shores, or in the situation in Gaza and other conflict zones. It’s about people standing up for each other, the triumph of spirit that manifests in solidarity,” he says.
Each of the artworks on display contains some gems. Some other notable works are by Somnath Chakraborty, Chandan Roy, Subrata Pal, Pabitra Ganguly, all of whose pieces are nourishing and soulful.
An exhibit at The Forces of Imagination Exhibition Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
“Our focus was on a blend of time-honored techniques and contemporary creativity and we have carefully selected and curated objects that will excite the audience,” says Shibani Chawla, director of Chawla Art Gallery.
“A sculptor’s practice is meditative, exploratory and creative and involves carving, sculpting, assimilating, drawing and using one’s full artistic ability to create a work of art that speaks deeply. This exhibition helps to understand the influence and legacy of contemporary Indian sculpture,” says curator Nanak Ganguly.
India Habitat Centre, on Lodhi Road; By December 31st; 11 am to 7 pm
published – December 20, 2024 12:35 PM IST
